• Czech Republic seen as second worst EU country in which to start up a business
    07/13/2014

    The Czech Republic is the second worst country in the EU in which to start up a business, according to a report by the World Economics Form. A survey among local entrepreneurs indicates that the process of setting up a business is bureaucratic and time consuming. Respondents also noted the difficulties of acquiring start-up loans. Only 15 percent of Czechs have moved to establish their own private business, which is the lowest number in the EU.
    Author: Daniela Lazarová

  • A viral epidemic is threatening bee colonies in central Bohemia
    07/13/2014

    A viral epidemic is threatening bee colonies in central Bohemia. Experts say it is the seventh outbreak this year. Bee-keepers in more than a hundred towns and villages are at risk and have been placed in a quarantine zone, meaning they are not allowed to move hives and queen bees outside this region. Regulations in this country ban treating infected colonies with antibiotics. All such colonies must be destroyed.
    Author: Daniela Lazarová

  • Georgian film Corn Island picks up main prize at Karlovy Vary Film Festival
    07/13/2014

    Georgian filmmaker George Ovashvili’s Corn Island won the main prize –the Crystal Globe Award - at the 49th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival on Saturday night. The psychological drama is the story of an old peasant who transmits the wisdom of life to his granddaughter and reflects on the importance of harmony between man and nature. The winning film was made in coproduction with Germany, France, the Czech Republic and Kazakhstan.

    The audience's prize went to a Czech entry - Olga Sommerova's documentary film The Magic Voice of a Rebel, which tells the life story of singer and dissident Marta Kubišová.

    The Best Actress award went to Ella Fanning for her performance in Low Down, a U.S. film directed by Jeff Preiss and Nahuel Perez Biscayart picked up the Best Actor award for his role in All Yours, a Belgian-Canadian movie directed by David Lambert.

    The jury's special prize went to Hungarian film maker Goergy Palfi for Free Fall. The main prize in the East of the West category went to Ivan Tverdovsky’s Corrections Class, a Russian-German co-production.
    Author: Daniela Lazarová

  • Czech holidaymakers in Craotia get assistance from Czech police
    07/12/2014

    Czech Interior Minister Milan Chovanec and Police President Tomáš Tuhý have concluded a three-day working visit to Croatia. Craotia is one of the most popular holiday destinations with Czechs and the two country’s police forces cooperate in dealing with holiday makers’ problems. Throughout the summer and autumn a group of Czech police officers join Croat patrols to help deal with traffic accidents, thefts of documents and other problems. They also operate a phone helpline in Czech. According to the Croat authorities Czech tourists are relatively problem free and the joint patrols eliminate serious problems.
    Author: Daniela Lazarová

  • Insurance company puts money into prevention to fight child obesity
    07/12/2014

    A Czech health insurance company has launched a pilot health awareness project for the parents and children to help fight obesity, the ctk news agency reports. Five percent of Czech children are obese and a growing number of them are overweight, largely due to a bad lifestyle. Doctors and insurance companies have been trying to reverse this trend since 78 percent of overweight children carry the problem into adulthood, resulting in serious health problems such as diabetes and heart disease. The prevention pilot project is for one parent and child and focuses on nutrition and physical activity.
    Author: Daniela Lazarová

  • Missing taxi driver unharmed
    07/12/2014

    A Prague taxi-driver who had gone missing for several days, sparking fears he might have been murdered, has contacted his family from Paris to confirm that he is alive and unharmed. His disappearance triggered a nation-wide search in connection with the still unexplained murders of three Prague taxi-drivers since the beginning of this year. One was shot in the head from behind in February after taking his client to an abandoned location outside Prague, the other two were murdered in a similar fashion in April. The case has spread panic among Prague taxi drivers and many are refusing to pick up clients on the street.
    Author: Daniela Lazarová

  • ANO candidate for EU commissioner says she is up to the challenge
    07/12/2014

    Regional Development Minister Věra Jourová, whom the coalition party ANO last week put forward as its nominee for EU commissioner, says that while regional development is her main area of interest she feels up to the challenge of accepting other portfolios. ANO put forward a new nominee, in place of former EU commissioner Pavel Telicka, in the hope of reaching agreement on the home front and winning support in Brussels which the party feels might be more inclined to favour a woman candidate. The Social Democrats are still pushing their own candidate for EU commissioner – former finance minister Pavel Mertlík. The coalition parties will try to agree on a single candidate next week.
    Author: Daniela Lazarová

  • Three complete hour-long closures on D1 highway tonight
    07/12/2014

    Three stretches of the D1 highway between Šternov and Psáří in the Benešov region will be completely closed to traffic in both directions shortly before midnight on Saturday and in the early hours of Sunday. The closures should take place successively and each closure should last for about an hour. The measure is due to work on an overpass which could not be undertaken with the present restriction of traffic to two lanes.
    Author: Daniela Lazarová

  • President and finance minister come out in Kvitová’s defense
    07/12/2014

    President Miloš Zeman and Finance Minister Andrej Babiš have stood up for Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitová who is under fire for declaring her official residence to be the tax haven of Monaco. Finance Minister Babiš said in an interview for idnes.cz that since the Czech tennis star generally plays abroad her tournament wins would not be taxed in the Czech Republic anyway. President Zeman noted that Kvitová’s decision was a common practice among world class tennis stars and that the Czech Republic should be proud to have such an ambassador. He said he would be happy to receive her at Prague Castle. Left-wing politicians have slammed Kvitová for the decision and suggested she should no longer play for the Czech Republic.
    Author: Daniela Lazarová

  • The 49th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival to end with gala awards ceremony tonight
    07/12/2014

    The 49th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival is to end with a gala closing awards ceremony on Saturday evening. Two Czech films are in the running for the main prize: Andrea Sedláčková’s Fair Paly and Miroslav Krobot’s Nowhere in Moravia. The festival screened over 200 films including seven international premieres, two Czech premieres and, for the first time ever, an animated film. It will close with a screening of Damián Szifrón’s Wild Tales. For the first time ever the closing film and the closing gala ceremony of the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival will be shown live in cinemas around the Czech Republic.
    Author: Daniela Lazarová

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