• Czech crown reaches new record against US dollar and euro
    10/18/2007

    The Czech currency the crown reached all-time highs against both the United States dollar and the common European currency on Thursday. Following negative news regarding the real-estate market in the US the dollar fell to 19.14 to the crown. The fall in the dollar on world markets reportedly led to greater interest in the currencies of emerging markets - this in turn led to the euro trading at 27.37 Czech crowns, its lowest level ever.
    Author: Ian Willoughby

  • Leak of sensitive information confirmed by secret service head
    10/18/2007

    Classified information leaked from the economic department of the Czech Republic's counter-intelligence, the head of the country's BIS secret service confirmed to a lower house committee on Thursday. There have been calls for BIS chief Jiri Lang to be sacked in connection with the leak, which occurred two years ago and was allegedly covered up by the agency.
    Author: Ian Willoughby

  • Support for President Klaus falls slightly
    10/18/2007

    Support for Czech President Vaclav Klaus has fallen, suggests a poll carried out by the STEM agency. While 73 percent of respondents said they trusted Mr Klaus in June, a poll carried out at the start of this month found that figure had dropped to 65 percent. The most recent survey was carried out shortly after President Klaus made a speech at the United Nations in which he reaffirmed his sceptical views on global warming.
    Author: Ian Willoughby

  • Petition launched in support of Kaplicky National Library design
    10/18/2007

    A group of architects, artists and academics have launched a petition expressing support for a design for a new National Library building by the Czech-born London-based architect Jan Kaplicky. Mr Kaplicky's ultra-modern green and violet design, nicknamed the Blob, has divided opinion. It was due to be built at Prague's Letna Plain, but that plan appears to set to be scuppered by Prague city councillors, who can block the sale of the Letna site.
    Author: Ian Willoughby

  • Sir Nicholas Winton released from Prague hospital
    10/18/2007

    Sir Nicholas Winton returned to the UK from Prague on Thursday after being admitted to hospital during a visit to the Czech capital. The Czech army laid on a special plane to take him to England. Sir Nicholas, who is 98, saved the lives of over 650 mostly Jewish children on the eve of World War II. He came to Prague last week for a conference of Vaclav Havel's Forum 2000; he was taken ill with a fever and acute bronchitis at the weekend.
    Author: Ian Willoughby

  • Prague Airport set for hijack simulation exercise
    10/18/2007

    Prague's Ruzyne airport is to hold exercises next Wednesday in which the hijacking of an aircraft is acted out. The police, soldiers and rescue workers will take part in the manoeuvres. A plane flying to Prague from Munich airport will be "hijacked" by actors playing terrorists. The passengers on the aircraft will all be members of the Czech security services and airport staff.
    Author: Ian Willoughby

  • Pilot successfully lands light plane after wheels fail to work
    10/18/2007

    A light airplane managed to land safely at Karlovy Vary airport on Wednesday, despite the fact that two of its three wheels failed to extend outwards as the plane was making its descent. The pilot managed to land the aircraft on a grassy area beside the runway and was not hurt.
    Author: Ian Willoughby

  • Czechs reach Euro 2008 after 3:0 away win over Germany
    10/18/2007

    The Czech Republic's footballers have qualified for next year's European Championship in Switzerland and Austria. The Czechs are among the first teams to reach Euro 2008, after beating Germany - who had already qualified - 3:0 in Munich on Wednesday night. The goals were scored by Libor Sionko, Marek Matejovsky and Jaroslav Plasil. The Czech Republic reached the semi-finals at the last European Championship in 2004.
    Author: Ian Willoughby

  • Czech MPs reject an Austrian call for dialogue over Benes decrees
    10/17/2007

    Czech MPs rejected on Wednesday an invitation by Austrian politicians addressed to the Czech and Slovak parliaments for dialogue over the post-war decrees issued by Czechoslovak President Edvard Benes. According to the leaders of Austrian political parties, with the exception of Austrian Greens, the expulsion and expropriation of Sudeten Germans after the Second World War was wrong. Miroslav Vlcek, the chairman of the Chamber of Deputies, said that Czech politicians consider of the Benes decrees a closed issue.

    The presidential decrees were the legal bases for the expulsion of about three million ethnic Germans from Czechoslovakia after the Second World War.
    Author: Jan Richter

  • IMF: Czech economy in 2008 to grow by 4.6 percent
    10/17/2007

    The International Monetary Fund reported on Wednesday that according to its estimates, Czech economy should grow by 4.6 percent next year. The growth rate is 0.3 percent higher than the last estimate published by the IMF earlier this year. Among other Central European countries, the Czech Republic ranks third behind Slovakia and Poland. The IMF attributes the higher growth estimates to the adoption of fiscal reforms in several countries in the region as well as the fact that impact of the US mortgage market crisis at Central European economies will remain limited.
    Author: Jan Richter

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