Insight Central Europe News
Polish-Russian tensions continue after assaults
Relations between Poland and Russia remain tense, after a series of assaults. Several Polish diplomats and a Polish journalist were beaten in Moscow, a few days after a number of young Russian citizens in Warsaw were beaten by skinheads. The Polish President Aleksander Kwasniewski has appealed to the Russian authorities to punish the perpetrators of what have been seen as revenge attacks. Previously the Russian President Vladimir Putin had called for an official Polish apology for the initial incident.
Czech police still under fire after violent clashes
An Interior Ministry investigation has begun in the Czech Republic into police officers who may have broken the law when they used force to end an open-air techno music party at the end of July. Four officers, who are captured on video kicking and beating participants, have been suspended, pending the outcome. Over a hundred people were injured on both sides after riot police used water cannon and tear gas to disperse a crowd of around 5,000.
Battle for the Polish presidency heats up
Opinion polls suggest that Poland's presidential elections in October could be a close race. The lead of the main left-of centre candidate, Wlodzimierz Cimoszewicz appears to have evaporated, as the campaign of right-of-centre Donald Tusk gains momentum. Both are ahead of the conservative mayor of Warsaw Lech Kaszynski. Surveys suggest that Tusk, who leads the centre-right Civic Platform, is successfully winning the middle ground.
Slovenian climber rescued in Pakistan
Army helicopters plucked a stranded Slovenian climber from one of Pakistan's highest and most dangerous mountains on Wednesday in a daring helicopter rescue. Two helicopters managed to winch Tomaz Humar off an icy ledge high on Nangar Parbat mountain in the Pakistani Himalayas, the world's ninth highest peak. The climber was unhurt.
Austrian customs seize contraband cigarettes
Austrian customs have seized 1.8 million smuggled cigarettes in the east of the country. The finance ministry announced on Wednesday that a special customs unit found the contraband after searching a truck in the Burgenland province. The province borders Hungary, Slovakia and Slovenia. Contraband cigarettes are thought to amount to over 10 percent of the Austrian market.
Slovakia to end secrecy over local government salaries
Slovakia's Justice Ministry has proposed a bill to make the salaries of mayors public. The Justice Minister, Daniel Lipsic said that if someone is paid from taxpayers' money, the public has the right to know how much they are paid. The proposal comes after a number of local government corruption scandals.
