E15 weekly 10. 10.

Monday, 10 October 2016 Issue 134 l newsstand price CZK 24/¤ 1 l www.e15.cz Dystopia online How trivia, trash, revenue mining and social bubbles came to predominate on the Internet TOP STORY pages 8–11 Exalted bird in the hand Birds of prey trainer Martin Ptáček on looking after the Arabs’ prized falcons FACE TO FACE pages 12–13 9 771803 454314 0 0 1 3 4 facebook.com/ e15weekly Photo: Profimedia.cz Jan Stuchlík The Czech scientists are being brought in to resolve one of the toughest challenges in the decommissioning of Fukushi- ma Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, which suffered three nuclear meltdowns after being hit by an earthquake and tsuna- mi on 11 March, 2011. After more than a year of negotiations, CVŘ signed a contract with a Japanese consortium which is working on the clean-up at the wrecked plant that could last de- cades. It wants the Czech researchers to present a verified method for ex- tracting radioactive materials, most particularly uranium and plutonium, from the melted down active parts of three reactors. The extraction must be performed in a way that enables the subsequent, separate liquidation of the materials. “This amounts to a two-year re- search project at the end of which there will be a technology proposal for the removal of uranium, plutonium and fissile products from the melted down matter. We are very likely the only faci- lity in the world which stands capable of validating such a process,” said CVŘ director Martin Ruščák. A dilemma is that the melted fuel, lo- cated somewhere in the reactor bowels in a “cold shutdown” solidified state, not only contains radioactive materials and fissile products but also oxidised iron and zirconium from fused fuel ele- ments. The Japanese are thus not able to use standard chemical processes for the separation of the radioactive matter. Under consideration for the crucial work at Fukushima – located 240 kilo- metres north of Tokyo – is the exchan- ging of oxides for fluorides with the consequent separation of radioactive materials with fractional distillation. “It was originally the Americans at their Oak Ridge National Laboratory who developed this method for the adap- tation of used fuels. In the 1980s we worked on this together with Russian specialists. Nowadays we are engaged in it alone,” said Jan Uhlíř, a scientist at CVŘ. Estimates show the cost of liquidating the hazardous zone might amount to USD 20bn. Scientists from Research Centre Řež (CVŘ) are to help the Japanese extract lethal materials left by the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant disaster. A Japanese consortium has commissioned the facility to develop a method to remove and liquidate radioactive elements from the meltdown zone. The Czech Republic’s CVŘ, which is focused on nuclear energy, is the first institution in the world to boast the required knowhow Operation Fukushima

DEFENCE Pavel Otto Unless a state of emer- gency or war is decla- red, the new law on the Czech armed forces in force since July enables any citizen between 18 and 60 years of age, without a crimi- nal record, to voluntarily take part in military training and become a reservist. Clerks at the armed forces’ General Staff have registered 895 men and women who have filled in non-binding recruitment applications or visited a re- cruitment centre. However, only a handful will eventually present themselves at the mi- litary training centre in Vyš- kov for what, historically, will be the first volunteers’ trai- ning course. And some more may still fall by the wayside. “We have selected 16 vo- lunteers interested in signing up for military duty and they will join 56 active reserves applicants for the six-week training course,” said Jan Šulc, a spokesman for the General Staff. The spokesman explained that the low number of traine- es was down to the failure of most applicants to go through the prescribed set of medical examinations. "The law has been in force for three mon- ths only and it was holiday time too. Many of the appli- cants simply have not had the time to get their paperwork in order,” Šulc said. In addi- tion to the green light from doctors, applicants must sign an affidavit in which they di- savow extremist views. According to information available to E15 daily, a possi- ble contributory reason for the low number of applicants selected is that the army lacks sufficient training capacities. This fact came to light while the amendment to the count- ry’s law on its military forces was debated in Parliament. The original bill envisaged mandatory conscription for news 2/3 First ‘voluntary soldiers’ taken on Teething troubles mean just 16 of hundreds of applicants will go through the inaugural course Photo: ČTK Don’t know what you’ve got, till it’s gone Sometimes described as “the 20th century poet of democracy”, Václav Havel, the philosopher-president who fought for, and led the former Czechoslovakia into, freedom more than a quarter of a century ago, would have been 80 last Wednesday 5 October. The great number of commemorative events that took place in his memory, both at home and abroad, testified to Havel’s abiding and deep relevance to the world of today. “The Czechs, the Slovaks, the states of the Visegrad Four and ultimately the world today lack a personality who like him could equally manage to identify phenomena and things as they were happening while at the same time not retreating even a centimetre from basic human values to which we must hold,” said Slovak president Andrej Kiska, recalling Havel Photo: ČTK everyone above the age of 18. But fears that the Vyškov training centre would not be able to cope with the resul- ting numbers of conscripts each year eventually led to the bill being modified and the law stipulating voluntary training only. “We must test the water first. We do not know whether it will be 30, 300, or 3,000 people that come to Vyškov in October. We will have to learn to manage things as the training centre is by no means expandable. The re- sults of the inaugural year will dictate the way forward in subsequent years,” Gene- ral Josef Bečvář, Chief of the General Staff, said recently. In addition to improving the volunteers’ fitness, most of the training will concent- rate on teaching tactics, the use of firearms, topography, medical skills and employing defences against weapons of mass destruction. The aim is to train the volunteers in basic fighting skills and the use of an assault rifle and handgun. The course will also include physical training and drills.

