news digest/sport

IN BRIEF
A bill which provides for an EU referendum got 121 votes, one more than needed for a constitutional majority, in the Chamber.
PM Zeman and Foreign Minister Kavan will be in Finland this weekend to take part in closing ceremonies of an EU summit which will debate future expansion.
Czech and Hungarian officials promised closer cooperation on the road to the EU.
Deputy Kalousek (KDU-ČSL): Partners ODS and ČSSD both share blame for budget not being passed.
'Thanks, Stay Mr. Zeman' is a new Ústí initiative sponsored by four Social Democrats.
Communist deputies want to donate the 14th pay of all who will receive it this year to industry workers who have not received wages recently. The law passed which took away 14th pay was too late to legally deprive state employees of it.
The CR army has the chance to send officers to a special NATO school to learn to communicate better with the public, but poor English skills limit the amount of those who can take part in the courses.
The Coalition of Four wants to work more closely with Impuls 99.
Czechoslovaks who fought to free the country from Nazi tyranny while abroad may receive hundreds of thousands of crowns for their service, thanks to a law passed yesterday.
Robbers got away with 1.5 million Kč from an IPB in Prague 4.
Graduates of 'special schools', mostly for the mentally handicapped and Roma, will be able to study at secondary school after deputies passed a new education bill 152-6.
Deputies sent a competition bill back to committee which would make cartel agreements illegal, redefine dominant market position and change regulations on mergers.
46.8 billion invested in mutual funds, up 4.3 billion Kč since Sept.
Czechinvest: Intel will not invest 500 million USD here, as it was considering doing.
State debt will increase to 242.9 billion Kč, after the Chamber allowed the state to pay for KoB losses of 14.4 billion by issuing bonds.
Komerční Banka will lose 7.1 billion Kč this year, 13.2 billion next year, officials said.
(čtk, glg)