Last Friday Aktuálně.cz reported ČSSD leader Jiří Paroubek’s seemingly xenophobic statements regarding foreign workers in the Czech Republic: “They’ll stay, learn the language, have children and then there’ll be an ethnic problem.” “They advise me to emigrate,” Supreme Audit Office head František Dohnal said of his family’s advice regarding an investigation into his use of state money. Two Russian diplomats were quietly deported from the Czech Republic on suspicion of spying, the media reported. In retaliation, Russia sent two Czech diplomats home.
>>>The Constitutional Court on Wednesday acknowledged a complaint filed by a convicted murderer Albert Žirovnický that second-hand smoke was damaging his health in prison, Lidové noviny wrote. The daily also reported that Czech doctors are calling for limits on the amount of trans-fats in food, which are believed to cause serious health problems. Scientists from the Institute of Inherited Metabolic Disorders at Charles University believe they have found the genetic cause of a rare hereditary kidney disease. A poll conducted by the Czech Association of Nurses’ shows that only one-third of nurses received a promised salary increase in June and July of this year, ČTK reported Wednesday.
>>>Eight thousand Facebook users will present ČSSD leader Jiří Paroubek with a pair of virtual slippers to encourage him to retire. Lidové noviny journalist Ondřej Pohl suggests Facebook users considering friending another user ask themselves: “Would you invite this person into your home?” “I don’t like Jiří Paroubek,” Mladá fronta Dnes quoted former President Václav Havel as saying.
>>>On Saturday Czech Radio reported Finance Minister Eduard Janota’s call for significant cuts to public spending. “Potential cuts … will be reflected in the budgets of regional schools,” Education Ministry spokeswoman Kateřina Böhmová told Právo. Three of four neo-Nazis charged with attempted murder for an attack in April on a Romani family are reportedly classmates from primary school in Horní Benešov, press reported.
>>>Zdeněk Mařík made a suicidal man standing on a window ledge a better offer: “I told him to knock it off and come for a beer instead.” Czech beer drinkers prefer to stay at home and drink 11-degree beer, according to statistics published by the Czech Beer and Malt Association. Mladá fronta Dnes reported that 53% of Czech men between 18 and 30 still live with their parents.
>>>Škoda Auto on Tuesday launched sale of the Superb in China under the name Superb Hao Rui, E15 wrote. Czechs will send the Charles Bridge statue of Jan Nepomuk to Shanghai as part of the country’s involvement in Expo 2010. The Dalai Lama will speak at Prague conference in September on democracy and human rights in Asia.
>>>Ratings agency Moody’s on Monday demoted ČSOB, Česká spořitelna and Komerční banka from Aa3 to A1. President Václav Klaus signed an amendment to the banking law that will let the state take over banks is dire financial straits.
>>>Defending champion Barbora Špotáková managed a 66.42-metre javelin toss and won second place at the World Championships in Berlin, behind 37-year-old German Steffi Nerius. Air France-KLM withdrew its bid to buy Czech Airlines.