Adéla Čabanová Parentswhosendtheirchildren toforestkindergartenclubslook set to be left with the unsubsi- dised full bill. And a  further anxiety is that from the next school year five-year-olds will not be able to complete the le- gislatively required pre-school education. However, according to an amendment of the laws on schoolingintroducedduringthe spring, everything should have beenotherwise.Aftertheforest kindergartensovercamea battle fortheirverysurvival,legislation was changed to allow the edu- cational facilities more support than before. Special rules and conditions were supposed to be onthewaytoprovideforofficial registration. But they have not materialised. Theforestkindergartensthe- reforefindthemselvesinthepo- sitionofnotknowingwhathygie- nestandardsandequipmentand facilitiestheymusthaveinorder to qualify for registration. “The amendmentofthedirectiveisin thephasepriortoitscirculation Photo: Profimedia ‘Marshmallow’ stopped in its tracks by unimpressed minister A modern residential development project in central Prague popularly known as “the Marshmallow” has been plagued by setbacks for years. The latest impediment comes in the form of a rejection from the culture minister. He was asked to consider an appeal by a property investor lodged in the hope of getting things moving at the development site in U Milosrdných street. But architect Zdeněk Fránek’s latest modified design, like his initial 2008 proposal, has been flatly rejected by the culture ministry. The most recent design, with a face-like window arrangement, was approved by Prague 1 District City Hall but the culture ministry, in tandem with the regional development ministry, has overruled the approval. The whole affair now goes back to the city councillors ‘Babes in woods’ left unsubsidised Photo: ČTK fortheinter-ministerialrequest for remarks,” said health minis- try spokesman Ladislav Šticha. Meanwhile,lastweeksawthe passing of the regular deadline fortheenrolmentofnewschool facilities on the official register in advance of the 2017/2018 school year. Forest kindergar- tens are again not among the newly registered. “We are not filing any forest kindergarten schools. Nobody has requested a registration,” said Olomouc Region spoke- sperson Kamila Navrátilová. Other regions reported a simi- lar state of affairs. Karlovy Vary Region said it was processing a request from a single forest kindergarten,butthatithadnot yet been added to the register. A place on the register is essen- tialasitmakesitpossibleforthe educational facility to gain state subsidies. Childhood in nature. Children who attend forest kindergartens spend a minimal amount of time in the classroom because educational activities are centred on the outdoors Iran drew huge interest at engineering fair Expectations were exceeded when 1,200 business figures attended the International Engineering Fair [MSV] at Exportní dům [Export House]. MSV, held in the second city of Brno (3-7 October), is one of Central Europe’s most important industry events. This year we aimed to truly utilise the presence of so many Czech exporters in one location, and, along with the Export Guarantee and Insurance Corporation [EGAP], prepare an interesting programme for participants. For the first time, companies could make use of a complex export advisory service under one roof at Exportní dům. Specialists from the Client Export Centre were on hand, as were EGAP staff, representatives from the Czech Development Agency [ČRA], and also economic advisors from key destinations, for example the US, Iran and Saudi Arabia. Asides from that we also arranged a number of interesting accompanying events. The Monday to Wednesday attendance certainly outdid what was anticipated. Along with EGAP and other partners, we organised two major conferences. One of these focused on engineering, the other on Iran. The latter conference was of particular interest to many companies. The participation of 150 exporters served as a sign of the huge interest in information regarding the gradual opening up of Iran. Apart from major events such as these, smaller seminars focusing on the Netherlands and Kazakhstan also met with great success. Total attendance for these occasions numbered 300 people. We also made maximum use of the prodigious numbers of foreign delegations in order to hold bilateral meetings to discuss opportunities for deeper economic cooperation. I am pleased that foreign partners view the Czech Republic as a promising partner for the future. Furthermore, this year’s engineering trade fair served to demonstrate that we have countless Czech firms that stand a chance of success in a globally competitive environment. The participation of the ČRA in the trade fair demonstrates the fact that we take seriously the notion of interconnected development assistance and trading opportunities. We believe there is a natural link between development and commercial projects. The old premise that development assistance is charity has long since gone out of the window. Rather, such efforts must be viewed as investment activities. The Czech Development Agency has launched its own programme to support the Czech private sector in connecting with development cooperation efforts. The “B2B” programme directly supports the emergence of commercial partnerships between Czech subjects and developing countries. It motivates our companies to participate in the Third World by reducing the risks associated with entering challenging markets; we also help such firms with development- related activities. The author is a deputy to the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic have your say Martin Tlapa

business 4/5 FILM INDUSTRY Dušan Kütner Turnover at Bonton Zlín film studios fell by 10 percent year on year in 2015 to CZK 53m. Profits were down by around three- -fifths to CZK 3.7m, the lowest level for a good few years. The company not only operates as a film production facility and post production laboratory, it also deals in film licensing rights. Bonton Zlín is projecting a  rosier conclusion for itself when it comes to results for this year as a  consequence of increased foreign film post- -production activities, which have also led the studios to fuse with parent company Bonton, thus adopting the media distributor’s name in the process. “Given the increasingly international orientation of our activities, we have deci- ded to change the name of our company to Bonton, a. s.,” explained the studio’s head Katarína Morvai. The substantial fall in re- venues was partly the result of the expiration of a licen- sing rights contract for the film library of Barrandov Film Studios. This enabled the studio to licence films belonging to the State Fund for the Support and Develo- pment of Czech Cinemato- graphy. “This fact is reflec- ted in reduced profit levels, as our remaining activities are production-oriented, and thus have significantly higher associated costs,” ad- ded Morvai. In response to the expirati- on of this contract, the com- pany has decided to expand operations of its laborato- ries. Asides from traditional services, such as processing archive films, and copying camera negatives, Bonton Zlín has also set up a digital post-production facility. “Among our new services is the ability to transfer digitally Rosier future out of shot, say studios Bonton Zlín expansion to embrace more foreign film post-production activities Gone are the days of baguette pavement sales... The Czech Bageterie Boulevard fast food chain is to open in Dresden later in October in what will be its first move into Germany. It is also working on 2017 openings in Berlin an Leipzig. Company