• Czech Rep bans imports of exotic birds from non-EU countries
    10/31/2005

    The Czech Republic will - with minor exceptions - ban imports of exotic birds from countries that are not EU members, to reduce the danger of the spread of bird flu. The Czech Agriculture Minister Petr Zgarba said on Monday that the measure was in harmony with a European Commission directive. The ban concerns primarily commercial imports, while individuals will be allowed to bring small number of birds - less than five - into the country. All these imports will have to be made via Prague's Ruzyne international airport. Birds will be kept in quarantine for 30 days or have to be vaccinated or checked for the bird flu virus.

    The import restrictions are expected to be kept in place for at least six months.
    Author: Jan Velinger

  • Czech filmmaker Menzel to attend screenings in Switzerland
    10/31/2005

    Czech filmmaker Jiri Menzel - the director of such films as the Oscar-winning "Closely Watched Trains" - is to attend upcoming screenings of his work in Switzerland. On November 1st Zurich will see a retrospective of the director's work, while Menzel's "Capricious Summer" will be one of the films screened at an international music festival in Basel this week. Mr Menzel who also works in the theatre, directed theatre productions in both Zurich and Basel in the past.
    Author: Jan Velinger

  • Opposition Civic Democrats to support government income tax bill
    10/30/2005

    The opposition right-of-centre Civic Democrats will support the government's proposal to lower the income tax. In a TV discussion programme on Sunday, Civic Democrat Vlastimil Tlusty said party deputies will vote in favour of the bill at Tuesday's lower house session. The Civic Democrats have been blocking the proposal as it only affects those with a monthly wage of up to 30,000 Czech crowns (around 1,200 US dollars); an estimated four million people. They have instead been pushing for a flat tax rate of 15 percent to include those with higher incomes. Mr Tlusty says his party has not had a change of heart but simply realises that lowered taxes for some is better than for none.
    Author: Dita Asiedu

  • Number of diabetes patients increases twofold in only two decades
    10/30/2005

    The number of Czechs with diabetes that is caused by excess weight has doubled in the last two decades. Of the country's population of ten million, some 750,000 suffer from "Type 2 diabetes", which is not treated with insulin but rather by dietary changes, exercise, and tablets. Experts warn ever more Czechs are inactive, have a poor diet, and suffer from high blood pressure.
    Author: Dita Asiedu

  • Deputy Health Minister Rath to oversee hospital care
    10/30/2005

    Deputy Health Minister David Rath has declared war on those hospitals, which fail to provide proper care for in-patients. The director of the largest state-owned insurance company, VZP, is expected to present him with a list of up to forty of the country's worst offenders, Mr Rath said in a TV discussion programme on Sunday. A commission of experts will evaluate the hospitals and the worst cases will be fined or even closed down. This is part of a health ministry effort to lower the 11 billion crown (some 450 million US dollars) health insurance debt and improve overall health care.
    Author: Dita Asiedu

  • Ten people injured in coach accident
    10/30/2005

    Ten people were injured, one seriously, when a bus carrying Greek tourists collided with a car near Rakovnik, around 50 kilometres west of Prague, on Saturday evening. A woman who suffered life-threatening injuries was airlifted to Prague's Motol hospital. Other injured were taken to a local hospital. Police are investigating the cause of the accident.
    Author: Dita Asiedu

  • Czech TV clear winner at Elsa television awards ceremony
    10/30/2005

    The Czech Film and Television Academy's Elsa Television Awards were held at Prague's Lucerna Ballroom on Saturday night. With the exception of commercial TV Nova's investigative programme Na Vlastni Oci, all awards went to productions by the public broadcaster Czech TV. Among Elsa winners were feature film In Nomine Patris (Best Film), actor Viktor Preiss (Best Actor), actress Vilma Cibulkova (Best Actress), film director Jaromir Polisensky (Best Director), and screen writer Jan Drbohlav (Best Screenplay).

    The two main commercial stations, TV Nova and TV Prima boycotted the ceremony, protesting against the Film and Television Academy's selection procedure; the Academy had not considered the Czech Pop Idol and reality shows, for example, for awards.
    Author: Dita Asiedu

  • President's anniversary address under fire
    10/29/2005

    The Czech President, Vaclav Klaus, is facing criticism from a number of politicians, who say Friday's address marking the 87th anniversary of the foundation of Czechoslovakia was too political. Besides stressing that Czechs should value their independence, President Klaus warned of European integration and EU rules and regulations.

    To Prime Minister Jiri Paroubek such anti-EU sentiment was misplaced as it is not shared by the majority of Czech citizens. The Communist Party's Pavel Kovacik believes the President took the opportunity to use the address as a pre-election speech - the general elections are to be held next year and the chances of a victory for the opposition right-of-centre Civic Democrats, which Mr Klaus founded, look promising. Most of the leading Czech press also criticised the presidential address, saying that Tomas Garrigue Masaryk, the first Czechoslovak president, would have supported European integration.
    Author: Dita Asiedu

  • Prime Minister Paroubek hopes to come to compromise over St. Vitus Cathedral
    10/29/2005

    Czech Prime Minister Jiri Paroubek met with Cardinal Miloslav Vlk on Friday evening in hopes of ending a 13 year long dispute between the Catholic Church and the state. Both claim to be the rightful owners of St. Vitus' Cathedral, one of Prague's main landmarks. Last week, a Prague district court ruled in favour of the church but the state plans to appeal the verdict.

    The two-hour meeting between the prime minister and the cardinal failed to produce a compromise solution. Mr Paroubek proposed the Church declare the Cathedral is owned by the Czech nation but plays an important role in its management. The Catholic Church on the other hand recognised St Vitus' Cathedral as part of the cultural heritage of the Czech state and a symbol of Czech nationhood but insisted ownership rights be decided by a court.
    Author: Dita Asiedu

  • Czech reception dubbed counter-revolutionary by Cuban authorities
    10/29/2005

    A reception organised in Havana to celebrate the anniversary of the founding of independent Czechoslovakia had to be relocated to the Czech Ambassador's residence, the AFP news agency reported. The event, which initially was to be held in a luxurious hotel, was dubbed as counter-revolutionary because it was attended by wives and close friends of Cuban political prisoners. Hotel management refused to host the event following orders from the Cuban authorities.
    Author: Dita Asiedu

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