Prague Monitor

LA CAVE D’ADRIEN BRINGS FRENCH MASTERY TO VINOHRADY - AT LOCAL PRICES

JWA Prague

Prague, May, 2013 (Press Release) – At a press briefing held on site, the father-son team of Arnaud and Adrien Bricout, announced today that their new French wine and delicatessen, La Cave D’Adrien, is now open for business. In the very heart of Vinohrady, (Americka 18), La Cave D’Adrien is targeted at both the hotel/restaurant trade and local, private customers, and brings to the Czech Republic good French wines at very affordable prices.

Book World Prague 2013 to focus on Slovakia

ČTK

The four-day Book World Prague 2013 trade fair connected with the 19th International Book Fair and Literary Festival that will focus on Slovak books and literature started Thursday.

A first look at the Czech Republic

by Emily Prucha | Prague Daily Monitor

Condensing the best of our home country into a single visit

Prague bans busking at some public places in city centre

ČTK

A new directive, which took effect on Wednesday May 15, regulates busking in the city centre. The directive includes 17 places where busking is completely banned.

Anti-corruption squad ex-head may be punished, says police chief

ČTK

Former anti-corruption police head Tomáš Martinec proceeded unusually when disclosing data from a criminal file and his case was passed for disciplinary proceedings, Czech police president Martin Červíček said Thursday.

Campaign to promote German at Czech schools continues

ČTK

A campaign in support of the German language studies at Czech schools continues for another year to address pupils choosing their second foreign language, representatives of the German and Austrian embassies organising the project said Thursday.

Czech elite soldiers may train in Israel

ČTK

The Czech military is negotiating with its Israeli partners about an exercise of elite soldiers from the special forces seated in Prostejov, south Moravia, that would be held in Israel under the name Sand Dune in the other half of 2013, the Defence Ministry has said.

Senate nods to court fees exemption over Klaus's amnesty

ČTK

The upper house of Czech parliament Thursday unanimously approved a government amendment exempting from court fees the people who claim compensation for the damage caused by the crimes to which the presidential New Year amnesty applies.

Accenture to supply services for Westinghouse from ČR

ČTK

The Czech branch of international company Accenture will secure source control services for all operations of US-Japanese company Westinghouse in Europe and Asia from the Czech Republic, Westinghouse said in a press release Thursday.

Whooping cough incidence on the rise in Czech Republic

ČTK

The incidence of whooping cough has been rising in the Czech Republic where 738 cases were registered in 2012, which is twice more than in 2011, and this is why experts recommend vaccination, epidemiologist Katerina Fabianova told CTK Thursday.

People In Need among groups pointing to crisis in Syria

ČTK

The Czech non-profit humanitarian organisation People In Need Thursday joined a group of foreign NGOs that have pointed to the unfortunate situation of people in Syria on their websites.

ČEZ pays highest income tax also in 2012

ČTK

Czech energy group ČEZ paid the highest income tax in 2012, like in the previous years, followed by car maker Skoda Auto and bank Ceska sporitelna, according to a chart compiled by the Finance Ministry.

Former police chief Lessy acquitted of charges

ČTK

A Prague court Thursday acquitted former Czech police president Petr Lessy of libel and abuse of power charges for allegedly letting leak documents offending a senior police official to media.

New book shows photos of Havel

ČTK

A new book of photographs of the late president Václav Havel, taken by the Czech News Agency photo reporters, was presented in Prague Wednesday.

Prague zoo has Javan leopard

ČTK

The Prague zoo has acquired a Javan leopard, one of the world's most endangered beasts of prey and it seeks another one to complete a breeding couple.

Javůrková, Mossakowski win Prague Spring music competitions

ČTK

Kateřina Javůrková, a member of the Prague Chamber Philharmonic Orchestra, aged 21, won the French horn competition and Pole Karol Mossakowski, 22, the organ competition at the 68th Prague Spring festival on Wednesday.

HN: Shopping centres seek new ways of attracting people

ČTK

The mushrooming shopping centres in the Czech Republic are seeking new ways of attracting people amid growing competition and they are extending the services offered, such as cafes and rest areas, Hospodářské noviny writes.

