-
05/13/2004
On Thursday the Czech Senate approved a government bill aimed at both lowering unemployment numbers but also improving benefits for those unable to find long-term work. On the one hand the bill, which was approved by 38 out of 70 senators present, will make it difficult for recipients to receive benefits if they refuse, for example, re-qualification training or a medical exam to which they had previously agreed. At the same time, under the new bill, those on unemployment will be allowed to earn up to half the minimum wage without losing unemployment benefits.
-
05/13/2004
Also on Thursday: the Chamber of Deputies passed a bill amendment that it will make it easier for Czech couples to adopt newborns by speeding up the adoption process. The amendment, put forward by the Christian Democrats, allows for mothers to consent - shortly after delivery - to their child's adoption. Until now mothers who wanted to put their child up for adoption could only give consent after six weeks, which according to critics caused delays and drew-out court proceedings. By quickening the adoption process the bill's supporters hope that new-borns up for adoption will be able to get to their adoptive families with less delay.
-
05/13/2004
In related news: on Thursday the Chamber of Deputies also approved legislation enabling women to give birth in full anonymity, which supporters hope will reduce the number of abortions in the country. If the bill is passed by the Senate and signed by the president, the medical records of women requesting anonymity could be accessed only under a court order; also, their name would not appear on their child's birth certificate. The overall aim of the bill is to deter women pregnant with an unwanted child, from seeking abortions or even abandoning or murdering the child. Every year the Czech Republic sees several cases of newborns, found either abandoned or dead.
-
05/12/2004
At their meeting in the Czech Republic on Wednesday, the prime ministers of the Visegrad Four countries agreed to continue cooperating within the grouping even as EU member states. The Visegrad group is a loose economic alliance of four Central European states - the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary and Poland. It was established thirteen years ago in an effort to strengthen regional contacts and fill the void which emerged after the collapse of the Soviet block. Some commentators say the alliance has become obsolete with the enlargement of the EU, but the prime ministers of the four states said today that maintaining the existing contacts would prove advantageous for all concerned and better enable them to defend their economic interests within the European Union.
-
05/12/2004
The EU's executive commission has placed six of the newly admitted EU member states, including the Czech Republic, under increased financial surveillance because their public deficits currently exceed EU limits. However the commission said it would be benevolent and was according the six new members several years to bring their deficits in line with the provisions of the 1997 Stability and Growth Pact. The Pact requires members of the European Union to hold their annual deficits to less than three percent of output.
-
05/12/2004
Laboratory tests have confirmed an eleventh case of mad cow disease in the Czech Republic. The infected animal came from a farm in the Cesky Krumlov region, southern Bohemia. The head of the State Veterinary Office said all the necessary precautions were being taken. Since in this case the infected animal was a breeding bull there will be no need to slaughter all the cattle from the same herd.
-
05/11/2004
The prime ministers of the Visegrad Four countries are due to meet at Komeriz castle in the east of the Czech Republic on Wednesday. It will be the first time the leaders of the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary and Poland have held formal talks since all four countries joined the European Union on May 1. A spokesman for the Czech government said the main issue at the meeting would be the future role of the regional grouping, 13 years after it was established. Some commentators say the alliance has become obsolete with the enlargement of the EU.
-
05/11/2004
The police have arrested three more football referees in connection with a bribery scandal which is being described as the worst in the history of Czech football. After a senior official at Synot football club and two referees were arrested last week, on Monday the police arrested three more officials on suspicion of fixing a match in which Synot beat Blsany. The police are looking into the results of every Czech first division game played since the beginning of the season last August.
-
05/11/2004
Foreign Minister Cyril Svoboda has said US soldiers found guilty of abusing prisoners in Iraq should be brought to justice quickly. However, said Mr Svoboda, the scandal should not threaten the efforts of democrats in the "fight against terrorism". He added that it was important to hand the administration of Iraq over to the Iraqis as soon as possible.
-
05/11/2004
The opposition Communist Party have said they will support the ruling Social Democrats over a constitutional bill on referendums. Social Democrats deputy chairman Zdenek Skromach said on Tuesday his party would accept the support of the Communists. The Social Democrats have submitted several referendum bills in the past, and this time are doing so in connection with a vote on a possible European Union constitution. The opposition Civic Democrats say linking the bill with the EU constitution is blackmail.
Pages
- « první
- ‹ předchozí
- …
- 6209
- 6210
- 6211
- 6212
- 6213
- 6214
- 6215
- 6216
- 6217
- …
- následující ›
- poslední »