News

Detectives from the national anti-drugs squad have cracked down on a large scale-supplier of materials for the illicit production of drugs. The forty-one year old owner of a chain of shops selling chemical supplies was arrested at the end of July, but the police have only now revealed details of the case which is unprecedented on Czech scale. The chain of shops around the country served as a smoke screen and all contained large quantities of chemicals needed for the illegal production of crystal methamphetamine. According to a police spokesman the chemicals confiscated during the police raids could have made drugs with a street value of two and a half billion crowns.

The government has failed to reach a joint position on a ban on smoking in pubs and restaurants. Coalition party ANO is pushing for a blanket ban but after a debate on the matter on Wednesday the cabinet issued a statement saying that while there was general agreement on the idea it preferred a broader amendment that the minister of health, Svatopluk Němeček, is due to produce by the end of the year. Numerous attempts to introduce such a prohibition in the past have come to nothing. An estimated 30 percent of Czechs smoke cigarettes, with around 18,000 people dying as a result of smoking in this country annually.

State company Český Aeroholding plans to use almost CZK 38 million in incentives to support a proposed direct air route between the Czech Republic and China, a Czech Ministry of Transport spokesperson said after a meeting of Czech and Chinese officials on Wednesday. A condition for any airline that expresses interest in the route is a commitment to four flights a week for a period of at least five years. The City of Prague and Czech Tourism also plan incentives for a route that would increase the number of Chinese visitors.

Some unqualified teachers will be allowed to remain in the Czech school system after the Senate on Wednesday approved an amendment making an exception for experienced teachers, specialists who have worked in a particular field and native speakers. Other teachers lacking the requisite certificate will be allowed to work at schools unable to find qualified staff. The legislation now requires the signature of the president. Education Minister Marcel Chládek said around 18,000 teachers had not fulfilled a requirement to acquire a qualification in a 10-year grace period and that without the amendment there would be a shortage of teachers.