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01/28/2008
Reforms in the tax, health-care, pensions and education systems are considered as necessary by the majority of Czechs, found an opinion poll conducted by the STEM agency. The majority of Czechs approve of the government’s tax, healthcare and welfare reforms launched on January 1 of this year. An overwhelming 77% of respondents said that they approved of the new taxation system, which cuts direct taxation in favour of indirect taxation. Some 74% of those polled said they were in favour of changes made in the healthcare system, while 66% of people said they expected the pensions system to be overhauled in a similar manner. The government’s reform package has caused some controversy since it was implemented at the beginning of this year, hospitals have refused to collect the fees that patients must now pay when visiting a doctor, and there have been grumbles about the rise in VAT.
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01/28/2008
The Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs has launched a new programme to make it easier for Ukrainians to find work legally in the Czech Republic. Under the programme, three job centres in Ukraine will be linked with five such centres around the Czech Republic. Staff in the Ukrainian centres will give free advice on finding work in the Czech Republic and help with filling-out forms and applications. The project has been coordinated so as to try and shut out the mafia – it is thought that many Ukrainians are found jobs in the Czech Republic by illegal agents to whom they then have to give a percentage of their earnings. After Slovaks, Ukrainians are the second biggest group of foreign workers in the Czech Republic. At the end of 2007, over 61,000 Ukrainians were registered as working in the country.
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01/28/2008
Consumer confidence grew in January, suggests data released by the Czech Statistical Office on Monday. Czechs’ faith in the domestic economy was up by 4.7 points on the month before. Confidence was up in business circles as well, but by much less – only 0.7 points. However, in comparison to this time last year confidence in the Czech economy is down. Consumer confidence has fallen by 11.8 points since January 2007.
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01/28/2008
In another poll released on Monday it was found that only 29% of Czechs are happy with the state of their country. This figure is 12% lower than in the autumn of 2006. According to the Eurobarometr poll, Czechs are particularly unhappy with the rise in the price of food. Twenty-nine percent of respondents said that they were happy with the direction their country was moving in, while 46% of those asked said they were not.
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01/27/2008
Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg has criticised Russian opposition to the US missile shield with a planned radar base in the Czech Republic: speaking on public broadcaster Czech TV on Sunday Mr Schwarzenberg suggested Moscow was trying to recoup Soviet-era influence, what he described as “part of a political game about influence in Europe”. From the start Moscow has been highly critical of US plans to deploy a radar base to the Czech Republic and ten interceptor missiles to Poland. Washington has stressed its system is needed to counter possible threats from so-called “rogue” states. Mr Schwarzenberg said on Sunday that Prague would probably not sign agreements with the US before a NATO summit in April. He stressed, in his view, that Prague would get the best possible deal with the US from the outgoing administration.
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01/27/2008
The head of the Chamber of Deputies, Miloslav Vlček and Senate chairman Přemysl Sobotka have agreed that voting by lawmakers in the upcoming presidential election should remain secret. Both men discussed the issue on Czech TV on Sunday, responding to some politicians’ favouring an open vote. Both also expressed hopes that the presidential election would be dignified and without procedural disputes between deputies and senators. The presidential election will see a joint session of both houses of Parliament on February 8. Incumbent Václav Klaus nominated by the Civic Democrats, is seeking re-election. He faces challenger Jan Švejnar, who was nominated by four groups of senators including the opposition Social Democrats.
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01/27/2008
Singer Tereza Kerndlová will represent the Czech Republic at this year’s Eurovision Song Contest to be held in Belgrade. Kerndlová, an r ‘n b performer who first made her name with the Czech girl group Black Milk, was the public’s favourite in the national round broadcast on Saturday on public broadcaster Czech TV. The singer beat out competitors such as s L.B.P., Iva Fruhlingová, and hip hop group Gipsy.cz. Last year marked the first time the Czech Republic took part in the Eurovision competition, with viewers sending hard rockers Kabát to Finland. The group, with a particular brand of grinding guitar and vocals, did not make it past the semi-final stage.
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01/27/2008
The NHL has confirmed that the New York Rangers and the Tampa Bay Lightening will start their 2008/09 seasons in the Czech Republic, playing back-to-back games in Prague. The news was announced by National Hockey League Commissioner Gary Bettman on Saturday. Mr Bettman expressed satisfaction that hockey fans abroad would be able to see the NHL game up close. The New York Rangers are home to a number of well-known Czech players, including star forward Jaromír Jágr. The Prague games, which will take place on October 4 and 5 at Sazka Arena, are not the only ones scheduled in Europe: on the same days the Ottawa Senators will face the Pittsburgh Penguins in Stockholm.
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01/27/2008
Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Tomáš Kaberle helped Eastern Conference All-Stars defeat the West in the National Hockey League’s Superskills competition in Atlanta on Saturday. Kaberle won the Most Accurate Shooter category, hitting all four targets in the first round. In doing so he matching the accuracy standard set by defenseman Ray Bourque in 1992 and 1993, equalled by Mark Messier in 1996 and Jeremy Roenick in 2004. In all, Kaberle hit eight of nine targets, making him the league’s top “sharpshooter”.
Sunday will see the All-Star Game between the Eastern and Western Conferences take place and Kaberle but also Czech goalie Tomáš Vokoun are on the roster.
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01/27/2008
English Premiership side Portsmouth have completed a loan signing Milan Baroš from Lyon for the rest of the football season. The Czech Republic international had struggled at Lyon, hoping to see more of the pitch ahead of Euro 2008. The former Liverpool and Aston Villa striker is expected to play his first match for Portsmouth against Manchester United on Wednesday.
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