Dispute over St Vitus Cathedral in Prague may reopen

ČTK

St Vitus Cathedral at Prague Castle still belongs to the church, Cardinal Miloslav Vlk said on his webpage, pointing to the ruling by the Constitutional Court (US) from this year on a different case in which it questioned the state claim, but Prague Archbishop Dominik Duka has dismissed the claim.

Lower house approves state guarantee for ČNB loan to IMF

ČTK

The Chamber of Deputies approved a government sponsored bill Wednesday that provides a state guarantee to the Czech National Bank (CNB) for a loan to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) that is to serve as aid to the euro zone.

Minister facing accusation over extradition to Russia

ČTK

Justice Minister Pavel Blažek is facing a criminal complaint lodged by Russian Stanislav Torubarov over the extradition of his father to Russia, ministerial spokeswoman said Wednesday.

GfK: Only 20% of households optimistic about future

ČTK

Only less than one-fifth of Czech households are optimistic about the future - expect a better financial financial situation, have enough money to be able to save and have lesser fears of job loss, a survey conducted by company GfK among 2,000 households has shown.

President has three new candidates for Constitutional Court

ČTK

President Miloš Zeman has another three candidates to fill in the posts of Constitutional Court judges that will be vacated later this year and he met them at Prague Castle on Tuesday.

Chamber of Deputies parties want to know solar plant owners

ČTK

Representatives of parties in the Czech Chamber of Deputies have agreed on drafting and submitting soon a bill to ascertain owners of solar power plants, but they did not agree on creating a commission of investigation called for by the opposition Social Democrats (CSSD).

Towns stage "rake protest" against unjust EU money distribution

ČTK

More than a hundred of Czech villages and small towns Wednesday displayed rakes outside the town halls in protest against what they criticise as a too small share they receive from the EU subsidies coming to the Czech Republic.

ÚSTR has new scientific council

ČTK

The Czech Totalitarian Regimes Study Institute has a new scientific council whose 12 members, including historians Petr Pithart, Vilém Prečan and Muriel Blaive, were approved by the ÚSTR Council Wednesday.

NGO points to Hungarian neo-Nazi wrestler's planned Czech stay

ČTK

The participants in Friday's martial sports tournament in Prague are to include Attila Petrovszki, a Hungarian contestant who openly claims his adherence to neo-Nazism, Czech server Romea.cz reported Wednesday, citing the Antifascist League's information.

ERÚ: Renewables support is above limits of Czech economy

ČTK

The current system of support to renewable sources of energy is above the limits of the Czech economy, Energy Regulatory Office (ERU) chairwoman Alena Vitaskova said Wednesday.

Cabinet gives more money to anti-corruption police

ČTK

The Czech government Wednesday added further CZK 69 million to the anti-corruption police unit's budget for 2013 based on a proposal submitted by Deputy Prime Minister Karolina Peake.

Hockey forward Červenka leaves NHL for St.Petersburg

ČTK

Czech ice hockey forward Roman Červenka is leaving the NHL, where he played for Calgary, and returning to the Continental League (KHL) to play for Saint Petersburg.

Prague not to restrict Croats' access to Czech labour market

ČTK

The Czech Republic will not restrict Croat workforce's access to the Czech labour market after Croatia's EU entry in July, PM Petr Nečas said after the cabinet meeting Wednesday, adding that no other position of Prague was probably imaginable.

Právo: Czech households growing poor

ČTK

Czech households are growing poor and the state spent more than seven billion crowns on housing allowances paid to over 200,000 households in 2012, which is considerably more than a year before, the daily Pravo writes Tuesday.

MfD: Prague sees growth in Russian, Chinese visitors

ČTK

The total number of foreign tourists visiting Prague, mainly Russians as well as rich Chinese, has been rising despite the economic crisis, the daily Mladá fronta Dnes writes in its Prague supplement Tuesday.

President Zeman to visit Poland in late May

ČTK

President Milos Zeman will pay a visit to Poland on May 23-24, continuing with his tour of the Czech Republic's neighbours after his election at the beginning of the year.

