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NEWS
ČR apologizes for Černý’s Entropa
Minister for EU Affairs Alexandr Vondra and artist David Černý apologised yesterday at the official unveiling of Entropa in Brussels, saying the 8-tonne art installation was not intended to insult anybody. Vondra said the Czech government did not know until this week that Černý rather than a group of artists from across the EU was the project’s true creator. Slovakia objected yesterday to being depicted as a salami wrapped in the Hungarian tricolour.
most Czech press
Filipiová, Bendl, Kocáb, Svoboda to join cabinet
PM Mirek Topolánek yesterday named Senator Daniela Filipiová (ODS) as the new health minister, while Petr Bendl (ODS), former governor of Central Bohemia, will take over transport. The Green Party nominated singer Michael Kocáb (independent) as the new minister for human rights and minorities; the Christian Democrats have named Pavel Svoboda head of the Legislative Council and Cyril Svoboda as the new minister for regional development.
most Czech press
Havel getting better
Doctors say Václav Havel’s lung infection has subsided thanks to antibiotics, but the former president remains connected to mechanical ventilation at Prague’s Motol Hospital.
most Czech press
Č. Budějovice to proceed with Kaplický project
České Budějovice officials remain interested in building a concert hall in the shape of ray fish designed by the late Jan Kaplický’s Future Systems studio and will seek EU funds for the project. Vlado Milunič, co-designer of Prague’s Dancing Building, said it would be impossible to realise a Kaplický design without him, as the architect’s presence is necessary to deal with likely technical difficulties. Kaplický’s family issued a statement attributing his death Wednesday to heart failure.
HN 1, 4, LN 1, 3
Choirmaster jailed for child abuse
Prague High Court yesterday handed a 5½-year jail term to Bohumil Kulínský for sexual abuse of female members of the children’s choir Bambini di Praga, overturning a lower court ruling that he should serve a suspended sentence.
MfD A1, A7, Právo 1, 7
EU flag at Letná burns down
A large European Union flag displayed since New Year’s night in Prague’s Letná park to mark the Czech presidency of the EU was set ablaze Wednesday night by an unknown perpetrator and burned down, with total damage estimated at CZK 150,000.
Právo 7
FinMin prevents casino’s online bid
The Finance Ministry yesterday turned down casino network Happy Day’s application to launch internet betting, saying only bookmakers are authorised to take their business online. An unnamed lawyer quoted by Hospodářské noviny called the decision discriminatory.
HN 18
Funding shortage scuttles Prague Autumn
This year’s edition of the annual Prague Autumn classical music festival has been cancelled due to a lack of funding.
ČTK
BUSINESS
ČR in for recession, crown falls
Hospodářské noviny quotes analysts who expect the recession to set in in the first half of the year in the Czech Republic. Patria Finance’s David Marek said the probability of recession is higher than 50% and predicted GDP will fall by a tenth of a point in 2009. The Czech currency has also been affected, with dollar topping CZK 21 and the euro over CZK 27. Analysts agree that the crown might regain strength in the second half of the year.
most Czech press
Aeroflot looking for partner in ČSA tender
Russian Aeroflot, one of the favourites to buy Czech Airlines in a tender launching next week, confirmed that it is negotiating to find a Czech partner for the deal. Finance Minister Miroslav Kalousek said Czech majority ownership is necessary if ČSA is to stay a national carrier. Companies that might cooperate with Aeroflot include PPF, Penta and J&T.
HN 15, 17
RWE wants to boost gas reserves
RWE Gas Storage wants to increase Czech storage capacity from just over 3 billion to 4.3 billion cubic metres by 2013, an amount that could cover half of the country’s yearly consumption. Czech natural gas reserves will last another five weeks if Russian supplies are not renewed.
HN 18, ČTK
Power might get cheaper
Electricity for next year is currently being sold on the Prague power market for approximately EUR 53 per megawatt hour, the same price as last year’s electricity and 9% less than the current rate. Moravia Energo Business Manager Aleš Valla said the price could fall below EUR 50.
E15 1, 8
TPCA shelves plans to hike car output
Kolín-based automaker TPCA has suspended plans to speed up production of small Toyota, Peugeot and Citroën cars this year from some 324,000 to 340,000, saying it is not able to anticipate the number of orders.
iDnes.cz, HN 15
Wood revises KB earnings forecast
Wood & Company lowered its estimates on Komerční banka’s earnings for 2009 and 2010 by 13% to 21%, mainly due to the increased cost of risk. The downgrade sent Komerční banka shares tumbling by almost 7% to CZK 2,528 yesterday.
E15 2
Industrial prices falter in late
Wholesale prices of industrial products dropped 0.2 year-on-year in late 2008, the first contraction since October 2003, the Czech Statistical Office reported yesterday.
ČTK
Temelín getting CZK 1bn upgrade
ČEZ will send more than CZK 1 billion in the 2009-2012 period on modernising its Temelín nuclear power station.
ČTK
Hauliers’ group: 600 truckers lose jobs
At least 600 Czech truckers have lost their jobs due to a decline in road haulage, according to hauliers’ association Česmad Bohemia. Last year the Czech market lacked 2,500 to 5,000 drivers.
ČTK
Czechs vote Škoda Superb car of the year
Škoda’s flagship Superb model was voted this year’s best car in a poll of 23 experts and the general public, the Car Importers Association said.
ČTK
Slovakia orders Czech trains for CZK 2.5bn
Ostrava-based Škoda Vagonka has signed a CZK 2.5 billion contract to produce 10 electric trains for suburban services in Žilina, Trenčín and Košice.
Právo 19
SŽDC will outsource track maintenance
The Railway Infrastructure Administration (SŽDC) will transfer 4,000 of its 10,500 staff to an external firm that will maintain the Czech track network through 2017 at a cost of nearly CZK 36 billion.
ČTK
Nova scraps birthday party to save money
TV station Nova will skip the anniversary party it throws annually for partners, citing efforts to save costs amid global financial crunch. This year’s event was to mark the station’s 15th birthday.
ČTK
