News of Radio Prague
Communists give no indication they will support Gripen fighter jet plan
Prime Minister Milos Zeman has met with representatives of the Czech Communist Party, including leader Miroslav Grebenicek to try and drum-up support for the Social Democrat's plan to buy 24 Gripen fighter jets for the Czech Air Force. Communist parliament members opposed a bill proposal presented in the lower house by the Social Democrat government a week ago. The plan would have outlined the financing of the country's biggest arms deal ever, but failed by just one vote, and was sent back to the committee stage. Communist deputy Miroslav Ransdorf said on Thursday that his party would reconsider the Social Democrat's proposal alongside new developments, but said that the high cost of the plan was still a continuing concern. The purchase of the jets has been estimated at some 60 billion crowns.
Two extremists charged for their actions during May Day demonstrations
Two individuals taken into custody on Wednesday will face trial for their actions in this year's May Day demonstrations: a 25-year-old man who threw a bottle at police and vandalised a police car, and a 15-year-old who wore an item displaying the Nazi swastika. The former has been charged with assault on a police officer, while the latter has been charged with spreading hatred to suppress individual rights and freedoms. A third person taken into custody on Wednesday was charged only with a misdemeanor, while a fourth man was released without charge.
Czech - German border crossing evacuated due to dangerous chemical leak
The Czech - German border crossing of Cinovec in the Teplice region in north Czech Republic was evacuated on Thursday, after authorities discovered a German truck in the area leaking a highly volatile chemical. The Czech - German crossing was fully closed off, while Czech border officials relocated to another customs crossing. German fire-fighting teams and emergency clean-up crews have been busy at the scene trying to remove the dangerous substance.
Truck crashes into home in eastern Moravia
And in another truck-related accident: a Czech man barely escaped with his life on Thursday after a lorry carrying a 20-ton load crashed into his home in the Frydek-Mistek region of east Moravia. The 76-year-old man jumped to an adjacent room only seconds before the truck demolished his kitchen; no one was injured, including the driver. While the cause of the accident is still not clear, the driver said he had maintained the speed limit, and simply lost control of the vehicule in a nearby turn.
Weather
And finally a look at the weather: Thursday evening will be see showers and temperatures falling between 8 and 12 degrees Celsius. Friday will be see clearing and will be partly sunny with temperatures reaching highs between 22 and 26 degrees Celsius.
