• Foreign Minister Svoboda: two prosperous states should emerge from Middle East peace process
    11/19/2005

    Foreign Minister Cyril Svoboda, who is on a visit to the West Bank, has expressed support for the Middle East peace process. After talks with his Palestinian counterpart, Nasser al-Kidwa in Ramallah on Saturday, Mr Svoboda said that there should be two stable and prosperous states at the end of the peace process and that political dialogue was the only way forward. Minister Svoboda had arrived in the Palestinian territories from Pakistan where he had brought part of Czech humanitarian aid onboard his special flight on Wednesday.
    Author: Pavla Horáková

  • Social Democrat acting head: Party priorities will be pushed through before national elections
    11/19/2005

    The strongest coalition party, the Social Democrats, say they plan to pass 51 bills by the national elections in mid-next year. The party's acting head Bohuslav Sobotka said their aim was to push the bills through at any cost, if possible with the coalition, or even with the help of the opposition Communists. Mr Sobotka made his statement in response to an article in the daily Hospodarske noviny saying the Social Democrats will not manage to fulfil their election promises, for example the bills on conflict of interests, bankruptcy or rent deregulation. Mr Sobotka said that these particular bills will definitely be discussed. If it becomes evident that the lower house is not able to pass them due to lack of time, the Social Democrats are ready to convoke extraordinary sessions.
    Author: Pavla Horáková

  • MF Dnes daily: child abuse on the increase
    11/19/2005

    According to Saturday's edition of the daily Mlada Fronta Dnes, the number of abused children has increased in the Czech Republic. In the first three quarters of this year, police have investigated almost 1,800 cases of torture and sexual abuse of children, which is more than the total number in 2004. This figure is considered to be only a tip of the iceberg, the number of abused children is estimated at 20,000 every year in the Czech Republic. Seven children have died this year as a result of domestic violence.
    Author: Pavla Horáková

  • Barroso - Klaus talks
    11/18/2005

    European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso met for talks with Czech President Vaclav Klaus at Prague Castle on Friday. According to the CTK news agency they failed to agree on the scope of EU integration and the status of a European constitution. Mr. Barroso, who is in Prague to launch a "dialogue, democracy and debate" initiative aimed at bringing the European Union closer to its citizens, urged further EU integration. President Klaus, who is strongly anti-federalist, said he particularly welcomed the EU initiate since he felt that there was a lack of open debate on problems of European integration, particularly following the rejection of the European Constitution by Dutch and French voters.
    Author: Daniela Lazarová

  • Social Democrats want to push through their policy programme
    11/18/2005

    The ruling Social Democratic Party is determined to push through as much of its policy programme as possible before next years general elections. The party's acting chairman Bohuslav Sobotka told newsmen on Friday that there were 51 government proposed bills that the ruling party would try to push through Parliament in the coming months either with support from its coalition partners or the opposition Communist Party. The mentioned bills involve a conflict of interest bill, one on bankruptcy and a bill on rent-deregulation, all of which have proved problematic in the past.
    Author: Daniela Lazarová

  • Health ministry complains about VZP's attitude
    11/18/2005

    The health ministry claims that the General Health Insurance company VZP is making obstructions to an inspection ordered by the health minister. The head of the ministry's inspection team Vladimir Dryml said the insurance company was not cooperating as it should. VZP spokesman Jiri Suttner rejected the allegation, saying that the insurance company's employees were working day and night to prepare the documents requested by the ministry. Health Minister David Rath recently imposed forced administration on the insurance company, largely due to its growing debt.
    Author: Daniela Lazarová

  • Regional court judge faces disciplinary hearing
    11/18/2005

    A regional court judge faces a disciplinary hearing for failing to prolong the custody of a man charged with drug dealing, as a result of which he had to be set free. The judge from the Ostrava regional court claims to have overlooked the task in the midst of other pressing work. The court's chairman Vit Vesley said it was a cardinal mistake and the judge would have to face the consequences. The man who had to be set free as a result of this mistake was the head of an organized group of Vietnamese and Russian drug dealers.
    Author: Daniela Lazarová

  • Havel receives prize
    11/18/2005

    The former Czech president Vaclav Havel has received the Austrian Cross of Honour for Science and Arts. Mr. Havel received the award from Austrian President Heinz Fisher at Hofburg Palace in Vienna on Friday. President Fisher said Vaclav Havel had been chosen for this honour mainly due to his merit in strengthening relations between Prague and Vienna.
    Author: Daniela Lazarová

  • President describes November 17th, 1989 as "key moment" in Czech history
    11/17/2005

    President Vaclav Klaus as well as the prime minister and other public figures have marked the 16th anniversary of the Velvet Revolution. 16 years ago this day an attack by riot police against demonstrating students on Prague's Narodni trida sparked mass protests that led to the fall of Czechoslovakia's communist regime. Speaking with journalists on Thursday President Klaus described November 17th, 1989 as a "key moment in Czech history", saying those who had experienced the events that followed "experienced the birth of freedom".

    Accompanied by Prague Lord Mayor Pavel Bem, and Senate chairman Premysl Sobotka, Mr Klaus laid flowers at the site where students on Narodni trida were attacked. A little later in the day the site was also visited by Prime Minister Jiri Paroubek.
    Author: Jan Velinger

  • Pakistan expresses gratitude for Czech aid
    11/17/2005

    Pakistan's Foreign Minister Mian Khurshid Mahmud has thanked the Czech Republic for humanitarian aid sent to help Pakistan with recovery from a devastating earthquake in October. Mr Mahmud made his statement in Islamabad during a visit by his Czech counterpart Cyril Svoboda. Originally, the Czech Republic donated aid worth 110 million crowns, the equivalent of roughly 4.3 million US dollars. During the two men's meeting Mr Svoboda also met - unexpectedly - with UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, in Pakistan for a conference related to the effects of the earthquake; on October 8th some 80, 000 died as a result. Hundreds of thousands of others are said to still be in need.
    Author: Jan Velinger

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