executive director Petr Cichoň, who in the 1990s started out selling baguettes to tourists in Prague’s Lesser Town, has also achieved expansions into Slovakia and the United Arab Emirates. In the Czech Republic, meanwhile, eight outlets were added last year, taking the total to 28. The first product of Bageterie Boulevard, established two decades ago, was the Žižkov Baguette Photo: Anna Vacková Štěpán Bruner Czechs have had to fork out less for their summer holidays abroad. The average expendi- ture per person this year stood at CZK 12,232. That’s CZK 676 less than last year’s figure. The savings are substan- tially related to two develo- pments. Prices fell for vaca- tions in several destinations considered as among the less safe, while there was greater interest in taking holidays in nearby countries reachable by car. Analysts at travel website Invia.cz arrived at the conclusi- ons. Of the dozens of the most popular tourist destinations as- sessed, it was Turkish vacation spots that offered the sharpest price cuts. “A four-member fa- mily could, compared to last year, save nearly eight thou- sand crowns,” noted Invia.cz’s Michal Tůma. “The prices of tours changed rather markedly not only in line with the season but particularly in relation to the political situa- tion,” said Eva Němečková from Firotour. The analysis showed how stays in both Egypt and Greece grew less expensive. The average price of a package holiday including a flight rea- ched CZK 15,546, while vaca- tions without flights averaged CZK 5,711 and those reliant on bus coach transport CZK 7,499. Tourists making advance bookings and heading for their holiday at the start of the season mainly showed a preference for destinations such as Spain, Bulgaria or Italy. That sent pri- ces for those particular places upwards. In contrast, lower demand for Muslim countries knocked down prices for trips to Egypt, Tunisia and Turkey. In the middle of the summer the trend changed and interest in those countries revived. Holiday spot terror reflects in prices shot materials onto film for long-term archiving purpo- ses,” said Morvai. The studios are working on archiving pro- jects with the Prague-based National Film Archives (NFA), as well as on foreign projects, such as the restoration of ar- chive materials for the Slovak Film Institute. “We have also expanded the ranks of foreign clients who are using our faci- lities to process film negatives, especially from the Near East region,” says the firm. Photo: Bageterie Boulevard

Daniel Novák The name of the developer of a new office complex set to next year take shape a stone\'s throw from Prague\'s Anděl crossroads may come as a surprise to some followers of the real estate market. It is none other than Alessandro Pasquale, owner of Karlovarské minerální vody, the producer of the Mattoni mineral water consumed since 1873. Pasquale acquired the deve- lopment project named Green Point from a group of private in- vestors. “Investing in promising real estate is an integral part of the strategy I pursue in my di- verse personal activities. Green Point was right up there with the best projects available in the Czech Republic,” Pasquale told E15.cz. And since a planning permit has already been issued for the project there is nothing to hold back construction activi- ty at the site flanked by Plzeňská and Mozartova streets near the bridge connecting the Strahov- ský and Mrázovka road tunnels. The overall investment is to reach CZK 400m. While Pasquale plans to lease most of Mineral water mogul delves into real estate Photo: Profimedia.cz up and down Svatopluk Němeček Health minister Support for forest kindergartens remains on paper only. The reason for the hold-up is bad coordination with the preparation of hygiene regulations. Robert Chvátal CEO, Sazka Over four years the lottery operator has raised its revenues from fixed-odds betting by fourfold. This year alone, the revenue stream has so far grown by 37 percent, year on year. Kersti Kaljulaid President of Estonia The EU court of auditors accountant was una- nimously elected head of state after she was put forward as the unity candidate following weeks of party wrangling. Six parliamentary parties agreed to appointing an outsider after rows over five other candidates. Marek Dospiva Co-owner, Penta Plans to revitalise neighbourhoods around Prague’s Masarykovo railway station with a super-modern business district full of office developments have collided with City officials. The have requested an environmental impact assessment. Rudolf Gregořica Co-owner, Lanex His company now has a super reference. Israeli army special forces have taken delivery of 12 kilometres of its extra-strong ropes. Sour taste of the ‘Yellow Dragon’ haunts the orange groves Speculators are taking a keen interest in the plight of orange concentrate, the number one fruit juice ingredient. The poor performance of groves in Florida in the face of destructive hurricanes and citrus greening – a scourge known to the Chinese as Yellow Dragon Disease – has pushed futures pricing up by 60 percent. That makes concentrate supplies the most expensive for four years and brings prices close to their highest ever level. The greening results in harvested oranges that are misshapen, immature and sour. While at the start of this year, a pound of concentrate sold for USD 1.20, it now wholesales at a full two dollars. Some citrus experts have predicted that unless the greening can be contained, Florida‘s citrus crops will be gone within five years Visualization: Green Point the new offices to other busi- nesses some will be occupied by companies of his own holding. Investment in real estate by the Karlovarské minerální vody owner is yet another example of a broader trend of entrepre- neurs from a diverse range of fields investing available funds in properties that offer better returns compared to other in- vestment asset classes. “They either invest in existing revenue- -generating properties which they intend to hold onto over the long term or they consider fun- ding their own property develo- pments in attractive locations. Mr. Pasquale’s Green Point is an example of the latter approach,” said Jan Hospodář, a partner in 108 Investment Advisory. Pasquale is not exactly a no- vice when it comes to property investment. The producer of mineral waters and other soft drinks in 2012 invested in City Center, an office complex and shopping mall in České Budě- jovice. “I do have some residen- tial plans in store for Prague,” Pasquale said, when asked about his further real estate segment plans. He also intends to build both residential and commercial properties in Karlovy Vary. E15 weekly, economic and business news magazine | www.e15.cz Igor Záruba, Executive Editor, igor.zaruba@cninvest.cz; Marian Hronek, Editor, marian.hronek@cninvest.cz | Translation: TextMasters, textmasters@textmasters.cz Contact: Adéla Nová, Secretary | Call (+420) 225 977 668 Postal address: Komunardů 1584/42, 170 00 Praha 7 | Published CN Invest a. s., Pařížská 130/26, 110 00 Praha 1 Josefov, IČ 04312945 Advertising: Šárka Kamarýtová, Sales Manager, sarka.kamarytova@cncenter.cz Production: vyroba@cninvest.cz | Distribution: distribuce@cninvest.cz Registration: E 21420 E15 weekly, ISSN 2464-711X Reprints & Permissions: The Publisher will consider requests for reprints or any other reproduction | Printed by EUROPRINT a. s. facebook.com/ e15weekly Walter Rothensteiner CEO, Raiffeisen Zentralbank Austria His group\'s Zuno Bank was one of the first online banks on the market in Central Europe. It had free services, discount credit – and destructive losses. Now it is no more.

