News

There has been no news in the search for the three Czech journalists who were kidnapped in Iraq on Sunday morning. According to the Czech Foreign Ministry the kidnappers have not contacted the Czech side yet, and Czech diplomacy has not succeeded in establishing any direct contact with them either. The purpose of the kidnap is not yet known and there is no direct evidence that the three Czechs are still alive. Deputy Foreign Minister Petr Kolar said that the ministry believed the Czechs had not been abducted by the same group which on Wednesday murdered an Italian national. Czech Television reporter Michal Kubal, his cameraman Petr Klima and Czech Radio reporter Vit Pohanka were abducted by as yet unidentified armed men when travelling from Baghdad to Jordan's Amman on Sunday morning.

Prague police have said that the crime rate in Prague has fallen in the first three months of this year by almost four percent compared to the same period last year but no improvement has been achieved in the clearance of crimes. While twenty-five percent of crimes were solved in the first quarter of last year, it was almost eight percent fewer this year. About 24,000 crimes were committed in Prague in the first quarter of this year, about 4,000 of which have been solved. Compared to 2003, the number of violent crimes has increased. The number of robberies has also grown and two more murders were committed compared to the same period last year. The number of robberies of banks and post offices has grown seven times, while the number of thefts has fallen.

In view of recent developments, the Czech Foreign Ministry has advised Czech citizens to leave Iraq. Those who cannot leave the country have been advised to exercise extreme caution, to stay in their hotels and avoid travelling, as far as possible. The Czech humanitarian organisation, People in Need, has begun pulling its workers out of Iraq.

The Cabinet has approved an amendment to the energy law, setting a framework for the liberalization of the gas and electricity markets. The first stage of liberalization of the gas market is to come in January next year and should concern large buyers. The gas market should be fully liberalized by the end of 2006. The electricity market has already gone through three stages of liberalization, with full liberalization also scheduled for 2006. The law aims at raising competition on the energy market and should strengthen the position of consumers by enabling them to pick a supplier.