News
Government hoping to buy and remove pig farm standing on site of former concentration camp
The Czech Government is hoping to remove a controversial pig farm in South Bohemia that stands on the site of a former concentration camp by buying it off its owners. During WWII, over one thousand Roma were interned in the Czech-run camp and 326 - many of them children - died under inhumane conditions. The operation of the pig farm, which has stood on the site since the 1970s has been criticised by many, including the European Parliament in an April resolution against the discrimination of the Roma.
Zaoralek: North Korea denies reports of nuclear test plans
North Korean officials denied reports that the communist regime was preparing to conduct a nuclear test, the speaker of the lower house of the Czech Parliament, Lubomir Zaoralek, said on Wednesday. Mr Zaoralek, who visited both North and South Korea this week, said North Korean officials have dismissed the reports and labelled them an attempt by Washington to isolate the communist state.
Czech Senate committee proposes to simplify road to early elections
The Czech Senate has been presented with a proposal to make it easier to dissolve the lower house of Parliament and call early elections in times of government crises. Under the current constitution, the President can only call early elections after a government has failed to get a vote of confidence three times in succession.
Czech singer Helena Vondrackova wins compensation and apology from tabloid paper
The Czech singer Helena Vondrackova has won a court case against the tabloid daily Blesk. The paper had printed an article in which it claimed that Mrs Vondrackova was unable to have children because of an abortion gone wrong a few years ago. The court has ordered the daily to print an apology on its front page and pay Mrs Vondrackova 250,000 Czech crowns (10,600 US dollars) in compensation.
Vaclav Kasik to head Czech Radio for another six-year term
The General Director of Czech Radio, Vaclav Kasik, has been elected for another six-year term. Mr Kasik, who stood against head of Czech Radio 1 - Radiozurnal Alexandr Picha and head of the Czech Radio Regina station, Richard Medek, has been in the post of general director since 1999. His second term begins on July 1.
Ice-hockey: Hadamczik to succeed Ruzicka as national team coach
Alois Hadamczik has been chosen to be the new head coach of the Czech national ice-hockey team. The 52-year old Hadamczik will succeed Vladimir Ruzicka, who, after leading the Czechs to a stunning victory at the World Championship in Austria, has chosen not to renew his contract with the national team so he can concentrate on his Czech elite league team, Slavia Prague. Alois Hadamczik is coach of the Czech junior national team, which won bronze at the World Championship in the United States in January.
Weather
The next few days should continue to have clear skies with day-time temperatures rising steadily from highs of 25 degrees Celsius to reach 32 degrees Celsius by the weekend.
