Tuesday News Briefing

NEWS  

BRIBERY The Anti-corruption police have called for the indictment Vít Bárta, the informal leader and chief financier of the coalition Public Affairs (VV) party, for bribing a public official, the daily Právo reported Jan. 10. Bárta is accused of offering millions of crowns last spring to MPs Kristýna Kočí and Jaroslav Škárka, a former VV deputy also under investigation, in exchange for their political "loyalty." Parliament has already voted to wave Bárta's immunity for prosecution.  

TYMOSHENKO Oleksander Tymoshenko, husband of jailed former Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, plans to continue the opposition activities of Batkivshchina, the party he and his wife founded after the 2010 parliamentary election, against Viktor Yanukovich's government from his new base in Prague, he told Radio Free Europe's Ukraine service Jan. 9. Interior Minister Jan Kubice announced that Oleksander Tymoshenko had been granted political asylum in the Czech Republic Jan. 6.  

EXTREMISTS Michal Mazel, one of few legal experts on right-wing extremism in the Czech Republic, is ending his activity amid escalating pressure from extremist groups, daily Právo reported Jan. 10. Mazel said he has been under extreme psychological pressure since the attorney of a right-wing activist launched a complaint about Mazel's lack of neutrality, citing his Jewish origin.  

BUSINESS  

UNEMPLOYMENT The unemployment rate grew to 8.6 percent in December compared with 8 percent in November, the Labor and Social Affairs Ministry announced Jan. 9. The average unemployment rate for the whole of 2011 also stood at 8.6 percent, or 0.4 percent lower than in 2010. Ministry spokeswoman Viktorie Plívová said unemployment usually grows toward the end of the year, as seasonal jobs come to an end, especially in services, agriculture and construction.

MERGERS The Czech Republic ranks 24th in a list of the most advanced markets for foreign mergers and acquisitions, placing it on the same level as Israel, Chile and Malaysia, and higher than other countries in the CEE region, according to a study done by the Cass Business School in London in cooperation with Ernst & Young. The study compares 175 countries around the world and is based on 36 factors in six categories: economic, financial, political, regulatory, socio-cultural and technological. The Czech Republic was assessed as the best in socio-cultural aspects.

STAKE City Hall wants to boost its stake in gas company Pražská plynárenská to nearly 100 percent by buying private energy provider E.ON's 49.35 percent stake in the company, as well as its 49 percent stake in Pražská plynárenská Holding, Euro reported Jan. 10. The value of the stakes is estimated at between 6 billion and 7 billion Kč. The city said it would recoup the cost of purchase through dividends.

WEATHER

Prague, Czech Republic; mostly sunny; High: 6 C, Low: 0 C

News Desk can be reached at
news@praguepost.com