• Health Ministry claims victory in Diag Human arbitration
    07/27/2014

    The Czech Republic has won an international arbitration against the firm Diag Human, Health Minister Svatopluk Němeček said. The company took the country to arbitration in 2008 over its allegedly thwarted blood plasma business int eh coutnry. The Czech Republic was originally ordered to pay eight billion crowns in compensation to the firm but the Czech government appealed the decision and the final ruling, delivered to both parties last week, awards victory to the Czech Republic, according to the Health Ministry. However, the firm disputes the minitry's claims, arguing the ruling in fact confirmed the original verdict. The Health Ministry said it would release details on the case next week.
    Author: Jan Richter

  • Report: Romany elite rising due to increasing numbers of university graduates
    07/27/2014

    The Czech Republic’s new Romany elite is rising due to increasing numbers of Romanies with university degrees, the news website idnes.cz reported on Sunday. While only around 100 of the country’s 250,000-strong Romany community are currently studying at Czech universities, the number of those receiving some type of scholarships has tripled over the last nine years, from 59 to 151, according to figures by Romea, an advocacy group. Romany leaders quoted in the report say the rising number of university students has a big impact both on the Romany community and the majority society but note their overall number is still very small.
    Author: Jan Richter

  • Storm alert for parts of Czech Republic
    07/27/2014

    Heavy storms are to hit the south and east of the Czech Republic on Sunday afternoon, the Czech Hydrometeorological Institute has warned. In some places, up to 30 millimetres of precipitation is expected. The warning is in place until 10 PM on Sunday but frequent storms are expected in the Czech Republic over the next several days.
    Author: Jan Richter

  • Tour de France: Czech Jan Bárta finishes 3rd in time trial
    07/26/2014

    Czech rider Jan Bárta finished third in Saturday’s time trial at the Tour de France, 1 minute and 39 seconds after the winner, Germany’s Tony Martin. Bárta’s colleague in the NetApp-Endura team, Leopold König, came in fifth on Saturday, and is ranked 7th overall; Jan Bárta is 71st.
    Author: Jan Richter

  • Czech mountaineer completes quest to climb world’s 14 highest mountains
    07/26/2014

    Czech mountaineer Radek Jaroš climbed the K2 peak in the Himalayas on Saturday, becoming the the first Czech and the 15th person in the world to climb all of the 14 highest mountains, Czech Radio reports. The 50-year-old Jaroš climbed his first peak over 8,000 metres, Mount Everest, in 1998. He has authored several books and film documentaries, and in 2009 received a fair play award from the Czech Olympic Committee for helping to save the lives of several of his colleagues.
    Author: Jan Richter

  • Czech minister praises Czech-Bavarian cooperation
    07/26/2014

    Cross-border cooperation between the Czech Republic and Bavaria is on a very good level, Czech Regional Development Minister Věra Jourová told a conference in Kvilda, western Bohemia, on Saturday. Some 90 percent of EU funds earmarked the operational programme promoting the cooperation have been used, Ms Jourová said, adding the programme ranked second of the EU’s regional cooperation programmes. EU funds have been used to finances projects including a Czech-German cultural centre, museums and educational trails.
    Author: Jan Richter

  • Seven injured in Děčín gas explosion
    07/26/2014

    Seven people have suffered injuries in a gas explosion that occurred in a family home in the north Bohemian town Děčín on Saturday. No one was inside the house when the explosion took place; the injured people were renovating the building, and were working outside, a spokesman for the emergency services said. Gas piping in the house was probably damaged during work on the façade, according to the local fire brigade.
    Author: Jan Richter

  • Tax authorities raid two Czech casinos over tax debts
    07/26/2014

    The Czech Tax Administration raided two casinos over their tax debts on Saturday, a spokeswoman for the agency said. One of the casinos is reportedly located in Prague’s Wenceslas Square, the other in Jablonec, in noerth Bohemia. The owners of the establishments owe some 20 million crowns in direct and indirect taxes, the spokeswoman said, adding that cash, lottery machines, cars and other objects were confiscated during the raid.
    Author: Jan Richter

  • Air conditioning blamed for 20 percent of illnesses in summer
    07/26/2014

    Too cold air conditioning is responsible for 20 percent of all illnesses registered in the Czech Republic during the summer months, Jakub Nožička of the Česká pojišťovna insurance firm told the news website novinky.cz on Saturday. Block vertebrae, headaches and joint pain are among the most common problems caused by big differences in temperatures between in- and outdoors, doctors say; they warn that the difference between temperatures in air-conditioned spaces and outside should not be higher than five degrees Celsius.
    Author: Jan Richter

  • Football: Sparta Prague beats Bohemians in season opener
    07/26/2014

    Sparta Prague defeated city rivals Bohemians 1905 2:1 in the season-opening match on Friday night. Defending champions Sparta went ahead in the 25th minute after an error by Bohemians goalkeeper, and added another hit some ten minutes after the break. Shortly thereafter, Bohemians narrowed the gap but were unable to equalize. In another league game on Friday, Dukla Prague drew 0:0 against Baník Ostrava.
    Author: Jan Richter

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