• Police bust crime ring
    07/02/2008

    The police have busted a crime ring believed to be behind thirty robberies of banks, casinos and nightclubs in Prague. The police have been after this particular gang for the past ten years. Last year a member of the gang shot himself in the car park of a large shopping centre when surrounded by police. It is not yet clear how many people have been charged.
    Author: Daniela Lazarová

  • Bus crash leaves 14 injured
    07/02/2008

    A bus carrying 23 passengers crashed near the town of Jihlava, south-east of Prague on Tuesday, swerving off the main road and smashing into a tree. Fourteen people are reported injured. Police are investigating the cause of the accident.
    Author: Daniela Lazarová

  • Oldest Czech dies at age 109
    07/02/2008

    The oldest Czech, Marie Kráslová from the town of Hluboká, has died at the age of 109. During her 109th birthday celebration last November the old lady was in good health and even sang with her birthday guests. She spent her last years in an old age home visited by her many children and grand-children. There are over 500 centenarians living in the Czech Republic today.
    Author: Daniela Lazarová

  • De Niro to be guest of honour at Karlovy Vary Film Festival
    07/02/2008

    US actor Robert De Niro will take center stage at the 43rd Karlovy Vary International Film Festival which opens in the West Bohemian spa town on Friday. De Niro is expected to receive an award for lifetime achievement. The latest film produced and directed by De Niro, "What Just Happened," will be screened at the festival's opening with a total of 220 films and documentaries crammed in before the event closes on July 12.
    Author: Daniela Lazarová

  • Czech health workers say protests will continue
    07/02/2008

    Czech doctors and nurses say they are preparing further protest actions against Health Minister Tomáš Julínek’s reforms. The minister has come under fire from both health workers and the opposition ever since introducing radical reforms at the start of this year. In the wake of a warning strike on June 24th he agreed to postpone some of his plans for the second wave of reforms and put them up for further debate. Even so many of his steps remain highly controversial, including the introduction of medical fees for all citizens.
    Author: Daniela Lazarová

  • Pudil to join Belgian club Genk
    07/02/2008

    Czech midfielder Daniel Pudil will join Belgian club Genk from Slovan Liberec following agreement between the two clubs, the Czech first division outfit announced on Wednesday. Italian clubs Reggina and Lecce have also been in the hunt for the player. Pudil was loaned to league champions Slavia Prague from Liberec in the spring following disciplinary problems with his home club. The Czech champions did not take up an option to retain his services sending him back to the northern Czech club.
    Author: Daniela Lazarová

  • Football: Czech defender Zápotočný signs for Besiktas
    07/02/2008

    Czech international defender Tomas Zápotočný has signed a three year contract with Besiktas, the Turkish club announced on its Internet site on Wednesday. Details of the transfer were not revealed but daily newspaper Hurriyet suggested Zápotočný, who did not figure in the Czech squad for Euro 2008, will earn 750,000 euros a year.
    Author: Daniela Lazarová

  • France to push Prague to ratify Lisbon Treaty during EU presidency
    07/01/2008

    The French foreign minister, Bernard Kouchner, says France will work hard to persuade the Czech Republic to ratify the Lisbon Treaty during his country’s presidency of the EU, the Czech newspaper Lidové noviny reported. Mr Kouchner said Prague would have to be persuaded to ratify the document, and reiterated France’s position that the failure of Lisbon would mean an end to further EU enlargement, a policy the Czech Republic supports. An unnamed French government source quoted by the daily asked how Prague could lead the EU during its presidency next year if it blocks the rest of the union. The Czech Parliament will not vote on whether to ratify the Lisbon Treaty until the country’s Constitutional Court answers a Senate request to consider whether it is in line with the Czech constitution; that ruling is expected towards the end of the year. The future of Lisbon was called into doubt after voters in Ireland rejected it in a referendum.

    Meanwhile, France began its six-month EU presidency by opening its labour market to workers from the 10 countries, including the Czech Republic, which joined the bloc four years ago.
    Author: Ian Willoughby

  • Some big Czech firms already conducting most business in euros
    07/01/2008

    Despite the fact the Czech government has no target date for adoption of the common European currency, some big companies are already conducting most transactions in euros, Hospodařské noviny reported. Car makers in particular have switched to the euro, the newspaper said, giving the example of Škoda Auto, which does 80 percent of its business in the currency. Some suppliers of car parts are also conducting most of their dealings in euros. Using the euro protects exporters from losses causes by the marked firming of the Czech crown; on Tuesday it set a new record of 23.77 to the common European currency.
    Author: Ian Willoughby

  • Study: almost half of Czechs against having Romany neighbour
    07/01/2008

    Forty-seven percent of Czechs would be against having a Romany neighbour, according to a new Europe-wide study by Eurobarometer. That puts the Czech Republic alongside Italy as the European Union states where there is most distaste for the idea of a Romany living next door. Ten percent of Czechs said they would see no problem in having such a neighbour, the lowest rate among the 27 members of the EU.
    Author: Ian Willoughby

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