• 08/25/2010

    Prime Minister Petr Nečas on Wednesday addressed the Senate for the first time since taking office. He informed the upper house on the position of the Czech government regarding issues to be discussed at a meeting of the European Council in Brussels in mid-September and responded to questions from senators. The prime minister faced criticism from the opposition benches for making Roman Joch one of his advisers. Mr. Joch raised an outcry last week when he told the media that he would advise the prime minister to scrap the post of government human rights commissioner since he considered it redundant. Mr. Nečas said Mr. Joch was not in an executive post though he admitted that as his advisor he should have expressed his views in a more moderate fashion.

  • 08/25/2010

    In an interview for the Austrian daily Kurier, the Czech prime minister, Petr Nečas, ruled out a renewed debate on two controversial issues in Czech-Austrian relations: the Benes decrees, sanctioning the expulsion of 2.5 million Sudeten Germans from post-war Czechoslovakia, and the Temelín nuclear power plant in south Bohemia. Mr. Nečas said both issues were closed and there was nothing further to add to the matter. Austria has long pushed for the Benes decrees to be rescinded and as a non-nuclear state, would like to see the Temelín nuclear power plant closed down.

  • 08/25/2010

    Police investigating the shocking case of an aggressive driver who sent another car flying off the road because the woman driving it was holding him up say they have enough evidence to send the man to court. The incident which was filmed by another driver and later appeared on you tube shows the aggressive driver swerving sharply into the right lane and sending the offending Mazda flying through the air. It landed in a field after turning over several times. Miraculously, the two people in it suffered only light injuries. If found guilty, the aggressive driver could face from five to twelve years in jail.

  • 08/25/2010

    Czech league champions Sparta Prague face an uphill battle to qualify for the group stage of the lucrative European Champions League on Wednesday night. Sparta travel to Slovak club Žilina where they have to overturn a 0:2 defeat from the first leg last week. Sparta should be helped by the return of star Ivory Coast striker Bony Wilfried but will be missing two other first team players who were yellow carded in the first leg.

  • 08/24/2010

    The Czech Republic’s main grouping of trades unions has slammed proposed changes in the labour law set out by the government. In an official response to the proposals, the Czech and Moravian Confederation of Trades Unions said the changes would result in Czech employees having the worst working conditions in Europe. The confederation said there was no need for the changes with the Czech labour market already more flexible than most in the 27-strong European Union but job security weaker than average. Changes proposed by the government include lengthening the duration of fixed term contracts to five years from two, doubling the maximum period for specific goal related contracts and making lay-offs easier. The confederation also complained that it was not properly consulted about the changes.

    Author: Chris Johnstone
  • 08/24/2010

    The main grouping of health and social service workers has warned that it is prepared to give notice of strike action if proposed changes in wages and conditions are pushed through. The union said that it was resolutely opposed to plans for an across the board pay cut of 10 percent and changes in the way wages are calculated and was ready to start strike preparations if there was no agreement. It said on Tuesday that the changes would only hasten the exodus of qualified staff to work abroad. Health Minister Leoš Heger said the wages cut had to be respected if the ministry was to save around 10 billion crowns this year.

    Author: Chris Johnstone
  • 08/24/2010

    Czech police have begun investigating the case of an alleged Russian spy who may have infiltrated the Army General Staff. The charges were pressed by the former head of the police section for investigations in the armed forces, Martin Hádek. He has questioned why no one is being investigated in spite of a scandal that resulted in the dismissal of three army generals and a major. The daily Mladá fronta Dnes reported in late July that the alleged agent had been gathering information about the generals via the major, who ran their office. He is said to have disappeared in late 2009 and went to Moscow.

    Author: Chris Johnstone
  • 08/24/2010

    Brazil is sending a cargo of suspected illegal waste thought to have originated in the Czech Republic back to Hamburg. Brazilian authorities found the shipment of 22 tons of illegal waste at the start of the month. Czech authorities originally downplayed the idea it could come from the Czech Republic but the Ministry of Environment now says it is carrying out checks at a local firm from which the waste could have originated. The waste is being shipped back to Hamburg where it could be disposed of. It is illegal under an international convention to ship waste from rich countries to poor.

    Author: Chris Johnstone
  • 08/24/2010

    Czech President Václav Klaus has nominated former South Bohemia regional governor Jan Zahradník and human rights activist John Bok to fill the vacant post of public ombudsman. The post has been vacant since May when previous incumbent Otakar Motejl died. The lower house of parliament failed to choose a replacement from the nominees put forward by the president and upper house, the Senate, in July. The nearest candidate was Czech Helsinki Committee chairman Anna Šabatová who fell short by seven votes. The Senate will announce its latest suggestions for the post on Wednesday with the lower house to make a second stab at choosing an ombudsman by September 7.

    Author: Chris Johnstone
  • 08/24/2010

    The Finance Ministry has prepared a fresh amendment to the country’s lottery law aimed at allowing local councils to clamp down on automatic gaming machines and bars. The changes would allow councils to regulate the most modern video gaming machines as well as the traditional one armed bandit machines for which they already have powers. The ministry proposal calls for a maximum five year phase out period for lotteries and other games of chance so that investments can be recouped. A previous attempt to clamp down on the gaming industry failed when President Václav Klaus vetoed it in June. He argued many charities and associations would suffer from not receiving their share of gaming and lottery receipts.

    Author: Chris Johnstone

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