News of Radio Prague
Police report only minor incidents during May Day demonstrations
Police have reported only minor incidents during a series of May Day demonstrations by extremist groups. In the Czech Republic's second city of Brno, riot police clashed briefly with anarchist groups trying to disrupt a large demonstration by neo-Nazi skinheads. A spokesman said anarchists threw bottles and a petrol bomb at policemen, but there were no injuries. Meanwhile in Prague, a small group of far-right skinheads tried to disrupt an anarchist march through the city's Wenceslas Square, but again the two groups were kept apart by riot police.
Communist Party faithful gather on Letna plain
Meanwhile supporters of the Communist Party have gathered on Prague's Letna plain, for the party's annual rally. The head of the Communist Party, Miroslav Grebenicek, stressed the party's opposition to membership of NATO and the European Union, and warned of class struggle in the Czech Republic. The rally was attended by around ten thousand mostly elderly people.
Pravo: Czechoslovak agent planned to assassinate de Gaulle
Czech officials say they have found evidence that a Soviet-backed Czechoslovak secret agent plotted to assassinate French President Charles de Gaulle in the late 1960s. The Czech newspaper Pravo reported on Tuesday that investigators had unearthed evidence that the Communist agent planned to kill de Gaulle with a bomb during a trip to Lebanon in late 1968 or early 1969. The bomb was to be planted under a memorial to French troops near Beirut, but the French leader, who died in 1970, never made the journey. A spokesman for the investigation team said the goal of the assassination was to discredit the United States and Israel, and stir up more political trouble in the Middle East.
Zantovsky: U.S. condemns Czech decision to buy Gripens
The leader of the Senate's foreign affairs committee, Michael Zantovsky, has said the United States strongly opposes the decision by the Social Democrat government to buy 24 new jet fighters from the British-Swedish consortium BAE Systems-Saab. Mr Zantovsky, leader of the opposition Civic Democratic Alliance, said during a trip to New York that the U.S. Deputy Secretary of Defence Paul Wolfowitz had informed him the U.S. administration considered the purchase unnecessary. The United States pulled out of the tender to supply the Czech Air Force with new supersonic jets, claiming the deal was not transparent.
ECRR criticises Czech Republic for widespread discrimination against Roma
The European Centre for Roma Rights has again criticised the situation of the Czech Republic's large Roma minority. The Budapest-based organisation said Czech Roma faced "racial discrimination in almost all areas of economic and social rights." The organisation said there was no political will in the Czech Republic to address the problem.
Kavan escapes unhurt from minor car accident
A car carrying the Czech Foreign Minister Jan Kavan was involved in a minor collision in Prague on Tuesday evening. Police say neither Mr Kavan nor his driver was injured, although the driver was later treated for shock.
Weather
Finally a look at the weather. Thursday will be another hot and sunny day, with temperatures reaching highs of 26 degrees in places. Western parts of the country could see isolated thunderstorms.
