Press Review

All of the papers offer a detailed coverage of the latest developments in the impending war on Iraq, with emphasis on what consequences military action would have on the Czech Republic. LIDOVE NOVINY, which carries a photo across its front page of the six most important US and British army officials, also includes a one-week weather forecast for Baghdad.

Domestically, a mix of stories also make the headlines - the government is trying to find ways to pay a 350 million dollar bill to a damaged foreign investor, the father of an eight-year old boy has offered a five million Czech crown reward to anyone who helps find his son who has been missing for three days, and the national debt increased by 50 billion Czech crowns last year to reach a record high at almost 400 billion Czech crowns, or a little under 13 million US dollars.

But back to the Persian Gulf. MLADA FRONTA DNES writes that the joint Czech-Slovak chemical warfare unit stationed in Kuwait is being overwhelmed with requests for interviews from the international media. Practically overnight, the unit has attracted attention from CNN, BBC, Fox News and other news providers. The reason, according to the paper's reporter, is because the unit is the only one that patrols towns and villages rather than staying locked in barracks.

HOSPODARSKE NOVINY looks into the economic consequences a war on Iraq could have in the Czech Republic. Flights abroad, especially close to the crisis area would become cheaper but tourism within the country would be dealt a significant blow. The state of the economy could improve but at a slower pace and prices would rise, especially regarding fuel and gas. However, Martin Brabec from Raiffeisenbank warns that if the conflict in Iraq lasted over three months and oil went over 50 US dollars a barrel, inflation in the Czech Republic could rise to 3.5 percent and economic growth drop below two percent.

On a lighter note, LIDOVE NOVINY writes that the emergency services in Prague received a call from a shocked man urging an ambulance to be sent to the old town as a man had tried to hang himself from a window. An ambulance and a doctor immediately rushed to the scene only to find the "Hanging Out" project by Czech artist David Cerny - a statue of a man hanging off a poll from one of the buildings.

MLADA FRONTA DNES writes about a recent measure introduced by the Jablonec nad Nisou town hall in North Bohemia to fight smoking. Here, however, the enemy is not the health risks but long absences of staff. When the town hall's management decided to prohibit smoking in the building, workers spent much of their time smoking outside. To solve the problem, a new regulation was introduced forcing workers to punch in their exits and entrances and make up the difference by working overtime. To the surprise of the paper, the town hall smokers welcomed the decision, saying it had helped them limit their bad habit.