• Doctors prepare week of protests ahead of general elections
    04/26/2006

    Doctors, pharmacists, and some employees of smaller hospitals are planning to hold a week of protests in late May (20th - 26th), ahead of the general elections in June. The aim of what they call the Week of Doctors' Unrest is to prevent the current Social Democrat-led government from pushing through new legislation on non-profit hospitals. On Wednesday, a committee of 50 representatives of the protesting health care workers presented Prime Minister Jiri Paroubek and both houses of Parliament with a petition signed by over 230,000 people against health reforms, which they say are crippling the health sector.
    Author: Dita Asiedu

  • John Major in Prague to support Civic Democrats ahead of elections
    04/26/2006

    Former British Prime Minister, John Major, visited Prague on Tuesday. The former leader of the Conservative Party came to the Czech capital to support the opposition right-of-centre Civic Democrats ahead of the general elections in June and take part in the Forum Populini 2006 conference. Following talks with Civic Democrat leader Mirek Topolanek, Mr Major said the party was well prepared and set for a good election result.

    The British Labour Party's Tony Blair visited Prague in March to take part in a meeting of socialist leaders and express support for the Social Democrats' election campaign.
    Author: Dita Asiedu

  • Deputies relax controversial age limit in bill on assisted reproduction and sperm donation
    04/26/2006

    A bill that bans assisted reproduction or sperm donation after the age of forty will not apply to married couples and partners in serious relationships. Upon the Senate's request, the bill that was passed by the lower house of Parliament earlier this year was amended on Wednesday to apply only to anonymous donors. It has yet to be signed by the President to come into effect.
    Author: Dita Asiedu

  • German court: Roztocil to be extradited on condition of retrial
    04/26/2006

    A German court has ruled that a Czech fugitive prisoner will be extradited to the Czech Republic if he gets a retrial. Rostislav Roztocil, who was found guilty of murdering an Egyptian student in Czechoslovakia in the 1980s, escaped from the Pilsen prison in West Bohemia last November. He turned himself in to the police in Germany a few weeks later but maintains his innocence.
    Author: Dita Asiedu

  • All confirmed cases of bird flu belonging to H5N1 strain
    04/26/2006

    All the twelve cases of bird flu that are confirmed in the Czech Republic to date belonged to the H5N1 strain, the State Veterinary Authority said on Wednesday. The strain that is potentially deadly to humans was found in swans in south Bohemia.
    Author: Dita Asiedu

  • Conservationists research canvas painting featuring Maria Theresa and Lichtenstein Prince
    04/26/2006

    Czech conservationists are trying to determine the value of a large painting that was found stored at a depository of the Valtice Chateau near Breclav, south Moravia. The painting dates back to the second half of the eighteenth century and was believed to feature Prince Joseph Wenceslas Lichtenstein, who owned the estate at the time, and his extended family. More intense research, though, has uncovered that the Prince is standing next to the Empress Maria Theresa and her relatives.
    Author: Dita Asiedu

  • No Czech believed among Dahab victims; special hotline opened
    04/25/2006

    The Czech Foreign Ministry has said that there is no evidence suggesting that Czech tourists are among the victims of the blasts in the Egyptian resort of Dahab. According to the country's major travel agencies, their clients are safe and most of them do not plan to cut their stay short. A special telephone hotline has also been opened by the foreign ministry for those who have not been able to get in touch with their relatives in Egypt. Latest estimates say just under two dozen people have died in the blasts and around five dozen remain injured.
    Author: Dita Asiedu

  • Deputies override two presidential vetoes
    04/25/2006

    The Lower House of the Czech Parliament has overridden a presidential veto of an expropriation bill, which enables the authorities to issue a compulsory purchase order, when it is in the public's interest. This would speed up the construction of roads, motorways, and railways, for example. Czech President Vaclav Klaus vetoed the bill two weeks ago on the grounds that it was vague in specifying what public interest entailed and could therefore be abused.

    Czech Deputies have also overturned a presidential veto of a law on sick benefits. As of next year, any benefits paid in the first two weeks when an employee is on sick leave will be covered by the employer and not by the state.
    Author: Dita Asiedu

  • EU agriculture ministers agree to aid poultry producers
    04/25/2006

    European Union agriculture ministers have agreed to give farmers, who have been wrestling with a decrease in poultry and egg sales, extra aid. With the rising number of bird flu cases around Europe, the consumption of eggs and poultry has fallen dramatically in some EU states. Czech Agriculture Minister Jan Mladek hopes with the aid, foreign poultry suppliers affected by slumped sales will no longer be forced to sell their products at dumping prices in countries like the Czech Republic.
    Author: Dita Asiedu

  • President Klaus discusses immigration and bilateral relations with Schwarzenegger
    04/25/2006

    Czech President Vaclav Klaus, who is currently on a five-day official visit to the United States has held a brief meeting with the governor of California Arnold Schwarzenegger. Among the topics discussed were the Czech Republic's experiences with immigration, Czech-US relations, and the current development of Europe. The two politicians also looked into the possibilities of boosting Czech-Californian business relations and cooperating closer in the areas of tourism and higher education.
    Author: Dita Asiedu

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