• Lower house approves bill on compulsory purchase of land
    12/20/2005

    Czech MPs have also approved a bill on compulsory purchase of land for projects in the public interest. This should give the state an instrument to speed up construction of major infrastructure projects, such as roads and railways. The bill has to go before the Senate and be signed by the President.
    Author: Pavla Horáková

  • President signs tax reduction law
    12/20/2005

    President Vaclav Klaus has signed a law reducing income tax rates on low and medium incomes. As of next year, people who earn less than 20,000 crowns (830 dollars) a month will save some 4,000 crowns a year. For people with salaries below 30,000 crowns a month, taxes will be reduced by almost 3,000 crowns a year.
    Author: Pavla Horáková

  • Czech foreign minister discusses Putin visit in Moscow
    12/20/2005

    The Czech foreign minister, Cyril Svoboda, met senior officials, including his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov in Moscow on Tuesday. Plans for the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, to visit Prague were one of the main items on the agenda. However, speculation that President Putin, who has not visited the Czech Republic in his post, would come to Prague at the beginning of next year was not confirmed. Minister Svoboda and his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov agreed that relations between the Czech Republic and Russia were good.

    On Monday Foreign Minister Svoboda opened a new embassy in the capital of Moldova, Chisenau. Previously, the Czech Embassy in the neighbouring state of Romania was responsible for Czech diplomatic relations in the former Soviet state.
    Author: Pavla Horáková

  • Constitutional Court rules some restitution claims can be made after deadline
    12/20/2005

    The Constitutional Court has ruled that some claims for the return of property confiscated under communism can be made after the end of this year. Both direct restituents and their heirs will be able to make restitution claims after December 31st, which had been set as the final cut-off date. Last month the Social Democrats and the Communist Party voted against a bill to extend the date until the end of 2009.
    Author: Pavla Horáková

  • Lower house approves scholarships for students from poor families
    12/20/2005

    The lower house has approved an amendment to the law on university education introducing scholarships for students from low-income families. Under the law, some 13,000 students could be paid 1,600 crowns (65 dollars) a month. The amendment had been passed by the Senate earlier and it only remains to be signed by the President.
    Author: Pavla Horáková

  • Pope Benedict XVI to visit Prague in September
    12/20/2005

    Cardinal Miloslav Vlk has said that Pope Benedict XVI might visit the Czech Republic in September next year when he is due to travel to his native German state of Bavaria. Cardinal Vlk had invited the Pope during his last month's trip to the Vatican. The Pope's visit was also discussed by President Vaclav Klaus and the Papal Nuncio to the Czech Republic Diego Causero during their meeting on Tuesday.
    Author: Pavla Horáková

  • Paroubek cancels Israel trip
    12/19/2005

    The Czech prime minister, Jiri Paroubek, was forced to cancel a two-day official visit to Israel when his Israeli counterpart, Ariel Sharon, was taken to hospital after suffering a minor stroke. Mr Paroubek, who was due to leave early on Monday morning, had also planned to meet Israel's president, Moshe Katsav, and present the latest Czech made Skoda car on the local market. The visit will be rescheduled, the prime minister's spokesperson said.
    Author: Ian Willoughby

  • Czech Republic grants asylum to 15 from Uzbekistan
    12/19/2005

    The Czech Republic has granted asylum to 15 people from Uzbekistan at the request of the United Nations refugee agency, the UNHCR. The 15 had to leave Uzbekistan after taking part in an anti-government demonstration in the country in May.

    Meanwhile, the Czech foreign minister, Cyril Svoboda, has opened a new embassy in the capital of Moldova, Chisenau. Previously, the Czech Embassy in the neighbouring state of Romania was responsible for Czech diplomatic relations in the former Soviet state.
    Author: Ian Willoughby

  • Civic Democrats still ahead in polls
    12/19/2005

    The Civic Democrats remain the most popular political party, suggests an opinion poll released on Monday by the STEM agency. The right-of-centre would take 31 percent if elections were held now, followed by the governing Social Democrats on 26 percent. Fourteen percent of those polled said they would vote for the Communist Party. Fifty-one percent said they would cast their ballots.
    Author: Ian Willoughby

  • One year after birth, tests prove first gorilla born in Czech Republic is male
    12/19/2005

    It's a boy! DNA tests have proven that the first gorilla born in the Czech Republic is male. When the gorilla, named Moja, was born in December last year keepers at Prague Zoo believed it was female, but doubts later arose over the primate's gender. Moja and four other gorillas are currently to be seen around the clock on the internet in a gentle parody of "reality" TV programmes.
    Author: Ian Willoughby

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