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December 4th, 2008
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December 26th, 2007 | Current Issue

Off the beat
As more city officers leave the force police reforms get under way

Church state sign historic deal
Agreement settles question of nationalized properties

Pollution blamed in 12400 deaths
New ministry report cites coal heat and vehicle emissions

Amendment could tighten residency requirements
Laws regarding marriage and language skills get tougher

TRANSITUPDATE

Party seeks to restore monarchy
Koruna Ćeská would rebuild the ancient Czech Kingdom

Czech railway system gets an overhaul
Changes mean more routes higher tariffs and no smoking

Holiday blues bring a chill to many expats
Counselors see a rise in foreign clients at the end of the year

PUBLIC SERVICE SECTION
Women of different nationalities help people in need in the Czech Republic

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BRIEFS


ABANDONED Doctors say a newborn infant who was found in a dustbin by a homeless man last week does not yet show symptoms of brain or nerve defects the Czech News Agency (ČTK) reported. The baby boy who weighed 3.73 kilograms (8.22 pounds) when he arrived at Tomayer Hospital was suffering extreme exposure and placed in an incubator. More tests are needed to determine the infant’s overall health.

DISFAVOR Nearly one in two Czech secondary-school students are in favor of sending Roma children to special schools according to a poll published by the organization People in Need Dec. 17. The poll’s 1685 respondents also expressed negative feelings toward prisoners prostitutes and homeless people ČTK reported. They expressed a positive attitude however toward black people seniors and those living with disabilities.
BORDERS Days ahead of the new Schengen status taking effect a joint Czech-German police center began operating on the Petrovice-Bahratal border crossing Dec. 17 to coordinate both countries’ police work ČTK reported. Another center in Schwandorf Bavaria will follow. Centers have also started operating on the Czech borders with Poland and Austria.
RIVALRY The country’s female politicians experience strong same-sex rivalry in their positions a recent poll by Forum 50% a civic association has found. Poll results indicated that female members of parliament feel they cannot rely on help from other women politicians the online news server Aktualne.cz reported.
COURTS State attorneys and Czech district court judges are unable to handle complex cases says an organized crime police (UOOZ) report according to ČTK. The UOOZ is calling for a law under which cases dealing with issues such as people trafficking and procurement will be dealt with in higher-level courts.

UK British forces officially handed over control of the Basra region to the Iraqi government Dec. 16. Basra was the last area under the control of the British who joined the U.S.-led invasion in 2003. Basra holds most of Iraq’s proven petroleum reserves according to The New York Times (NYT).

RUSSIA President Vladimir Putin announced Dec. 17 that he will assume the role of prime minister if United Russia Party candidate Dmitry Medvedev wins the March presidential election the BBC reported. Mr. Medvedev is expected to win predominantly due to Mr. Putin’s support and popularity.
FRANCE French Journalist Gwen Le Gouil was abducted by gunmen in the Puntland region of Somalia Dec. 16 while researching a story on human trafficking the BBC reported. Puntland officials have said Le Gouil is “safe” and his abductors are demanding a ransom of £35000 ($70000).
SWITZERLAND The far-right Swiss People’s Party withdrew from the government coalition ending almost 50 years of consensus government Dec. 13 after their leader Christoph Blocher was ousted from the Federal Council the previous day according to the NYT.
EU Leaders from the 27 European Union countries signed a treaty Dec. 13 that changes the presidential post from a rotating six-month system to a position held for two and a half years The New York Times reported. The new treaty also allows for some decisions to be made by majority vote instead of unanimity. It would need to be ratified by all members.
SPAIN A bomb exploded in northern Spain Dec. 16 two days after Basque separatists announced that they would continue to fight Spanish rule according to a Reuters report. The separatists called police to warn about the explosion which later happened outside of a courthouse but did not cause any injuries.
THE NETHERLANDS Amsterdam Mayor Job Cohen announced Dec. 17 plans to clean up the city’s red light district by clamping down on organized criminals Reuters reported. The decision is intended to fight activities such as human trafficking money laundering and drug abuse.
RUSSIA A first shipment of nuclear fuel left Russia Dec. 16 for a power plant at Bushehr in Iran according to the NYT. Iran claims the power plant is part of a civilian nuclear program. Critics however suspect Tehran of developing a nuclear bomb.
TURKEY Catholic priest Andriano Franchini was stabbed Dec. 16 after celebrating a mass in the city of Izmir The International Herald Tribune reported. An unidentified suspect was detained. The attack is believed to be the latest in a series of affronts against Christians in the predominantly Muslim country.
UK British Prime Minister Gordon Brown’s government announced Dec. 17 that a contractor had lost the personal information of 3 million learner drivers Reuters reported. The incident comes shortly after the government admitted it had lost the names and bank account details of 25 million citizens in November.
UKRAINE Yulia Tymoshenko was restored as prime minister Dec. 18 after winning 226 votes the exact number required in parliament. Tymoshenko a leading figure in the 2004 “Orange Revolution” pledged to move Ukraine closer to the West and seek European Union membership according to a Reuters report.

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