News

Humanitarian aid to Romania

The Czech Republic is sending humanitarian aid to flood devastated Romania. Bottled water, food and hygiene products as well as electric power generators are being dispatched to various parts of the country. A number of charity organizations, including ADRA and the Czech Catholic Charity have opened accounts to which the Czech public can contribute. The authorities are ascertaining what form of assistance the country needs most.

Mixed reactions to President Klaus' vision of a future Europe

There have been mixed reactions to President Klaus' vision of a future Europe. The president outlined his own vision for the old continent in Saturday's edition of Lidove Noviny, depicting an Organization of European States, which would benefit by free trade and movement of capital and labour but not be restricted in their sovereignty. Members of the coalition government said that the president's concept would mean turning back the clock by 20 years which would not be to Europe's advantage. On the other hand, a senior communist official liked the idea of losing less sovereignty to Brussels and said that he too considered European citizenship to be an "artificial product".

Plane crash

An engine powered glider crashed near Tabor, southern Bohemia, on Saturday, killing the pilot and severely injuring a young woman passenger. Just before the crash the pilot reported engine failure and said he was going to attempt an emergency landing. A team of experts are investigating the cause of the accident.

Police break up skinhead concert

The police broke up a concert of some 200 skinheads in the Libava Valley on Saturday night. One of the skinheads, a Ukrainian national, was briefly detained for questioning. The event was curtailed on suspicion that it was spreading a racist ideology. The police say they are analyzing a recording of the concert.

Mass grave uncovered

A mass grave containing the remains of German prisoners of war has been discovered in the Czech Republic. The grave, containing the remains of 55 men, was found near Drazenov, close to the city of Plzen. The search for the graves of German soldiers was instigated by the German government at the request of the families of German soldiers who went missing during the war. The remains have been excavated and are now being examined by German experts who will try to identify them.

Weather:

Monday is expected to be an exceptionally hot day with clear skies and temperatures between 27 and 31 degrees Celsius.