News

A Prague district court has rejected the complaint by 51-year-old economist Marie Causevicova against her employer, the Prazska teplarenska heating utility, in which she accused her former employer of discrimination against her on the basis of gender. The court did not support her demand for public apology in the media and financial compensation. In what is probably the first gender discrimination case on the Czech labour market, Ms Causevicova accused the company of unequal treatment in the selection of a candidate for the post of financial director. The post went to a man who Ms Causevicova says was less qualified than her. Ms Causevicova has appealed against the verdict.

President Vaclav Klaus has met his Mongolian counterpart Nambaryn Enchbayar in Ulaanbaatar to discuss amongst others the Czech development aid to Mongolia. President Klaus' three day visit to Mongolia is part of his 12-day Asian tour which started in the Russian city of Omsk and will continue on to China, Vietnam and Singapore. The President is accompanied by his wife, Livia, and about 40 representatives of Czech firms looking to do business in Asia. The trip is one of the most extensive that Mr. Klaus has undertaken as President. He is expected to return to Prague on October 5.

Austrian opponents of the Temelin nuclear power plant have threatened with repeated blockades of the Czech-Austrian border in case the plant has another defect. About 20 activists gathered on Monday near the Wullowitz-Dolni Dvoriste border crossing. The Austrians blocked the border about half a year ago for the last time. The Upper Austrian activists accused Austrian Chancellor Wolfgang Schuessel of failing to push through adequate safety measures in Temelin, about 60 km away from the Austrian border. The opponents of Temelin say the plant is unsafe because it combines the original Soviet design with western operating technology.

The Czech capital, Prague, is in its second day of a high-alert security watch. Special security measures were enacted at 4am on Saturday, after an extraordinary session of the Czech cabinet decided to increase security measures in the capital city because of a possible terrorist threat. Prague's Ruzyne airport has implemented what are being described as "massive security measures," though no flights have been cancelled. The city centre and other possible targets are also being patrolled by additional specialized police units, and the police chief says that there is no need to call for the army's assistance at this time. Surveillance in the city is assisted by 1100 cameras, 600 of which are in the metro system. Czech Interior Minister Ivan Langer has stressed that it is the first time that the Czech Republic faces such a concrete threat.

The daily Pravo's on-line service, Novinky, reports that the terrorist threat is related to the Jewish New Year, and that Prague's Jewish district of Josefov likely faces the most serious threat. Speaking at a press conference, Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek said that he would neither deny nor confirm the reports. Authorities have said that the situation in the Czech capital is connected to Friday's developments in Norway, where four men were arrested and police are said to have uncovered a terrorist plot to bomb the Israeli and American embassies in Norway.