• Education Ministry confirms accreditation for troubled Plzeň law school
    07/12/2013

    The Education Ministry on Friday confirmed accreditation for the law faculty of West Bohemia University in Plzeň. The school can now admit students into its three- and five-years’ programmes. Plzeň law faculty was in 2009 hit by a scandal when it turned out that many of its graduates took very little time to earn degrees. However, the ministry’s accreditation agency said situation at the school had improved.
    Author: Jan Richter

  • Police call off search for missing 1980s pop star
    07/12/2013

    The police on Friday called off a search for missing 1980s pop star Iveta Bartošová, a police spokeswoman said. The police are in touch with the 47-year-old singer although did not reveal her whereabouts. Ms Bartošová, who reportedly suffers from alcohol addiction, has been missing since Saturday, when a friend drove her from her home to unknown location.
    Author: Jan Richter

  • Hrady.cz music festival kicks off
    07/12/2013

    The ninth annual Hrady.cz music festival, which travels to eight mediaeval Bohemian and Moravian castles, kicks off on Friday at the Točník castle in central Bohemia. This year the festival’s line-up includes the band Kryštof, the signer-songwriter Tomáš Klus, Aneta Langerová, Pipes and Pints, and others. The festival concludes at the Moravian castle Bouzov at the end of August.
    Author: Jan Richter

  • Teenage swimmer sets national women’s 100-metre butterfly record
    07/12/2013

    Lucie Svěcená, a 15-year-old Czech swimmer, has set a new national women’s 100-metre butterfly record. She finished the race in 59.73 seconds at the Junior European Championships in Poland on Friday, becoming the first Czech woman to cover the distance in less than one minute. 18-year old Czech swimmer Jan Micka took two gold medals at the championships when he finished first at 400-metre and 1,500-metre free style.
    Author: Jan Richter

  • New ministers assume posts
    07/11/2013

    All 14 ministers in the freshly sworn-in Czech government have assumed their posts. On Thursday, Dalibor Štys took over at the Education Ministry, said he would not go ahead with a reform of the university system planned by his predecessor unless it gets sufficient political backing. The government officials inducted into office on Thursday included Minister of Labour and Social Affairs František Koníček, Justice Minister Marie Benešová, Health Minister Martin Holcát, and others.
    Author: Jan Richter

  • Police charge third person over anti-Roma rally
    07/11/2013

    The police on Thursday charged a third person in connection with last weekend’s anti-Roma rally in the southern city of České Budějovice, a police spokesman said. A 20-year-old man faces charges for assaulting a police officer with a glass bottle. Another two people were charged earlier this week for hurling stones and assaulting officers. The police also said they believe the organizer of the previous anti-Roma rally in České Budějovice broke the law when he called on participants to walk on a local housing estate where some Roma families live.
    Author: Jan Richter

  • Jailed MP refused permission to take part in key vote
    07/11/2013

    Jailed MP David Rath will not be allowed to participate in a lower house vote on the dissolution of parliament, a court in Prague has ruled. Mr Rath, who was arrested in May 2012 on corruption charges, asked to be allowed to take part in the vote, which is scheduled for July 17 and would trigger snap elections if passed. Mr Rath’s attorney said his client wanted to support the motion.
    Author: Jan Richter

  • Imported Polish chicken meat tests positive for antibiotics
    07/11/2013

    The authorities have discovered antibiotics in a shipment of Polish chicken meat, a spokesman for the Czech Veterinary Administration said. In total, 1,200 kg of tainted meat has been ordered off the shelves. The authorities said most of the meat had already been distributed to shops in eastern Bohemia.
    Author: Jan Richter

  • Banking association cuts economic forecast for 2013-07-11
    07/11/2013

    The Czech Banking Association on Thursday cut its economic forecast for 2013. It now predicts an 0.8 percent contraction of the country’s GDP, down from the 0.2 percent the association predicted in April. The report cites an unexpected drop in GDP in the first quarter of this year as the main reason for the revision; however, the authors said the economy should start recovering moderately towards the end of the year when quarter-on-quarter growth is expected.
    Author: Jan Richter

  • EU court slams Czechs over railway directive
    07/11/2013

    The EU’s Court of Justice on Thursday ruled that the Czech Republic had failed to meet its obligations arising from an EU railway directive. The court criticized the maximum fees set by the Czech Finance Ministry for using railway infrastructure, as well as a lack of incentives for the infrastructure’s operator to cut costs. Under EU law, the Czech authorities are obliged to implement the findings as soon as possible or face penalization.
    Author: Jan Richter

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