Wednesday News Briefing

NEWS

NIGERIA A human rights organization in Nigeria has accused the Czech Republic of discrimination against at least 120 Nigerian nationals serving sentences in Czech prisons, the daily Právo reported. The Centre for Victims of Extra-Judicial Killing and Torture (CVEKT Africa) has asked Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan to reach out to Czech officials to demand that the country end its discriminatory practices against prisoners from Nigeria. The group issued a report citing six specific examples of Nigerian prisoners being subjected to unfair conditions that are different from those experienced by Czech prisoners. The Czech prison authority has denied the allegations of discrimination and criticized the report as wholly inaccurate, claiming there are only 40 Nigerian prisoners in the Czech Republic, all of whom are subject to the same conditions as everyone else.  

NEGOTIATIONS The lower house of Parliament debated the restricting of state support for home-building savings for nearly 15 hours Nov. 1 before interrupting the marathon session at midnight, The Czech News Agency (ČTK) reported. The session dragged on throughout the day as part of a planned filibuster by the opposition Social Democrats (ČSSD), who are attempting to stall the government's attempts to push through its reform program by the end of the year. ČSSD Chairman Bohuslav Sobotka has said the proposed reforms of the pension, healthcare, welfare and tax systems would bring the country "close to the critical Greek situation." ČSSD deputies formed three shifts to filibuster the debate during the night session.  

DRINKING Two Czech soldiers serving on a U.S military base in Afghanistan were arrested after being caught drunk while on duty, the daily Právo reported Nov. 2. The soldiers, part of the Czech Republic's elite Military Counter Intelligence unit, were detained by military police on the U.S. Shank base in the Logar province after one man was found "misbehaving" on the base and refused to obey orders from the U.S. authorities. The Americans handed the soldier over to his Czech commanding officers, who then discovered another soldier who was also drunk. The two have been flown back to the Czech Republic and will lose part of their salaries.  

BUSINESS  

STOCKS The Prague Stock Exchange followed others in Europe in a decline Nov. 1 on news that Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou will put the late October eurozone deal that saw bondholders agree to a 50 percent write-down to referendum. The PX index dropped 3.55 percent on the news, dropping to 897.3 the first time it has been below 900 in a month. Komerční banka lost almost 6 percent to close at 3,259 Kč per share, and Austria's Erste Bank traded 4.8 percent weaker at 375.9 Kč. Analysts say more negative reaction from investors is expected today.  

BONDS The Finance Ministry has dismissed a demand from U.S. lawyer Edward Fagan who claims the city of Karlovy Vary has never paid bondholders back for money borrowed in 1924, ČTK reported. Fagan claims the spa town owes more than 10 billion Kč to lenders, while government officials insist all debts related to the bonds were cleared more than 50 years ago. "This bond issue was settled in 1962, and Prague has documents to prove it," a Prague City Hall spokeswoman said.  

DEFICIT The state budget deficit dropped to 91.5 billion Kč at the end of October, down from 105.1 billion Kč at the end of September, according to numbers released Nov. 1 by the Finance Ministry. The budget for 2011 calls for a 135 billion Kč budget gap for the entire year. Finance Minister Miroslav Kalousek (TOP 09) has regularly reiterated that the government will meet that goal.  

WEATHER

Prague, Czech Republic; Mostly sunny; High: 11 C, Low: 3 C