• Survey: Czech companies expect slow economic recovery in 2010
    12/27/2009

    Most Czech companies expect a slight economic improvement in 2010, according to a survey by the news agency ČTK among Czech corporate associations released on Sunday. Most firms also believe that a recovery from the global economic downturn will last longer. The Small and Mid-Sized Businesses Association said that export-oriented firms should recover faster than companies focusing on consumer markets, as a further drop in retail demand is expected next year. However, 9 out of 10 companies expect to make profit in 2010. Most firms are not planning lay-offs for next year. The Czech Republic’s Confederation of Industry said the in 2010 and 11, Czech economy is likely to maintain the output registered in November and December this year, with the unemployment rate remaining at around 10 percent.
    Author: Jan Richter

  • North Bohemian town approves urban revitalization projects
    12/27/2009

    The town of Litvínov, northern Bohemia, has approved nine urban revitalization projects of socially excluded areas, a town’s spokesperson said on Sunday. The town earmarked over 54 million crowns for the projects submitted by the real estate owners in the troubled neighbourhood of Janov. The area, which is home to a larhe Romany community, saw last year the worst clashes between neo-Nazis and the police in the country’s history.
    Author: Jan Richter

  • Czech men more frequently affected by sexually transmitted diseases than women
    12/27/2009

    Czech men are more frequently affected by sexually transmitted diseased than women, according to figures by the Health Ministry released on Sunday. The incidence of syphilis has been 42 percent higher among men than women in the last five years, while the incidence of gonorrhoea 150 percent higher. In total, 1667 Czechs were infected in 2008 with either disease, which was 2.3 percent less than in the previous year.
    Author: Jan Richter

  • Two parachutists get injured in heavy Prague hill landing
    12/27/2009

    Two parachutists suffered injuries after a heavy landing on Prague’s Vítkov Hill on Sunday. One of the men is in serious condition, Prague police said. The jumps were part of a public sporting event on the hill, situated between the city’s neighbourhoods of Žižkov and Karlín.
    Author: Jan Richter

  • NHL: Czechs help Phoenix to set new record
    12/27/2009

    Czech strikers Robert Lang and Martin Hanzal, of the Phoenix Coyotes, helped to match their team’s record of nine straight home wins after beating the Los Angeles Kings 3:2 on Saturday. Martin Hanzal scored one goal and Robert Lang registered one assist in the game. Both players were named the stars of the game.
    Author: Jan Richter

  • Czechs lose 10:1 to Sweden at U20 Hockey World Championship
    12/27/2009

    The Czech Republic lost 10:1 to Sweden in the opening game of the U20 Hockey World Championship in Canada on Saturday. The Swedes, who are defending silver from the previous championship and are one of the tournament’s favourites, clearly outmatched the Czechs who conceded four goals in the first period alone. The Czech Republic is next playing Finland on Sunday, hoping to secure a chance of advancing from the championship’s preliminary stage.
    Author: Jan Richter

  • Czech Republic’s swine flu death toll rises to nearly 50
    12/23/2009

    Ten people have died of swine flu in the Czech Republic in the last week, bringing the total number of recorded deaths to 48. Over 1,200 people are now known to have contracted the H1N1 virus, a Ministry of Health spokesperson said on Wednesday. Nearly 40,000 people had been inoculated against swine flu by last Friday. Interest in vaccinations has been lower than anticipated, with some officials blaming the media for creating a false panic about the possible dangers of inoculation.
    Author: Ian Willoughby

  • Pedestrian death rate in Czech Republic far higher than EU average
    12/23/2009

    The number of pedestrians who are killed on Czech roads and streets is considerably higher than the European Union average, the news website novinky.cz reported, quoting a Europe-wide study. The EU average for pedestrian deaths is 14.6 per million inhabitants per year. In the Czech Republic, however, it is 22.8 per million. Experts blame the relatively high number of deaths on both inconsiderate drivers and reckless pedestrians. Preliminary police figures suggest this year’s death rate in the Czech Republic will show a decline, though it remains a serious problem, novinky.cz said.
    Author: Ian Willoughby

  • Czech army to get Iveco light armoured vehicles
    12/23/2009

    The Czech Ministry of Defence has signed a contract with the truck-maker Iveco for 90 light armoured vehicles. The deal is worth CZK 3.6 billion, with the vehicles to be delivered between 2010 and 2013. The chairman of the lower house’s defence committee Jan Vidím said they were necessary to ensure the security of Czech soldiers on missions overseas. However, the committee’s deputy chair Antonín Seďa said it was wrong that there had not been a tender to supply the armoured vehicles.
    Author: Ian Willoughby

  • Icy conditions lead to falls and transport disruptions
    12/23/2009

    Rescue workers in Prague were called out over 200 times between Tuesday night and lunchtime Wednesday after icy conditions caused many pedestrians to fall. Around 60 people suffered broken bones, spinal and head injuries, a spokesperson for the capital’s emergency services said. The ice also caused transport disruptions in many parts of the Czech Republic, with the Central Bohemia region particularly hard hit.
    Author: Ian Willoughby

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