News

A new charge-free help line has been put into operation for victims of domestic violence. The help line (116 006) was introduced by the Bílý Kruh Bezpečí NGO which previously operated paid lines. The new 24-hour charge-free service will be operated by 35 employees, both psychologists and lawyers. It will be open to six callers simultaneously. The paid lines previously received 20 calls a day.

Prague City Hall has approved its 2015 budget with expenditures projected at 56.3 billion crowns and revenues of 42.1 billion. The difference will be covered by state funds. The lion’s share of expenditures will be used for transport, which includes the construction of the Blanka tunnel expected to open in about two months’ time, the reconstruction of two Prague bridges and general road maintenance. This year’s budget includes a brand new chapter –expenditures relating to the development of social housing. Up until now City Hall operated on a provisional budget.

Two stunt aircraft from the Czech aerobatics team, the Flying Bulls, collided with each other during a mid-air performance in India. Although both aircraft were damaged, the planes were able to land and there were no injuries. The leader of the team, sponsored by Red Bull, is the woman pilot Radka Máchová with the other pilots also Czechs. She was reported by local media to be one of the pilots involved in the incident. The accident happened at the Air India show being staged at Banagalore with performances interrupted for 90 minutes as a result. Czech Minister of Defence Martin Stropnický was due to visit the air show as part of his current visit to India.

One of the biggest professional organisations representing judges has given broad backing to a proposed pay settlement with the government. The union of judges, which represents around half of Czech judges, said on Thursday that it would support a deal over back pay with the government. Under the deal the state will find around 1.2 billion crowns to partially compensate judges for insufficient pay over three years. But representatives of the organization stressed that it was really up to judges themselves whether to accept the offer or fight on. The settlement became necessary when a court rules in favour of protesting judges that the wrong calculations had been used to set their pay in the past.