October 11’s “Small Business Day” gave pause for thought. How many self- -employed Czechs will fold as a result of the new manda- tory electronic re- ceipts system? To this day, some pe- ople are still doing business without having ever gone online. Should they now be placed in irons? Finance Minister Andrej Babiš’s utopian world of mandatory electronic receipts for each and every transaction(knownbyits“EET” acronym) will enter its first phase in December. According to ministry ads, one would be forgiven for thinking a bright new dawn was approaching. The treasury is set to rake in an additional CZK 18bn per year, which will then be available to schools, hospitals and pensio- ners. The grey economy will be smashed, and even the smallest match seller on the street will havetopayhisfairshareoftaxes just like the largest corporation. All that is needed are a few in- gredients: the threat of a severe half-million-crown penalty, and also the threat of having one’s small business activities shutte- red.Theofficialsinsisttheentire system will be simple and strai- ghtforward for the self-employ- ed. The smallest businesses – as the finance ministry says – will simply need a smartphone, or tablet, some software, a printer, andaninternetconnection.And Hey, Presto! After all, digitalisation will makelifeeasierforall.Longlive progress! But will it? EET will mainly make life easier for tax collectors, the finance ministry and the state side of the equati- on.But,asevenchildrenaretau- ght in school, the government is supposed to serve the people, not the other way around. Perhaps the central bureau- craciesmaynotbeawareofthis, but there are still people living and working in this country who have only heard words like Internet, smartphone, tablet, software,onlineandofflinefrom their children or grandchildren. Not long ago, a young finance ministry staffer pulled out his Blackberry on TV. He argued that a grandson could simply explain the thing to his self-em- ployed granddad – a few screen tapsandtheoldtimerisintouch with the authorities. But those “few taps” repre- sent a major hurdle for many older citizens. Similarly, many Czechs – and not just seniors – do not bank online; pensioners still go to the post office to pick up their pensions. Are such archaic activities to be swept away in the name of progress? Will such hold-outs be forced to adapt or go under? Such little guys seem to have no place in this modern online world; per- haps they should step out of the way and leave it to the big guys – isthatwhatBabišwants?Instead ofbeingproductive,shouldsuch dinosaurs call it a day trying to be entrepreneurs and simply wait for their pension cheques? We all know an obstinate pensioner or two, set in their ways, running a  little store in some village. Friends and neighbours gather there. It’s a way of topping up the pensi- on; and of staying in touch with the community. Some days, no customers arrive at all. Is such a person supposed to learn the ins and outs of the Internet all of a sudden? Or learn to use a smartphone? With all of those too-small-to-seebuttons?Forget it. Better call it a day... And so because a few people cheatthesystem,everyonemust pay a high price. And sadly, tho- se least politically empowered, with the weakest voices of all, will be forced to pay the highest price. That’s progress... The author is a commenta- tor at weekly magazine Reflex opinion 6/7 joke Jana Havligerová’s diary 1937 edition of Rudé Právo nails Zeman The Holy Grail phrase “Hitler is a gentleman”, erroneously attributed by President Zeman to early 20th-century journalist Ferdinand Peroutka, has turned up at last. But not in Peroutka’s Přítomnost [Presence] magazine, rather in a 1937 edition of the Communist Rudé Prá- vo. In case anyone is still interested... Jiří Růžička, head of a Prague grammar school and a TOP 09 candidate for the Senate, has calculated that if all those who like him cast a vote he will be elected to the upper cham- ber. Inadvertently, Růžička has described the biggest weakness of the election process. Traditionally an abysmal turnout is what makes the candidate’s prediction stand true. All Czech politicians are trying to make this October’s elections a family event of sorts. The candidates and party chiefs are thus cast as ‘restaurateurs’ – falling over themselves to present us the most appetising dish. Anything but complex policy discussions. Election billboards, however, are another matter. New depths are being plumbed, as usual. That prompts caricaturist Miroslav Kemel to ponder whether such advertising shouldn’t carry warning la- bels like cigarettes. A nice idea, but just try introdu- cing it in Parliament... Lawmakers have, however, just tightened the night-time silence laws. The 10pm to 6am loud noise ban remains in place, but it has been supplemented with rules making exceptions only possible if advance notice is given by way of local ordinance signs. Most villages lack these. And so after ten, they will likely have to stay mum. Might louder families choose to pay hefty fines, or even face being evicted? Photo: archive “This undertaking will involve a great deal of time on the phone, so for project manager we chose the person with the best ringtones.“ Jana Bendová EET will mainly make life easier for tax collectors and the finance ministry Self-employed at mercy of Big Brother

Meeting with top US bankers arran- ged to signal how the City of London can thrive outside of the EU Britain’s PM and chan- cellor of the exchequer both took on the Brexit topic last week, but endorsed two rather different narratives. Whilst Theresa May announ- UK chancellor addresses Wall St’s Brexit willies ced that the international elite would be taken on and policies benefiting ordinary working class people would be prefe- rred by her government, Philip Hammond paid a visit to Wall Street in a charm offensive ai- med at selling his vision of the City of London’s continuing European dominance as a glo- bal financial centre. Although it must be said that May also recently met with Wall Street, the comments that were put out following the Conservative party conferen- ce suggest it may now be her chancellor who will work the “hearts and minds”. Several prominent financial industry figures have long suggested that if bank passporting ri- ghts across the EU are lost, some of their operations will Photo: Profimedia.cz Michael Zámečník advertising 257996/11 necessarily have to shift to an European Economic Area location instead. Having met with senior executives from Ci- tigroup, Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley, among others, Hammond sought to reassure the bankers. “We are listening and taking the time to under- stand the issues thoroughly,” he remarked. Looking beyond the City of London, reports show new bu- siness in the UK services sector rose to a seven-month high in September 2016, confounding expectations of a post-referen- dum downturn. “The survey results suggest that the eco- nomy has regained modest growth momentum since the EU referendum, with especi- ally strong growth appearing in manufacturing,” said Chris Williamson, chief business eco- nomist at information provider IHS Markit. The truth is that nobody re- ally knows what London\'s financial district, or the whole UK for that matter, will look like post-Brexit. The economic success or fai- lure of Brexit will only become remotely clear once the proce- ss is over and trade relati- ons with and outside of the EU are in place. What is certain is that Frankfurt, Pa- ris, Amsterdam and Dublin, long envious of the City of London’s might, will be keeping a close eye on how well Hammond’s overtu- res are received – they would all love a bigger bite of the pie for themselves. October 1 means Na- tional Day in China, commemorating the founding in 1949 of the Peo- ple\'s Republic. Funnily enou- gh, as trenchant communists spend a  quiet few moments reflecting on Party glories past and present, many other Chinese are setting off on that most bourgeois and ca- pitalist of treats, a shopping spree, or even a  shopping holiday. Since 2000 the start of October has marked the beginning of one of China\'s twice-yearly Golden Weeks, centrally-blessed vacations primarily intended to help expand the domestic touri- sm market and up the natio- nal standard of living, while also enabling people to make long-distance family visits. Each Golden Week now produces over half a  billion travellers. The China Natio- nal Tourism Administration estimated that after just four days of the latest such week, 415 million citizens had tra- velled, spending a  total of CNY 339.7bn (USD 50.7bn) within China. Though the gripes about the humongous crowds, ram-packed trains and te- rribly expensive air tickets may never go away, China\'s government will hope the big investments poured into infrastructure and services is moving the country away from reliance on heavy and li- ght industry towards a more consumer-driven economy with a swelling middle class. Read more at E15.cz/weekly Applause all round for Chinese invasion Oliver Steindler

