• Working group has prepared four versions of pension reform - Skromach
    10/18/2004

    The Minister of Labour and Social Affairs, Zdenek Skromach, said at a conference on Monday marking 80 years of state social insurance, that a Czech working group of experts has prepared four possible versions for pension reform, and that if politicians can agree on a version by July, implementing pension reform would be possible within two years' time. About 9 percent of the Czech Republic's GDP now goes towards pensions, a ministry expert told the conference, but could reach the unsustainable level of 15 percent or more within a couple of generations if widespread reforms are not introduced in the pension and health insurance systems.
    Author: Brian Kenety

  • Havel opens Forum 2000
    10/18/2004

    Former Czech president Vaclav Havel opened the eighth successive Forum 2000 international conference in Prague on Sunday, with a speech celebrating a vibrant civil society as a guarantor of diversity. Speakers at this year's Forum 2000 conference, which continues until Wednesday and focuses on the role of civil society and globalization, include John Shattuck, the former U.S. Ambassador to the Czech Republic, and Jeremy Hobbs, the executive director of Oxfam, an international development and anti-poverty group.
    Author: Brian Kenety

  • Vaidisova, 15, wins Tashkent Open
    10/18/2004

    The Czech Republic's Nicole Vaidisova, age 15, won the Tashkent Open on Monday. The unseeded teenager claimed her second WTA title with a 5-7 6-3 6-2 win over French ninth seed Virgine Razzai. Miss Vaidisova, who was 103rd in WTA rankings ahead of this victory, had only won a single WTA title in her tennis career - in Vancouver, earlier this year.
    Author: Brian Kenety

  • Gross, Grebenick, criticise Christian Democrat leader's proposal to delay pay rise for police, fire-fighters and customs officials
    10/17/2004

    A proposal by Christian Democrat leader Miroslav Kalousek to delay an increase in wages for police officers, fire-fighters and customs officials has been criticised by the prime minister as well as the head of the opposition communist party. Speaking on a Sunday discussion programme Prime Minister Stanislav Gross, together with Communist Party head Miroslav Grebenicek, called the proposal a "populist" tactic ahead of regional elections in November. Mr Gross pointed out that the Christian Democrats had previously helped approve the government's law on raising wages for police and other public officials in Parliament.

    The bill will take effect next January 1st.
    Author: Jan Velinger

  • Vaidisova wins Tashkent Open
    10/17/2004

    15-year-old Czech tennis player Nicole Vaidisova won her second WTA title on Sunday, downing French opponent Virginia Razzano in three sets at the Tashkent Open. Vaidisova came back from one set down, winning the next two sets 6:3, 6:2. Vaidisova's win earns her 140, 000 US dollars. Earlier in the year she won her first WTA title in Vancouver.
    Author: Jan Velinger

  • Sparta - Manchester match to be refereed by De Santis
    10/17/2004

    Tuesday's Champions League football match-up between Sparta Prague and England's Manchester United will be refereed by Italian ref Massimo De Santis, a police inspector from Rome who is well-known for his love of good food, theatre, and water skiing. Mr De Santis, 42, has called international games since 2000. It will not be the first time he has refereed a Czech team either: three years ago he oversaw a match-up between Sigma Olomouc and Celta Vigo in the UEFA Cup, in which the Czech side won 4:3.
    Author: Jan Velinger

  • Austrian activists block border crossing to protest nuclear power plant
    10/16/2004

    Austrian activists blocked a border crossing between Austria and the Czech Republic on Saturday afternoon in protest of the Czech Republic's Temelin nuclear power plant, which was given the go-ahead for full operation by the Czech State Authority for Nuclear Energy on Monday. Temelin has long been a bone of contention for demonstrators who believe authorities have not reduced safety problems at the plant. Saturday's demonstration, which began around noon, did not see any involvement by Czechs.
    Author: Jan Velinger

  • Senate by-elections decided in Prague 4, Znojmo
    10/16/2004

    Run-offs in Senate by-elections for the Prague 4 and Znojmo constituencies have resulted in victories for Frantisek Prihoda, of the right-of-centre Civic Democratic Party, who earned 60 percent of the ballot, and Milan Spacek, candidate for the Christian Democrats, who got 53 percent. Defeated were Social Democrat Erazim Kohak, in Prague 4, and Civic Democrat Jaroslav Parik, in Znojmo.

    The final ballot count indicates a very low overall voter turn-out: just 14.5 percent of those eligible showed up to cast their vote.
    Author: Jan Velinger

  • Belarussian police attempt to block Czech TV journalists pursuing elections story
    10/16/2004

    Two Czech TV crew members - a journalist and a cameraman - faced complications on Saturday while trying to complete a report on upcoming Parliamentary elections in Belarus. The two were stopped by police at the headquarters of the central electoral commission while taping the story of a candidate who had been struck from the ballot list. The two Czechs were asked by local police to hand over taped footage, which they refused, seeking help from members of an independent journalists' association instead.

    Czech TV has since commented the incident as a routine hitch in Belarus, a country ruled by strong-arm president Alexander Lukashenko.
    Author: Jan Velinger

  • Sparta wins traditional derby 2:0 against Slavia
    10/16/2004

    Football side Sparta Prague beat traditional rivals Slavia in their derby on Saturday. Sparta saw both goals come from Jiri Homola in a four-minute stretch in the second half that gave his team the game.
    Author: Jan Velinger

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