• Swedish company buys TV Prima
    09/30/2005

    The Swedish company Modern Times Group has agreed to pay 115 million dollars for a 50-percent stake in Czech commercial channel TV Prima, ending weeks of speculation about the station's future. Prima, previously known as Premiera, has been broadcasting since 1993. It has recently had a big ratings hit with a Big Brother-like "reality show".
    Author: Ian Willoughby

  • Hyundia will invest if car plant site secured, says PM Paroubek
    09/30/2005

    The prime minister, Jiri Paroubek, says if the Czech Republic secures a site for a mooted Hyundai car plant, the South Korean company will invest in the country. On Thursday Mr Paroubek and Hyundia's chief executive visited potential sites in north Moravia. If the plant is built it will produce around 300,000 cars a year and bring at least 3,000 jobs to the region.
    Author: Ian Willoughby

  • Paroubek meets Schroder in Prague
    09/30/2005

    Prime Minister Paroubek is due to have dinner with the German chancellor, Gerhard Schroder, at Prague's Obecni Dum on Friday night. Mr Schroder's visit is private and unofficial. Nevertheless, the two leaders are expected to discuss the European Union and the recent elections in Germany.
    Author: Ian Willoughby

  • Most of "billions" found in Krejcir home raid forgeries, says CNB
    09/30/2005

    Almost all of the banknotes found in a raid of the home of fugitive businessman Radovan Krejcir were forgeries, a Czech National Bank spokesperson said on Friday. Police had reported finding billions of crowns in various currencies, but it turns out less than 10 million crowns worth of the notes were genuine. Mr Krejcir is wanted on charges of fraud and conspiracy to murder; he fled the Czech Republic in June and is now in the Seychelles, where he has citizenship.
    Author: Ian Willoughby

  • Christian Democrats: new Criminal Code paves way to legal euthanasia
    09/30/2005

    The Christian Democrats say a new Criminal Code currently being discussed by the lower house could legalise euthanasia in the Czech Republic. Deputy chairman Jan Kasal said on Friday that while it sets a maximum sentence of six years for assisted suicide, the Code does not fix a minimum sentence; he said this could be used as a roundabout way to allow euthanasia. However, the law's authors dismissed this claim, saying euthanasia will remain illegal under Czech law.
    Author: Ian Willoughby

  • Competition to decide new logo for Czech Republic
    09/30/2005

    A competition to design a new logo for the Czech Republic closed at noon on Friday. Entries are to be judged by a panel of experts, with the winner to be adopted as a single, identifiable logo for the country in foreign media campaigns and other activities.
    Author: Ian Willoughby

  • Historical chairs to return to Austria, sixty years after end of war
    09/30/2005

    Some 200 historical chairs from two imperial chateaus in Vienna will be returned to Austria, 60 years after the end of World War II, said Foreign Minister Cyril Svoboda. Austria had been seeking the return of the valuable chairs for some years, after hiding them in a south Moravian chateau for safekeeping during the war.
    Author: Ian Willoughby

  • Czechs missing key players ahead of World Cup qualifiers
    09/30/2005

    Jiri Stajner has been recalled to the Czech Republic football squad, after strikers Jan Koller and Vratislav Lokvenc were ruled out with injury. Experienced midfielder Vladimir Smicer is also out for the country's upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Holland and Finland. The Czechs, who are currently second in Group 1, last reached the World Cup in 1990.
    Author: Ian Willoughby

  • Supreme State Attorney dismissed
    09/29/2005

    The Czech Republic's Supreme State Attorney Marie Benesova has been dismissed from office. Ms Benesova was sacked at the request of Justice Minister Pavel Nemec with whom she had long-standing disputes. Although Prime Minister Jiri Paroubek had long backed Ms Benesova in the post, he recently conceded that the ongoing feud was paralyzing his administration. The justice minister has proposed state attorney Renata Vesecka as a suitable replacement. The outgoing Supreme State Attorney, Marie Benesova, has told the CTK news agency that she was given no chance to defend herself in her dispute with Justice Minister Pavel Nemec and that the decision on her dismissal was actually made when she was on holiday abroad.
    Author: Pavla Horáková

  • Pensions to rise by almost 5 percent in January, govt decides
    09/29/2005

    The government has decided to increase the old-age, widows' and disability pensions by 4.9 percent as of January. The average monthly pension will thus reach 8,128 crowns (or over 330 dollars). According to experts, the country's current pay-as-you-go pension system is to survive for another 20 years approximately. The society, nevertheless, has been ageing and the spending on pensions has been increasing. Currently, the state spends about 8 percent of GDP on pensions.
    Author: Pavla Horáková

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