8/9 top story An online  hangover Facebook was supposed to help connect the world. Instead it’s trying to milk us for every cent. Once, Google was the place to work. Today, many employees are leaving after a single year. Internet forums have become red hot with hate. Social networks are filled with malcontents. What’s happened to the Internet? It was supposed to herald a new era of openness and engagement. Instead it has become a cesspool of the same old interests and moneygrubbers Photos: Helena H. Zahrádecká

Darek Šmíd “Give me Internet access right now, and no-one will get hurt!” yells a woman in a medical facility who has been cut off from mobile phones, wi-fi and social networks. “I haven’t seen a picture of a kitten for six weeks, and that is too much!” This isn’t reality (yet) – rather the opening words of a 2016 novella by English graphic novelist Warren Ellis entitled Normal. The story takes place in a mental institution which tries to cure patients afflicted by excessive pon- dering on the pitfalls of tomorrow. The patients mainly consist of futurologists – victims of their own professional inte- rests, who until recently still revelled in rosy predictions about a technological future, but have since fallen into severe depression upon the realisation that the new dawn, in fact, seems to be bringing global catastrophe. And the first thing that doctors deny their patients is access to the Inter- net – that most tangible and bestial of symbols of our disappointment in a future we once dared to dream would be so very different. Years ago, we be- lieved that the Internet would help fos- ter freedom; today, we see that it is, conversely, tying our hands. We hoped that it would fill our heads with easily accessible knowledge; instead trash and trash talk prevailed. And when the likes of Facebook and Twitter arrived, we jumped for joy over the possibility of our friends and acquaintances being just a click away. Only belatedly are we realising that these very services have essentially imprisoned us into isolated social bubbles of shared cultures and opinions. Like cows in a dairy farm, we are being fattened up, then milked for everything we have. The Internet itself is not to blame. We are. We are the ones that broke the optimistic promise of the Internet. Broken net In 2007, writing for the online publi- cation Wired, blogger Clive Thompson gave his impressions of the burgeoning Twitter phenomenon. His impressions of the social network proved highly influential in the years ahead. Unlike other geeks of the day, he didn’t concern himself with trivial challenges such as how to best summarise Star Wars in a tweet that fits Twitter’s 140-charac- ter tweet limit. Nor did he ponder the marketing aspects of how tweets could be used by companies to attract the highest number of potential customers. Nor did he ponder how Twitter mig- ht end up changing how journalists report the news. Rather, Thompson mostly focused on Twitter as a “social network” and speculated that the site was fomenting a kind of sixth sense among its users – a constant, ever-pul- sing, and irregularly updated quasi- -consciousness, brimming with infor- mation about every user’s numerous activities, opinions and reactions. No sci-fi style implants required. But Twi- tter apparently did represent a major expansion of our archaic human senses in the direction of a collective ether. Heady stuff, indeed... Twitter never really took off in the Czech Republic. But Czechs did find that golden “sixth sense” in rival social networking site Facebook. A sudden, down-to-the-second knowledge of the activities of 150 “friends” or more. A mass of trivia pulsating like neu- rons across distances both large and small. Suddenly we lived in multiple time zones simultaneously. Time and space themselves seemed to have been conquered. And so on the one hand we became ultra-modern, high tech, New Age beings; while on the other, simple skills like darning our socks appeared to be slipping. But at least we knew that so-and-so old school friend was “bored at work”. How useful! We bathed in this New Age for a number of years. But then a gradual sense of disappointment, and even of being deceived, began to set in. Almost as if the boyish Mark Zuckerberg had been exposed as not “one of us”, but rather the proverbial Emperor with no clothes, telling us: “You’re here to make me money! That’s all!” Or, to use a more business savvy term – we were there to be monetised. And so Facebook was revealed as not a forum for the free exchange of ideas; rather, as a business model based on the mining of personal information and personal interaction. Perhaps Twitter was the answer then? Hardly. In the desperate search for revenue, Twitter’s advertising models and data mining algorithms have made it something of an evil twin of Facebook. The same sense of sobering up is evident with workers at Internet media and start- -up firms. Those dream jobs at Google, with their relaxed environments, and cultures of pressure-free inspiration – that’s largely gone too. Most workers are leaving the firm after a year. So what made the dream turn so sour? Sheepbook The dystopian literary forefathers of Facebook serve as a daily reminder of the adage that if we are somewhere for free, then we are not viewed as a custo- mer, but rather as a product. To quote the replicant character Rachael from the 1982 movie Blade Runner: “I am not in the business. I am the business.” We don’t really rest while on Facebook. We work. For Facebook. Facebook could end up marketing defoliating products for your private parts to you based on your name and profile; the information is acquired from the time you spend levitating over a particular link before you de- cide to click it. It can even monetise those users who have little money to spend based on one’s clicks of “like” buttons. Recently Belgian police war- ned its citizens not to use Facebook’s newest reaction smileys, because they were used for data collection purpo- ses. And what data? The kind of big data mining that is so pervasive that its degree and accuracy startled even Wall Street market analysts. According to social media presence management firm theAudience, which, for instance, represents rapper US Pittbull, fan data pertaining to clients is used to create sophisticated behaviour models, which are then used to tailor custom products. But that is just the tip of the iceberg. As part of the social media presence of US rapper JayZ, it is not just the music tastes of followers that are mined but also contacts and geo-location data. And so the Internet’s celebrated “si- xth sense” has mutated into a tool used to build up an economic model which mines and exploits our private space like never before. Like and multiply So what is it about this Brave New World that we find so irresistible? The way that Facebook opens up the world to us? Hardly. Even when Facebook founder Zuckerberg was unveiling his social networking site, he stated that the aim was not to foment new human relationships but rather to intensify exi- sting ones. And he certainly achieved that. Today we call that a “bubble” or It knows everything about us. Today, Facebook has about 1.5 billion users. Marc Zuckerberg must be very happy We believed that the Internet would cram our heads full of knowledge. Instead it is filling our minds with garbage. And we have only ourselves to blame

10/11 top story “echo chamber” – an isolated space in which people are only “friends” with those who constantly applaud and take notice of our every activity. And Face- book algorithms assist the process, only offering users that which they already like. The end result is an ever-closing space in which one’s own voice is re- flected back at ever louder volumes. According to Danielle Citron, a Professor of Law at the University of Maryland, people have a tendency to share information not based on its in- herent worth, but rather because such information affirms existing values and viewpoints. Never mind the source, the point is that this is EXACTLY WHAT I believe, and Jirka agrees, and he is a friend, so I need to pass this on right away! Which is why Internet discu- ssions today are full of likeminded pra- ise of “I totally agree!” And that is why Facebook communities have retreated into narrow pools of shared opinions, with stray outside voices subjected to immediate and severe reprimands for their “wrong” views. It’s almost a gang culture. But relying only on verified, properly sourced, information? Pah! That’s what journalists are for, right? The same ones who themselves laid down their arms by creating Internet profiles for their publications. The result is that stories are now no longer up to editors, but Facebook algorithms, which decide what readers like or do not like. Not that such methods are actually pay- ing off: over the first quarter of 2016, the New York Times’ profits fell by 13 percent to USD 51.5m. Over the same timeframe, Facebook’s quarterly profits tripled to half a billion dollars. Frenemies... An evolutionary biologist may pro- ve