Daily news summary

Social housing bill should be passed by government: Jiří Dienstbier

Minister for Human Rights, Jiří Dienstbier, has said a new bill on social housing should be passed during the current government’s term. The comments to the Czech News Agency follow delays to the proposed law which was originally destined to be in place at the start of 2017. A half year delay to that target has already been announced and the prime minister’s main advisor, Vladimír Špidla, has suggest another similar delay is probably in the pipeline. The bill would aim to make emergency, social, and cheap housing available to those with below average incomes.

Differences in Czech health sector earnings widen: report

Differences i n earnings of doctors and nursing sisters in state-run hospitals and those run by regions or privately are increasing, according to a report by Czech Television citing the latest survey results. Pay levels in university teaching hospitals for both doctors and nurses are on average around 10 percent higher, according to the report. Around five years ago the differences were minimal. Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka has pledged to harmonise pay in the health sector but the health ministry has itself admitted that there is no easy formula to achieve that.

Green light given for massive state data centre

Approval has been given for the construction of a new data centre for the Czech government which will store some of its most sensitive details about citizens and tax payments. The project has a budget of around 280 million crowns with the new centre located on eastern outskirts of Prague. Construction should start in mid 2017. Some of the data stored will include that from electronic cash registers, the flagship project of the Ministry of Finance to counter tax evasion. The new centre was first proposed in 2008.

Biologist and philosopher Zdeněk Neubauer dies aged 74

Biologist and philosopher Zdeněk Neubauer has died at the age of 75, the Václav Havel Library announced on Wednesday. Neubauer, a former dissident, was a close friend of the playwright and former Czech president. He was awarded the Vision 97 prize by the foundation created by Václav and Dagmar Havel and was also a winner of the Tom Stoppard prize for his essays. Zdeněk Neubauer’s career as a scientist was interrupted by the ‘nomalisation’ after 1968. He returned to Prague’s Charles University after the Velvet Revolutuion of November 1989.

Support for registered partnerships increases: survey

Support for registered partnerships for homosexual and lesbian couples has increased in the Czech Republic over the past two years according to a survey by the Median agency for Czech Radio. It found 68 percent of respondents in favour of such partnerships, which have been legally possible since 2006. That is an advance from the 55 percent support recorded in 2012. But society appears evenly split on whether such couples should be able to adopt children with 48 percent in favour and the same total against according to the latest survey.

Ladislav Krejčí close to signing for Bologna: report

In football, Sparta Prague midfielder Ladislav Krejčí is close to signing for Italian top league team Bologna, according to Sky Sport Italia. The broadcaster said Krejčí is currently undergoing a medical with a 108 million crown price tag for his transfer agreed. Italy would be the first foreign engagement for the player who has been part of Sparta’s first team since 2010. Last season, Bologna finished four points above the relegation zone in Serie A.

Czechs face Japan in crucial Olympic qualification tie

In basketball, the Czech men’s team have to beat Japan in a tournament in Belgrade to keep alive their hope of Olympic qualification in Rio this summer. The Japan encounter is now a last hope match for the Czechs after they lost to Latvia 59:71 in their previous encounter. The Latvians already top Group B after two victories. The tie against Japan will be played on Wednesday night.