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October 3rd, 2007 | Current Issue

Show of solidarity
Czech groups rally in support of change in Burma

Klaus meets Cheney in Utah
Speech to Christian conservatives chides climate-change theories

Corruption levels on the decrease
Yet survey says bureaucracy, enforcement are barriers

Policymakers debate EU presidency priority
Reforming markets tops agenda, but controversy lingers

Drug use debate lights up
Penalties for marijuana and magic mushroom growers may drop

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BRIEFS


UKRAINE After delays in the announcement of parliamentary election results, Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko demanded an urgent investigation Oct. 2 into the vote-counting of the Sept. 30 election, according to the BBC. The demand came as the combined votes of Yushchenko and opposition leader Yulia Tymoshenko’s West-leaning parties outnumbered Russia-leaning Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovich.

AUSTRIA Police arrested a Bosnian who attempted to smuggle a bag of explosives to a U.S. Embassy in Vienna Oct. 1, the International Herald Tribune reported. Police said the bag contained grenadelike devices, nails and a book referring to Islam. No one was injured during the incident.
RUSSIA President Vladimir Putin said Oct. 1 that he will run for Parliament, and suggested he may become prime minister, according to The New York Times. The previous day, former chess champion Garry Kasparov entered the presidential race as a candidate from a group opposed to Putin, who by law must step down after serving two terms. The election is next March.
CROATIA Former Serbian colonel Mile Mrkšić was sentenced to 20 years in prison Sept. 28 for participating in a 1991 massacre in Vukovar, eastern Croatia. The United Nations war crimes tribunal in The Hague said he was involved in the mass execution of more than 250 Croatian fighters and civilians.
GERMANY  The U.S. military opened its new command covering Africa, called Africom, Oct. 1 on a U.S. base in Stuttgart, the Associated Press reported. It is being created to help African forces combat terrorism and regional crises. The United States is trying to find a permanent location in Africa for the command.

HEPATITIS Domestic cases of hepatitis C rose by 200 last year, the Czech Health Institute announced Oct. 1. Experts from the Czech Hepatology Society say hepatitis C cases are underreported, according to the Czech News Agency (ČTK). The disease, which may cause liver cirrhosis, is most frequently spread through shared needles.
CORRUPTION The national organized crime police squad (ÚOOZ) compiled a new report on the penetration of crime in the government, commercial station TV Nova reported Oct. 1. The report, which points to the corruption of MP František Bublan, follows an ÚOOZ project that discredited the Social Democratic Party prior to the 2006 government elections.
FRAUD Ten people, including former Deputy Regional Development Minister Petr Forman, were charged with laundering millions of crowns from EU subsidies, ČTK reports. Forman denied the charge, which carries up to 12 years in prison, Oct. 1.  Court files say the group tried to enrich themselves with 229 million Kč from 2002 to 2005.
CRACKDOWN Police checked 5,253 foreigners Oct. 1 as part of a program designed to uncover illegal immigrants, ČTK reports. Expulsion proceedings are under way for 12 foreigners. The operation was in preparation for the country’s inclusion in the Schengen zone next year.
SECURITY The cost of the Czech Republic’s possible membership in the UN Security Council will reach several millions of crowns, Foreign Affairs Minister Karel Schwarzenberg announced Sept. 28. After meeting with representatives from the UN General Council, Schwarzenberg said he was confident the country will beat out rival Croatia in the Oct. 16 elections, according to ČTK.
TRAFFIC A group of experts appointed Oct. 1 by Transportation Minister Aleš Řebíček will draft a new traffic bill by June 2008, according to government spokesmen. The 32-member panel will discuss new traffic regulations and reform the points system and fines for traffic violations.
HEALTH A study released Oct. 1 finds that Czechs have a higher rate of cancer and heart and liver disease than do residents of neighboring countries. The Facts on Czech Health Care report commissioned by the government says that excessive alcohol and nicotine consumption, as well as a high rate of obesity, is likely to blame for the high rates, ČTK reports.
FARE HIKE The price of a tram and metro ticket is expected to rise next year if the city council approves a plan this month put forth by the Prague Public Transport Company that calls for single-use tickets to rise from 20 Kč ($1) to 30 Kč and yearly passes to go from 4,150 to 5,200 Kč, Hospodářské noviny reports.

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