News

Czech PM slams EU over handling of bank deposit guarantees

The Czech prime minister, Mirek Topolánek, says the European Union has shown a complete inability to deal rationally with the current financial crisis. Speaking on a visit to Turkey, Mr Topolánek said nothing had done more to shake confidence in the EU than the events of the last few days. He was particularly critical of the fact some countries had introduced 100-percent bank deposit guarantees; he described that move as a shameless step that would increase liquidity in some states at the expense of others.

While in Ankara, the Czech prime minister also said he would discuss Turkey’s efforts to join the EU with the German chancellor, Angela Merkel, when she visits Prague on October 20. The Czech Republic, unlike some other countries in the 27-member bloc, is in favour of Turkish membership.

No change in Czech interest rates, says central bank

The Czech National Bank has defied the expectations of analysts by leaving the benchmark interest rate at 3.5 percent. Economists believed the bank’s board was preparing to announce a half-point cut in interest rates on Thursday. A day earlier, central banks in a number of countries announced a coordinated interest rates cut in an effort to support economies threatened by the financial crisis. The Czech National Bank is still expected to cut rates at a policy meeting planned for early next month.

After reaching four-year low, shares on Prague Stock Exchange rise slightly

Shares on the Prague Stock Exchange rose by 0.14 percent on Thursday. That slight uptick follows a week of falls on the bourse, which on Wednesday closed at its lowest point since 2004. Brokers said their was a new sense of calm following coordinated international interest rate cuts and other measures implemented to deal with the recent turmoil.

Over half population breathing air containing dangerous levels of carcinogens

Over half the population breathed air containing dangerous levels of carcinogens last year, according to a government study quoted by the news website aktualne.cz. Twenty-two of the Czech Republic’s 31 air measuring stations recorded levels of the chemical benzopyren at above set health limits, the report found. While limits were exceeded on under 5 percent of the country’s territory, 51 percent of the population live in those areas. Benzopyren is created by the burning of coal and oil and in the production of coke and iron. The cabinet is likely to discuss the report next week, aktualne.cz said.

Czechs first in Europe in percentage of plastic containers recycled

The Czech Republic is number one in Europe in terms of the recycling of plastics, according to a Eurostat report. In 2006 44.3 percent of plastic containers in the Czech Republic were recycled, three percent more than the traditional leader in this area, Germany.

Minister: small post offices will only close if local councils agree

Small post offices will only be closed with the agreement of local authorities, the Czech interior minister, Ivan Langer, said on Thursday. He said he would not give approval to the closure of any branches of the postal service unless the local town hall had assented to the move. Czech Post had been planning to shut down nearly 180 small branches. There are nearly 3,400 post offices around the country, with the postal service employing 37,000 people.

Interior minister wants more spending on languages needed by spies

Interior Minister Langer has presented the cabinet with a plan to increase spending on the teaching of Persian, Arabic and Chinese, according to press reports. Mr Langer said the Czech Republic’s security services needed officers skilled in such languages in order to function effectively. He and the education minister, Ondřej Liška, are due to hold talks on the plan during the next week, before the cabinet considers it again.

Owner of exchange office suspected of gigantic money laundering scheme arrested

Police have filed charges against one of the owners of a Prague exchange office suspected of laundering over CZK 5.3 billion (nearly USD 300 million). A raid was carried out on the offices of Aktiv Exchange on the city’s Národní St on Monday night. The cash allegedly laundered at the bureau de change mainly ended up in bank accounts in China and Vietnam, a police spokesperson said.

Bins set to return to Prague metro system after

The operators of the Prague underground rail system are considering bringing back litter bins, the newspaper Lidové noviny reported. The bins were removed from Metro stations seven years ago as a security measure in the wake of the September 11 terrorist attacks on the United States. A representative of Prague’s transport authority said the bins could return in a few weeks’ time. Prague Town Hall, meanwhile, is in favour of bringing back the bins, but only in the vestibules of stations – not on platforms.

Czech version of youtube launched

Google launched a new Czech version of the video-posting website youtube on Thursday. Youtube.cz is the 10th localised version launched in Europe. A Google representative said it would make it easier for people in this country to show the world their talent and their famous Czech humour.

Markéta Irglová and Glen Hansard record Simpsons parts

The Czech musician Markéta Irglová and her Irish partner Glen Hansard are set to appear in an episode of The Simpsons, the website iDnes.cz reported. The couple, who this year won an Oscar for the song Falling Slowly from the movie Once, have already recorded their parts for an episode of the popular animated series in which they appear in a pub in Dublin. Irglová and Hansard are beginning a month-long tour of Europe under the name Swell Season next month.

Weather

We can expect quite a lot of sunshine over the next few days, with temperatures of up to 21 degrees Celsius.