• New Interior Minister reduces number of deputies
    09/07/2006

    New Interior Minister Ivan Langer (Civic Democrats) has said he has reduced the number of his deputies from seven to three. They will be responsible for internal security, finances and operation, and public administration. The slimming of the ministry's staff is one of the first steps taken by Mr Langer who was appointed on Monday. Mr Langer also said he was going to order administrative, property, financial and legal audits. He also said he planned to define a strategy of the fight against corruption, to strictly punish failures and simplify some administrative procedures.
    Author: Pavla Horáková

  • Madonna plays second concert on Thursday
    09/07/2006

    Around 18,000 fans came to see the American pop icon Madonna at Prague's Sazka Arena on Wednesday when she played her first ever concert in the Czech Republic. Madonna's second concert in Prague on Thursday, part of her "Confessions Tour", is also sold out.
    Author: Pavla Horáková

  • Czechs name Davis Cup team
    09/07/2006

    Tomas Berdych, Jiri Novak, Martin Damm and Jan Hernych were named on Thursday to play in the Czech Republic's Davis Cup world group clash with the Netherlands from September 22-24. Novak, 31, was a surprise inclusion after missing six months to May this year due to an ankle injury. At the time of his injury he had considered retiring from the sport but he proved at the US Open he was back to his best, reaching the fourth round where he lost to world number two Rafael Nadal on Monday. One player not fit to make the team, though, was Radek Stepanek, who has an injured back.
    Author: Pavla Horáková

  • Novotna to get US citizenship
    09/07/2006

    Former Wimbledon champion Jana Novotna told the Sport daily that she was to become an American citizen as her application for citizenship was in its final phases. The 1998 Wimbledon champion, now 37, has been living in Highland Beach, Florida for around 10 years. Novotna said the authorities had surpassed her expectations as she filed her request for citizenship only last year. The daily added a comment that Czech tennis has now exported 27 Grand Slam titles to the US after Martina Navratilova with 18 and Ivan Lendl with eight, now it is the turn of Jana Novotna.
    Author: Pavla Horáková

  • Domestic violence most widespread form of violence in the country
    09/06/2006

    Domestic violence is the most widespread form of violence in the Czech Republic a police psychologist reported on Wednesday. According to the Bily Kruh Bezpeci victim support group, three in five domestic violence cases occur in middle and high class families. A recent opinion poll conducted by the STEM agency suggests that 23 percent of the population have experienced physical harassment and mental torture. A new law, which will come into effect in January, defines domestic violence as a criminal act and is expected to help reduce the number of cases significantly.
    Author: Dita Asiedu

  • Bus company on strike; 40,000 commuters to be left stranded
    09/06/2006

    Some 40,000 public transport users in the northern city of Usti nad Labem will not be able to reach their destinations by bus this Thursday and Friday. Trade union members of the region's transport authority and its affiliated bus company CSAD Ceska Lipa have announced that they will go on strike. Since the regional authority has not guaranteed that it will remain in contract with the bus company beyond the end of this year, CSAD employees fear they will soon be out of a job.

    Last month, commuters in Usti nad Labem were stranded for four days as a bus company went on strike to demand compensation for a premature termination of contract.
    Author: Dita Asiedu

  • Farmers to brace themselves for bad harvest
    09/06/2006

    Czech farmers will have to brace themselves for a severe drop in cereal harvests, according to figures released by the Czech Statistical Office on Wednesday. With an expected 6 million tonnes of crops, this year's harvest would be 13 percent lower than last year's. The number of potatoes is to drop by 34.4 percent. The decrease in harvest is expected to result in an increase in prices in foodstuffs like baked goods and meat.
    Author: Dita Asiedu

  • Interior Minister Langer backing plans to privatise Czech Postal Service
    09/06/2006

    New interior minister Ivan Langer has suggested that he will introduce steps to privatise the Czech Postal Service. Plans to transform the postal service into a joint-stock company and then privatise it had already been voiced by the ministry for information technology, which was dissolved by the new minority Civic Democrat cabinet that was appointed into office on Monday. Mr Langer says he supports the plan and intends to carry it out.
    Author: Dita Asiedu

  • US Embassy posts internet pages on anti-missile defense plan
    09/06/2006

    The US Embassy in Prague has launched a new section on its web site devoted to the American missile defense system and Washington's plans to build a base in Europe. The pages include basic information about the project, answers to frequently asked questions, and statements of US Ambassador to Prague William Cabaniss and other representatives of the administration of President George W. Bush. The webpage is in both Czech and in English.
    Author: Dita Asiedu

  • UNFPA 2006 report: female life expectancy at birth in the Czech Republic is 79
    09/06/2006

    A new United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) state of world population report for 2006 estimates the life expectancy of Czechs higher than residents of other post-Communist Central European EU member states. While a girl born in the Czech Republic today can expect to live on average to 79, in Slovakia and Poland it is 78, and in Hungary 77 years. Compared to her counterpart in neighbouring Germany, though, she is expected to live two years less.

    The global female life expectancy at birth is 68.4. In Europe, it is estimated to be 78.3 years.
    Author: Dita Asiedu

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