useful at this point. For example Matt Ridley, a British popular science author and journalist, and author of the 1994 book The Red Queen: Sex and the Evolution of Human Nature. This summer Ridley wrote a Times column entitled “If we don‘t tame Twitter, we‘ll face mob rule”. In the piece, the author argues that for decades communicati- on media helped to moderate public debate; today, he says, social media is merely fuelling extreme views. He no- ted: “A Pew Research Centre project in America found that ‘polarised crowds on Twitter are not arguing. They are ignoring one another while pointing to different web resources and using dif- ferent hashtags’.” During the boom era of the blogosphere various blogs merely served as components of the overall spectrum of opinion; today, “opinion” is distilled into an all-encompassing and intransigent conclusion in which no real discussion is encountered. It was never difficult to finds blogs both for and against the Brexit. But when Tom Steinberg, founder of British NGO mySociety, tried to find Brexit voters via his Facebook page, the site acted as if no such people existed. According to Ridley, social media “amplifies the personal and the extre- me, heats up the echo chamber and gives wings to lies. Confirmation bias rules, preaching to the converted domi- nates, nuance vanishes and moderates stay silent.” Perhaps that is what we have learnt to like about such forums. The echoing of our own voices; the affirmation of our “friends”. Google it Douglas Rushkoff is an American me- dia theorist, and one of the first people to mull the meaning of the Internet. In his 1994 book Cyberia: Life in the Trenches of Cyberspace, the author presented a vision in which the Internet could serve as a catalyst to a new Renai- ssance. The birth of a new technological civilisation, but with roots harking back to fundamental human values. Or is it Prophetic words. Biorobotic android Rachael from Blade Runner: “I am not in the business. I am the business” eXistenZ. David Cronenberg’s film follows people inserting themselves into virtual games between the promise and reality of a hi-tech future. Rushkoff finds a co- mmon denominator for what exactly has caused this colossal online hango- ver. We, both as users and creators of the Internet, could have created a sys- tem based on entirely new economic models. For a while we really did hold this wild horse of a new technology by the proverbial reins. And that meant heading out into hitherto uncharted terrain. But then we gave up and sim- ply allowed the reins to be taken over by the classic dysfunctional economic model. We allowed the absurd idea of neverending growth to seep into the digital domain – and the pioneers of old soon transformed accordingly into archetypal corporate behemoths. And so Google is a machine of exploitati- on. Amazon a psychopathic manager. Facebook a manufacturer of clickbait. Platforms optimised for people have been transformed into platforms serving the concept of endless growth. It is an industrial revolution on speed. We are repeating the same old mis- takes, writes Rushkoff. But now, thanks to the scope and speed of digital busi- ness expansion, mistakes are not only able to upset production processes, but can even disturb the entire equilibrium of a sustainable society. And so the fact that Facebook today is basically a complete waste of time, is just the tip of the iceberg. a “real world without restrictions or rules, in which anything is possible...”? Oops – sorry, that is actually the tagline from the 1999 film “The Matrix”. Two decades on, Rushkoff’s latest work is called “Throwing Rocks at the Goo- gle Bus” and tackles the gloomy and sobering place in which the Internet now finds itself. Cyberia depicts a  society funda- mentally disenchanted by the chasm Photos: Reflex

Taken from the magazine It’s hard to find a time in history when the technological chasm separating a mere two generations has been as large as today. Today’s tech-savvy 35-year-olds have parents who re- member struggling with such “new” technologies as microwaves, VHS video recorders, and, of course, computers. But, then again, many of those 35-year- -olds now have teenage children them- selves – and have no idea what they are up to with their smartphones and tablets. Many such parents have no idea that their loved ones are watching YouTube videos created by similarly aged leading opinion makers and influencers used by producers of beverages, footwear, clothing and even alcoholic products, to push their products on potential con- sumers in an entirely unregulated way. As an example, let’s remind ourselves about 16-year-old Czech teenage video blogger Teri Blitzen and her almost 400,000-strong army of followers. She is also the face of a bubbletea drink, with followers conveniently asking their idol again and again which tea flavour she likes most. There’s also Zachy, a schoolgirl with dyed white hair, who “innocently” uses her videos to recommend school products such as diaries, pastels, pencil sharpeners, glues and the ultra-light trainers Nike Air Presto which feature duralon soles and flex grooves for good traction. Za- chy’s tips form part of a so-called “haul” video genre, in which bloggers boast of their very latest purchases. But, who knows? Perhaps all that is just a coincidence... Perhaps Zachy re- ally wouldn’t be let into school without a pair of Nikes. And perhaps it really is a coincidence how Vans t-shirts, caps and bags are doing the rounds on Facebook. But all that is peanuts compared with the marketing tactics of Heineken, who lured YouTubers Stej- ka and Shopaholic Nicol to partake in videos in which they sat on barrels of Strongbow cider. The parents of the first fully digi- tal generation (a term defined by, for example, books such as Born Digital by author John Palfrey) are evidently unaware that the Czech YouTube has now been fully transformed from a pla- ce to post videos about one’s success at computer games, through a brief renaissance of personal videoblogs, all the way to today’s state of vulgar, incessant, and brutal discussions over naked pictures of Youtube posters Ca- Is your child suffering FOMO syndrome? too, we find an army of trendsetters framing moments from their lives for all to see. One example is YesJulz, who seems to be on some non-stop party trip; there’s Muslim rapper DJ Kha- led, who seems to shower, and likes to eat, drinks champagne, and has four million followers on Instagram. Four million! Four million people who care about what DJ Khaled eats for lunch. Welcome to the world of tomorrow. But it’s not all fun and entertainment for our younger generation. For teen- agers are increasingly suffering from a syndrome called FOMO, or Fear of Missing Out. It’s a chronic fear that RIGHT THIS MINUTE something is happening on social networks and the teenager IS NOT THERE because their iPhones have just gone kaput. So the digital world has brought not only new gimmicks, but also entirely new fears. And these fears appear almost beyond comprehension to those of us “granddads” from an older generation. Try telling a YouTuber about Werther- -esque romantic anguish. Today’s generation lives NOW. But perhaps no longer fully HERE... rrie Kirsten or Týnuš Třešničková. (Or are they fake? Join the discussion now at www.youtube.com!) But, done properly, tabloid fodder needs not only the spice of heated passions, but also a good deal of nega- tive emotions, including hatred. And there is plenty of that on YouTube, too, with vlogs based solely on disparaging and mocking their fellow posters. And if that wasn’t enough love to go around, not long ago, YouTubers finally got to see the “moving” scene of video bloggers Datel and Ikaro me- eting face to face. Why, you ask? Well, to have it out, of course. Because Ikaro shot his mouth off and Datel came to tell him who is boss. The end result of such fisticuffs: 660,000 views, 30,000 likes, 12,000 dislikes and one broken leg for Ikaro. Today’s parents face ever greater difficulties in terms of monitoring what their offspring are up to online – be- cause since the parents are on Face- book, teenagers opt instead for the likes of Snapchat. This is a platform which deletes messages as soon as they are read. Users older than 20 would only find such a world comprehensible via a good dose of amphetamines taken beforehand. Everything on Snapchat takes place at lightning speed. Not long ago, a wri- ter at Buzzfeed tried to make sense of the site with the aid of his 13-year- -old sister. He was shocked to see that every morning his sister processes 40 snapchat messages from her friends in LESS THAN A MINUTE. When he tried to figure out how she could both read and respond to a message in the space of around one second, the bemu- sed sister explained that – read? no-one reads these things! LOL! Snapchat is about being part of a social network which is engaged in chat. About so- mething. Never mind what... And here, Digital world has brought entirely new fears. Today’s generation lives NOW. But perhaps no longer fully HERE...

