News

Prague and Plzeň celebrate Czech uprising and liberation

A number of ceremonies in Prague taking place throughout Sunday commemorated the 68th anniversary of the Czech uprising against the Nazi occupation at the end of World War Two. Defense Minister Vlastimil Picek and Prague mayor Bohuslav Svoboda attended a remembrance ceremony for those who died during the uprising, which was started by the Czech resistance on May 5th, 1945. President Miloš Zeman and top-level politicians attended the traditional ceremony in front of the main Czech Radio building on Vinohradská street, where the first conflict between the German SS units and members of the resistance and Czech police took place and 89 people died during the fighting. The Czech Radio broadcast on May 5 calling for Czechs to defend Prague is said to have set-off the uprising.

Celebrations in the west Bohemian Plzeň marking the anniversary of its liberation by American troops on May 6, 1945 have been taking place since Friday. On Sunday, Plzeň is hosting a traditional procession of historical military vehicles, gatherings of war veterans and re-enactments of military life during World War Two.

Duka delivers Mass for media

Cardinal Domink Duka led a Mass at the St. Vitus Cathedral at Prague Castle on Sunday dedicated to mass media, on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the beginning of television broadcasting in Czechoslovakia. In his sermon, Cardinal Duka expressed his hope that television programs would always be truthful and would not fall victim to external pressures. The director of Czech Television, Petr Dvořák, and other leading personalities from the public television broadcaster attended the Sunday Mass.

Drabek defends S-Cards

Former labour and social affairs minister Jaromír Drábek (TOP 09) said on the Sunday television talk show Partie on Prima Family channel that those who want to discontinue the current S-Card social benefits payment scheme should pay for the loses this will cost the state. Mr Drábek, who introduced the new system last year, said it will save the state up to three billion crowns in the next 12 years, which is the duration of the current contract between the ministry and the Česká spořitelna bank that is administering distribution of welfare payments through the S-Card. Prime Minister Petr Nečas called on the current Labour Minister Ludmilla Mullerová (TOP 09) to terminate the highly criticized scheme last week, and the cabinet rejected a proposal to maintain the S-Card system on Thursday.

Hasenkopf hands over amnesty evidence to Castle

A former advisor to former president Václav Klaus, Pavel Hasenkopf, said that he handed over evidence of who authored the New Year’s presidential amnesty to the current president’s office. The lawyer, who claimed last week that the Justice Ministry took part in putting the text of the amnesty together, said on the Questions of Václav Moravec Sunday talk show that it is now up to President Miloš Zeman to reveal the true authors of the controversial amnesty. He also wants Mr Zeman’s chancellor, Vratislav Mynář, to apologize for naming him as one of the authors. Former president Klaus told the Právo daily on Saturday that he is the sole author of the text of the amnesty.

Jižní spojka to reopen after bridge demolition

The southern part of the Prague city ring road, Jižní spojka, will reopen on Sunday at 3 p.m., after demolition crews removed a bridge that passed above the expressway on Saturday. The road was closed starting on Friday evening, though Prague police said it didn’t result in any major traffic problems. A new bridge will be constructed in the same location in the next few months. Only partial road closings are expected on Jižní spojka for the duration of the construction works.

Man dies after tram accident in Prague

A yet unidentified man was hit by a tram on Saturday night in Prague’s Vršovice district. The heavily inebriated man was brought to the hospital in an ambulance with a serious head wound, but he succumbed to his injuries later during the night. Since the man had no identification on him, the police is asking the public for any information as they investigate the accident.

Czechs lose to Swedes 2:0 in second game

In their second game at this year’s Ice Hockey World Championship the Czech national team lost to the Swedes 2:1. Swedes got in the first goal in the 10th minute, right after the end of their first power-play, and brought the score up to 2:0, 13 minutes later. Half-way into the game Jiří Hudler scored the only goal for the visitors, but the Czechs were unable to even out the score before the end of the game. The Czech team will face Switzerland on Monday.

Weather

Upcoming days should be sunny to partly cloudy, with some storm activity and possible rain showers. Daytime temperatures will hold at around 20 to 22 degrees Celsius.