Daily news summary

Kalousek regrets comparing tax record system to concentration camp

TOP 09 leader Miroslav Kalousek has apologised for comparing a system linking cash registers to a central taxation database to a concentration camp. Mr. Kalousek said the system was “mere bullying” and that his party wanted to see it scrapped or postponed. He said TOP 09 would be happy for everybody who escaped from this “concentration camp” but first and foremost they would like to see it done away with. Ahead of a lower house debate this week on the controversial tax record scheme its architect, Finance Minister Andrej Babiš, said some businesses could be exempted.

Hollande to meet Zeman and Sobotka in Prague Wednesday

France’s president, Francoise Hollande, will meet the Czech president, Miloš Zeman, and prime minister, Bohuslav Sobotka, on a visit to Prague on Wednesday. The future of the European Union, terrorism and bilateral matters are expected to be high on the agenda during Mr. Hollande’s visit. A representative said Mr. Zeman would raise the issue of Czech haulage firms operating in France being forced to meet the local minimum wage, which is higher than in other EU states.

Zeman: Czech military should focus more on use of drones

President Miloš Zeman says the Czech Army should focus more on the use of drones, iDnes.cz reported. Speaking at an annual meeting with army chiefs in Prague, Mr. Zeman said the Czech military should move away from a reliance on tanks, which he would confine to the history books alongside the cavalry. He said that he had not wished for a return of the Cold War and that the election of Donald Trump had “shifted that problem from the east to the south”. He also said that though Islamic State might be defeated, “Islamic extremist organisations could seize other countries”.

Plan to build train line to Prague Airport set to go ahead

The company Metroprojekt is set to build a high-speed rail line between Prague’s Václav Havel Airport and the city’s Veleslavín, which is where travelers now transfer from the Metro system to a bus to the airport. Metroprojekt can go ahead with the project after none of the companies that lost the competition appealed the result. The Railway Administration Infrastructure said construction work would not begin until 2020 at the earliest.

Promising rower Michal Plocek found dead at 22

The promising Czech rower Michal Plocek has died at the age of 22. His body was found at the boathouse of the Dukla sports club in Prague. Police and a doctor said there was no evidence of any other person being involved in the death. A two-time winner of the World Rowing Junior Championships, Plocek was seen as a likely heir to the Czech Olympic medallist and world champion Ondřej Synek.

Weather forecast

It should be partly fair with the chance of snow in some parts of the Czech Republic on Wednesday. Temperatures are expected to reach up to 2 degrees Celsius. The remainder of the week should be warmer with some rain or snow possible.