Daily news summary

Czech central bank governor sees slowdown in wage rises for 2019

The governor of the Czech National Bank, Jiří Rusnok, has said wage rises next year in the country can be expected to slow down.

Speaking on public broadcaster, Czech Television, Rusnok said on Sunday that real wage rises should be in line with real economic growth, that is somewhere around 4.0 percent.

In the last quarter of 2017 Czech gross average monthly wages exceeded 30,000 crowns for the first time after an 8.0 percent rise. Taking account for inflation the real wage rise was 5.3 percent with year on year growth in the quarter 5.2 percent.

Rusnok added that current Czech economic growth is around one percentage point lower than it could be if some problems, such as the shortage of labour, could be ironed out.

Deal signed for record breaking Czech film about Jan Žižka

Czech production company JBJ Productions has signed a deal with a Hollywood film production company which aims to make what will reportedly be the most expensive Czech film ever.

The deal has been signed with the company of producer Cassian Elwes to co-produce a bio pic of the 15th century Bohemian leader Jan Žižka. The budget of 275 million crowns would reportedly exceed that of the previous record holder Dark Blue World, about Czech airmen in the RAF during WWII.

Jan Žižka was an innovative military strategist who led the Czech Hussites in a series of confrontations in religious wars, often beating numerically superior opponents .

Barbora Strýcová wins Indian Wells doubles title with last minute partner

Czech tennis player Barbora Strýcová turned a last minute doubles pairing into a winning combination when she won the Indian Wells title with Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei.

They beat Russia’s Ekateria Makarova and Elena Vesnina, the top seeds, 6:4; 6:4 to win the doubles title.

The winners had originally expected to play with different partners and made a last minute decision to pair up for one of the biggest tennis events outside the Grand Slams.

Czechs seek Pakistan agreement over convicted citizens

The Czech ministry of Justice has said it has concluded a first round of successful talks aimed at sealing an agreement with Pakistan on the exchange of convicted citizens.

Czech officials were in Islamabad to discuss details mid-March. The hoped for deal would allow Czechs to serve out their sentences in their homeland.

The move has been prompted by the case of a 21-year-old Czech woman allegedly found in Pakistan in January with 10 kilos of heroin in her suitcase. Attempts to get her released on bail pending trial have not succeeded so far.

The ministry says the agreement could take effect and apply with immediately to ongoing cases.

High winds, drifting snow, fallen trees hit east Bohemia and Moravia

Large parts of Moravia and Northern and Eastern Bohemia have been dealing with high winds and drifting snow in Arctic temperatures over the weekend.

High winds have felled trees, complicating transport, and blown roofs off houses in the east of the country. Damages to power lines have left an estimated 10,000 users without electricity on Sunday.

Temperatures in West Bohemia fell to more than minus 10 degrees Celsius during Saturday night with the cold snap expected to last for several days. The Czech weather office’s warning of high winds lasts until Sunday night in the east of the country.

Slavia clawback three goal deficit in Prague derby to clinch draw

In football, Sparta Prague allowed a 3:0 half time lead to evaporate in the Prague derby against Slavia.

Slavia equalized in the fifth minute of extra time when Milan Škoda converted a penalty. The draw leaves Slavia in second place in the league, six points adrift of leaders Viktoria Plzeň. Plzeň play later on Sunday.

Sparta, playing at home, still have not got a win under their new manager, Pavel Hapal.

Weather

Monday is expected to be cloudy with sunny intervals. Top daytime temperatures will range between zero and minus three degrees Celsius.