12/13 face to face Photos: archive of M. Ptáček Birds of prey have been a fixture in the life of Martin Ptáček since childhood and he has travelled the world with them. He is presently on his second stint looking after falcons owned by the President of the United Arab Emirates, Khalifa bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan. We caught up with him at Khalifa’s gyrfalcon nursery in Denmark Zuzana Šprinclová In the Arab world, falconry is one of the oldest of traditions and is often a to- ken of social status. Does that apply to the UAE as well? The United Arab Emirates’ emblem is that of a falcon; the bird is depicted on every banknote, it is an integral part of everyday life and of the country’s cultu- re. When I began my falconry work in the country in 1999, falconry was still quite popular among the general po- pulation, and it seemed that just about everyone kept a few birds of prey. It has since turned into more of a prestigious affair. There is a lot of building develop- ment in the UAE so any space available for practice comes at a premium and hunting with falcons has thus become part of the domain of the affluent. They can afford to rent hunting ranges, for example in Pakistan. And ownership of a white gyrfalcon is certainly a sta- tement of a high social status as these birds command hefty prices. MARTIN PTÁČEK Falconry is enjoying quite a renaissance

Martin Ptáček (59) Graduate of the University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences in Brno. Successive- ly worked for the Krkonoše Mountains National Park, East Bohemian Zoo in Dvůr Králové nad Labem, Podkrušnohorský Zoo Park in Chomutov and as a freelance veterinary surgeon. In 1999, began looking after birds of prey owned by the President of the United Arab Emirates, Khalifa bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, at PROFALCON, a falcon hospital. Returned to the Czech Republic after 12 years on the Arabian Peninsula and worked at Prague Zoo. The UAE president became his employer again this year. Has worked in Morocco, Oman, Syria, Pakistan, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan. Taken from the magazine How much does a  white gyrfalcon, trained for hunting, actually cost? You’d be looking at tens of thousands of dollars, with the actual price depending on the particular bird’s plumage colour. It is said that in Arab countries falcons enjoy a  status not so different from that of a family member. Is that true? They are very well looked after. There are several hospitals with top-of-the- -range equipment dedicated solely to falcons. Arabs treat their animals in a different fashion to us. On a num- ber of occasions I have seen an owner come to the surgery and say: “Doc- tor, this falcon is like a brother to me. Do everything in your power to help him recover.” But there again, if it turned out that the bird had to remain in the hospital for an extended time, and in the meantime the hun- ting season finished, the owner never returned. The brotherhood lasts only while the falcon is able to perform and fly perfectly. You have been looking after falcons owned by the United Arab Emirates’ head of state. How did you manage to land such a job? To a degree, it was down to pure chan- ce. I was recommended by a friend and happened to be near the right telephone at the right time. And I do have the skills. How many falcons does the president own? It varies from year to year. There are about one hundred pairs at the bree- ding stations and some 90 birds are used for hunting. I currently have five young male gyrfalcons in my care in Denmark that will be used as sperm donors for further breeding. Other birds of prey kept here will undergo basic training before relocating to Morocco for the honing of their hun- ting skills. They will eventually go on to hunt in countries such as Pakistan or Kazakhstan. How do you move so many falcons from Morocco to Pakistan or Kazakhstan? On a Boeing. In fact, it takes three air- craft. One for the falconers, one for provisions and one for the birds and their carers. The birds are perched side by side on a long bar, save for a few aggressive ones who are placed sepa- rately. The interior of the airplane is covered in plastic sheets. You can ima- gine what sort of mess several dozen falcons can make. How well do you know your birds? Each falcon is different. One is better at soaring, another is very quick from the off. Some are more easily frighte- ned than others or carry the burden of previous bad experiences. Some are scared of dogs. I used to have a hawk that was scared of skis. And there was a cross-country skiing club in the nei- ghbourhood which was not very good for that particular bird. In the winter, I would release it and it would keep an eye on me from the treetops but as soon as it heard the swishing and clatter of cross-country skiers appro- aching, it would take off and disappear. Once the skiers had passed and moved on I would hear the bells jingle as the hawk searched for me. The same would happen in the summer when people were practising on roller skis and made the same clattering noise with the poles. Some of your colleagues refer to fal- conry as a  matter of aesthetics, or a form of art. What makes a falconer an artist? It is quite an art to maintain the bird right on the edge, to get the feeding rations right in order to have a strong bird. A difference of a few grams can be the difference between attaining hun- ting fitness or falling short. The art is in striking the perfect balance so that you have a bird capable of faultless flight yet prepared to return to you. Even birds that are used to you and not fearful at all sometimes simply don’t feel like coming back. And of course, the hunt itself is a highly aesthetic affair, which is why it is so frequently taken up by painters and sculptors. In 2010 falconry was inscribed on UNESCO’s List of the Intangible Cul- tural Heritage of Humanity. However, that did nothing to appease environ- mentalists and conservationists who criticise you for taking birds living in the wild. UNESCO plays an important role in protecting birds of prey, with falconers actually taking an active part in that protection. Efforts by the falconers’ international association have led to breeding stations being established throughout the world to now produ- ce enough birds to satisfy the needs of falconers. As a result the numbers of raptors taken from the wild have been reduced to a minimum. Another achievement is that the populations of the peregrine falcon, firmly on the back foot half a century ago, have been restored. You will often find the pe- regrine falcon nesting in cities; there are even two or three nests in Prague. And the first female peregrine falcon to nest in Prague was in fact an escaped falconry bird originally bred in capti- vity. Of course, there are still people who plunder nests and try to smuggle the birds somewhere else to sell, but I would certainly advise against tarring all falconers with the same brush. Al- though there still is a black market, it is much diminished in size compared to 15 years ago. After its heyday in the Middle Ages, fal- conry all but disappeared in the course of the 20th century. Will it survive for future generations, for more centu- ries? I am sure it will because falconry is now enjoying quite a renaissance. To- day’s world is becoming suffocated from technology, and many people seek to return to the lap of nature to compensate. With a falcon, you have more options than simply hunting. You can just head out into the countryside with your raptor, clear your head and switch off from work. The interior of the airplane is covered in plastic sheets. You can imagine what sort of mess several dozen falcons can make