Court issues verdict in case of fatal zorbing accident

ČTK

A district court Tuesday imposed a one-year suspended sentence with a two-year probation on two operators of zorbing for an accident in which a teacher died and a teenage pupil suffered serious injuries during this adrenaline sport activity.

ČLFA: Non-bank firms provide CZK 34.5bn to clients in Q1

ČTK

Member companies of the Czech Leasing and Financial Association (CLFA) provided CZK 34.5bn for the financing of clients' needs in the first quarter of 2013, a year-on-year growth of 0.4%, CLFA told CTK Tuesday.

Church restitution opponents write letter to Pope Francis

ČTK

Opponents of the Czech law on the return of the churches' property confiscated by the communist regime have written a letter to Pope Francis in hope that his authority could prevent the Roman Catholic Church from the property takeover.

Some 120 weirs are dangerous to life in Czech Republic

ČTK

There are some 120 dangerous weirs in the Czech Republic, roughly 50 of which need special elements for amateur or professional rescue, a Water Sports Rescue School representative said Tuesday.

Czechs to celebrate Tax Freedom Day June 11

ČTK

Czechs will celebrate this year's Tax Freedom Day on June 11, two days later than last year, according to calculations made by the Liberal Institute.

Poll: Czechs are very unsatisfied with state of democracy

ČTK

A mere one-quarter of Czechs, the same figure as in December 2011, are satisfied with the state of democracy in the Czech Republic, according to a poll conducted by the polling institute STEM in early April and released Tuesday.

ČTÚ levies record CZK 20m fines on UPC, M7 Group

ČTK

The Czech Telecommunication Office (CTU) has imposed record fines of CZK 20m on the satellite providers UPC DTH and M7 Group as they launched business in the Czech Republic without official announcement.

Court softens verdict for theft of Terezín memorial plaques

ČTK

The Litoměřice district court has markedly softened the sentences that three men, all fugitives, previously received for stealing 824 bronze plaques from the graves of victims of Nazism at the Terezín National Cemetery.

Prague's Eliška with 93.6m to be Czech tallest residential tower

ČTK

Residence Eliška, which will be the Czech Republic's tallest purely residential tower after its completion, has reached its top height of 93.6 metres.

President's team to check solar business

ČTK

The team checking the Czech solar energy business, whose formation President Milos Zeman proposed, will focus on information exchange but its police part may investigate suspicious circumstances, Deputy Police President Vaclav Kucera, one of its members, told CTK Tuesday.

Slovak ex-PM: Czechoslovakia's split was politicians' swindle

ČTK

The division of Czechoslovakia into two countries at the end of 1992 without a public referendum was an election swindle of political parties that cheated citizens, former Slovak prime minister Iveta Radičová said in her new book that she presented in Bratislava Tuesday.

Greens care for gender equality most, SPOZ least of Czech parties

ČTK

The Greens (SZ) promote gender equality most of all Czech political parties, both in society and in their own ranks, Forum 50% group said when declaring the Greens winners of the Party Open to Women contest Tuesday.

Foreign minister discussing Syria, Serbia with Westerwelle

ČTK

The situation in Syria and the recent agreement between Kosovo and Serbia were on the agenda of the talks between Czech and German foreign ministers Karel Schwarzenberg and Guido Westerwelle Tuesday.

Giant Airbus for ČSA's long-distance flights lands in Prague

ČTK

National air carrier Czech Airlines (ČSA) will fly long-distance flights again, using Airbus A330, rented from Korean Air, that landed on the Václav Havel Airport Prague Tuesday.

Respekt: Zeman may become strongest Czech individual in 25 years

ČTK

To view President Miloš Zeman as a politician having problems with stability would be a mistake since he is as firm as a rock about what he wants, Erik Tabery writes in Respekt, adding if Zeman succeeds, he will be the strongest person in 25 years.

HN: More abandoned children admitted to families now

ČTK

More and more abandoned children end up in families instead of in institutional care as a result of one of few successful government social reforms, Hospodářské noviny writes Monday.

May 15 marigold sales help fight cancer

ČTK

Prevention of colon and anus cancer will be the focus of the 17th Czech Cancer Day collection on Wednesday when people will be able to buy a textile marigold flower with a green ribbon for CZK 20.