• 03/09/2007

    In related news, a spokeswoman for the foreign ministry said on Friday that officials there viewed the environment minister's decision with sympathy. She indicated that the Czech Republic supported renewed dialogue between the central Chinese government and Tibet's spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, towards securing greater cultural autonomy for Tibet.

    Author: Jan Velinger
  • 03/09/2007

    The Presidential Office and the Catholic Church have made clear in a joint-statement that they are close to an agreement on cooperation in the management of St Vitus Cathedral at Prague Castle. Another meeting has been set for next week. Jiri Weigl, the head of the Presidential Office revealed on Friday that talks between representatives of the Presidential Office, Prague Castle Administration, and the Metropolitan Chapter of the Church ended in an agreement on the church's transfer of individual buildings - including St Vitus Cathedral. A final date for the transfer has not been set. Negotiations between the church and state ensued following a February Supreme Court decision that overturned earlier rulings recognising the Church's ownership of the landmark cathedral and surrounding sites.

    Author: Jan Velinger
  • 03/09/2007

    A new poll released by the Median agency has suggested that if elections were held in the Czech Republic today they would be won by the ruling Civic Democrats. According to the poll, the party would clinch more than 40 percent of the vote, with the Social Democrats - the country's second largest party - finishing fifteen points behind. All three of the remaining parliamentary parties would also pass the required five percent threshold. According to the poll the Communist Party would finish third (with more than 12 percent), the Greens fourth (with 8 percent), and the Christian Democrats fifth (with more than 7 percent).

    Author: Jan Velinger
  • 03/09/2007

    The Czech newspaper Mlada Fronta Dnes has reported that the Social Democratic Party could potentially field European Commissioner Vladimir Spidla as a presidential candidate in 2008. Michal Hasek, head of his party's deputies group, told the daily that the former prime minister - who led his party to victory in 2002 - "should be" considered. Other names reportedly being discussed include lawyer and former education minister Petra Buzkova, and former supreme state attorney Marie Benesova. Any candidate the Social Democrats field will face the current president, Vaclav Klaus, who has already announced his intention to seek a second term.

    Author: Jan Velinger
  • 03/09/2007

    Public broadcaster Czech Radio - home to numerous stations including Radiozurnal (Radiojournal) and Radio Prague the international service - has been rated Most Trusted Brand for 2007 in the "radio station" category in an annual survey conducted by Reader's Digest. Overall, almost 45 000 respondents took part in the survey. Participants taking part were chosen across a wide demographic. Czech Radio has now won in its category for the second time. It also came first last year.

    Author: Jan Velinger
  • 03/08/2007

    President Vaclav Klaus who is on a working visit to the United States is due to meet the Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi and the Senate Democrat Leader Harry Reid on Thursday; the main issue on the agenda should be the US visa requirements for Czech citizens. On Friday, President Klaus is due to meet US Vice-President Dick Cheney to discuss US plans to station a radar base in the Czech Republic.

  • 03/08/2007

    The Constitutional Court has ruled that municipal authorities can issue bylaws banning street prostitution. It said that the presence of sex workers offering their services in public areas seriously harms the moral development of children. The mayor of the northern town of Usti and Labem Jan Kubata said the ruling gives towns new possibilities to curb prostitution or ban it altogether.

  • 03/08/2007

    Trade and Industry Minister Martin Riman is going to meet the CEO of the Czech power giant CEZ Martin Roman and the head of the State Authority for Nuclear Safety Dana Drabova to discuss the safety situation at the Temelin nuclear power plant. In the last two weeks, the plant announced two leaks of slightly radioactive cooling liquid. Mr Riman said that while the incidents have no effect on nuclear safety, they need to be investigated and measures adopted to prevent such faults in the future as the Temelin plant is a very sensitive topic.

  • 03/08/2007

    A new poll by the STEM agency suggests that almost 50 percent of Czechs do not believe in God. More than a quarter of respondents said they were believers, 24 percent of those polled did not express a decisive opinion. According to the poll, 36 percent of women and 20 percent of men consider themselves religious. Women over 60 are the most religious social group while the lowest number of believers is among men under 30.

  • 03/08/2007

    The cabinet is going to discuss on Monday a Communist-proposed draft bill on a special referendum concerning the stationing of a US radar base in the Czech Republic. Regardless of the stance of the government, it is up to the lower house of parliament to decide on the bill. In order to be passed the bill would need the support of 120 MPs in the 200-seat chamber. The bill is expected to be rejected by deputies from the Civic Democrat, Christian Democrat and Green parties which have 100 votes in the chamber.

Pages