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society World-famous blond celebrates its 174th Pilsner Fest, this year serving as a celebration of the 174th anniversary of the brewing of the first batch of Pilsner Urquell, drew more than 50,000 people to the acclaimed beer\'s brewery in Pilsen. The “birthday” occasion saw more than 100,000 half-litre servings of the world\'s first ever Pilsner-type blond lager consumed. The festival, meanwhile, also launched a celebratory offer that will extend to the whole of the Czech Republic – until November pubgoers frequenting hundreds of watering holes will have the chance to sample authentic unfiltered Pilsner Urquell. Pictured is the senior trade brewmaster of Plzeňský Prazdroj Václav Berka cracking open a 174-litre cask for the commemorative toast Photo: Bohemian Heritage Fund Photo: Plzeňský Prazdroj Ovation at Versailles for early music ensembles The magnificent setting of the chapel at the Palace of Versailles was chosen for a performance by Czech ensembles of one of the most impressive Baroque compositions, Missa Salisburgensis à 53 voci, which was composed by Bohemian-Austrian composer Heinrich Biber (1644-1704). The former seat of the French royals, southwest of Paris, welcomed the Collegium 1704 early music orchestra and sister ensemble Collegium Vocale 1704, along with their founder, the conductor Václav Luks advertising 257504/108 You can subscribe securely via e-mail Use the e-mail address weekly@predplatne.cz, State your name and delivery address. Use the code WEEK 1016 as the message subject You can also subscribe online at our website www.predplatne.cz To subscribe on a toll-free number, call 800 248 248 Simply call to provide your personal details and cite the code WEEK 1016 Full-year subscription: CZK 650 and as a gift you will receive a voucher worth CZK 1 990 The shopping voucher can be used for the product offers at all T. M. Lewin stores located in the Czech Republic until 31 December 2016. Get your subscription! Monday, 10 October 2016 Issue 134 l newsstand price CZK 24/¤ 1l www.e15.cz Dystopia online How trivia, trash, revenue mining and social bubbles came to predominate on the Internet TOP STORY pages 8–11 Exalted bird in the hand Birds of prey trainer Martin Ptáček on looking after the Arabs’ prized falcons FACE TO FACE pages 12–13 9 771803 454314 0 0 1 3 4 facebook.com/ e15weekly Photo: Profimedia.cz Jan Stuchlík The Czech scientists are being brought in to resolve one of the toughest challenges in the decommissioning of Fukushi- ma Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, which suffered three nuclear meltdowns after being hit by an earthquake and tsuna- mi on 11 March, 2011. After more than a year of negotiations, CVŘ signed a contract with a Japanese consortium which is working on the clean-up at the wrecked plant that could last de- cades. It wants the Czech researchers to present a verified method for ex- tracting radioactive materials, most particularly uranium and plutonium, from the melted down active parts of three reactors. The extraction must be performed in a way that enables the subsequent, separate liquidation of the materials. “This amounts to a two-year re- search project at the end of which there will be a technology proposal for the removal of uranium, plutonium and fissile products from the melted down matter. We are very likely the only faci- lity in the world which stands capable of validating such a process,” said CVŘ director Martin Ruščák. A dilemma is that the melted fuel, lo- cated somewhere in the reactor bowels in a “cold shutdown” solidified state, not only contains radioactive materials and fissile products but also oxidised iron and zirconium from fused fuel ele- ments. The Japanese are thus not able to use standard chemical processes for the separation of the radioactive matter. 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16 diversions And don’t forget Jose’s helmet! The victorious Castellers de Vilafranca team build a human tower called a “castell” during a biannual competition that takes place in Tarragona city, Spain. The difficulty and complexity of the tower built scores points. Special helmets are worn by children who climb to the top of the structure. They are durable enough to protect the head but soft on the outside to ensure they do not injure others if there is a fall. Unesco has declared the tradition one of the Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity invitations picture of the week Photos: Archive Photo: Reuters CONCERT The Cure at O2 Arena As part of their first major tour since 2008, the English masters of dark, tormented rock arrive in Prague on 22 October. They promise a rewarding mix from 37 years of Cure songs including his, rarities and some as yet unreleased material. CINEMA Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children Director Tim Burton’s new family adventure follows Jacob who discovers clues to a mystery that spans different worlds and times. Mystery and danger deepen as he gets to know the residents of a home, learning of their special powers. Cinemas everywhere. GIG Emancipator Ensemble (US) Sleeping giant of the electronic music world Douglas Appling – known as “the Emancipator” – has quietly established himself as a mainstay on the electronic music scene. He’s just put out his first LP in three years, Seven Seas. Lucerna Music Bar, Prague. 11 October. PHOTO EXHIBITION Who cares? CARE cares! CARE Czech Republic is exhibiting pictures of its work from all parts of the world where the NGO helps people in need. Prague New Town Hall. Ends on 16 October. TRIP TIP Okoř Castle ruins, Central Bohemia Built on a low rocky promontory, Okoř started off as a Gothic castle that emerged from a 13th century stronghold. In 1518, it was turned into a Renaissance-style residence, but became deserted in the 18th century. Its high tower survives. About us. E15 Weekly is one of a group of business and economics-oriented publications printed by CN Invest a. s. It is a sister title to the E15 daily. Both periodicals, as well as a number of others, came under new ownership in the spring of 2016 when part of a portfolio formerly published by Mladá fronta a. s. was acquired. CN Invest a. s. publishes a broad range of print and online titles. In addition to other business-minded titles, the company also publishes lifestyle and women’s magazines (Maminka, Dieta, Moje psychologie) and children’s titles (Mateřídouška, Sluníčko). The publishing house also enjoys a considerable presence in the segment of technical and men’s online titles. CN Invest, and its sister company CZECH NEWS CENTER a. s. (the biggest publishing house in the Czech Republic, with titles such as Blesk, Reflex, Svět motorů, ABC), are members of the media concern CZECH MEDIA INVEST a. s.