News of Radio Prague
Germany turns back Romanies planning to apply for asylum in UK
A group of around 30 Czech Romanies bound for Great Britain were refused permission to enter Germany on Friday evening and have returned home. The Romanies, from the Ostrava region of north Moravia, said they planned to apply for political asylum in Britain. They said they did not feel safe in the Czech Republic and were subject to constant discrimination. The British government is currently being taken to court on behalf of six Romanies who British officials refused to allow to fly to the UK from Prague airport. The airport controls have been carried out over the last year in an attempt to stop Czech Romanies from applying for asylum in Britain.
Kavan unconnected to alleged murder plot, says Spidla
Prime Minister Vladimir Spidla has said there is no connection between former foreign minister Jan Kavan, and an alleged plot to kill a journalist. Mr Kavan's former subordinate Karel Srba is one of four people being investigated in connection with the alleged plot to kill Mlada Fronta Dnes reporter Sabina Slonkova. On Tuesday, President Vaclav Havel said Mr Kavan should consider resigning from his current post as chairman of the United Nations General Assembly. Mr Kavan, who is also an MP, is to discuss the alleged murder plot with Mr Spidla on Sunday.
Communist-era interior minister will not stand trial for abuse of power
The Prague City Court has upheld a previous decision of the Prague 7 District Court to halt criminal proceedings against communist-era interior minister Josef Jung, Czech newspapers reported on Saturday. Mr Jung, who is 78, faced charges of abuse of power for depriving author Pavel Kohout of his citizenship. The case was ruled to have fallen under the statute of limitations. Mr Jung allegedly stripped Mr Kohout of his citizenship in 1978 when the latter spent a year in Austria.
Shoppers shocked as city centre car chase ends in shooting
A dramatic car chase took place in the busy centre of the Moravian capital Brno at around five o'clock on Friday evening. As an 18-year-old youth who had allegedly just robbed a shop in the city tried to make his getaway, police gave chase, eventually forcing the man to stop by shooting out his tyres.
Czechtek illegal techno music festival taking place in north Moravia
Some 8,000 young people are attending an illegal techno music festival in the north Moravian district of Visnova, police said on Saturday. The illegal event, known as Czechtek, takes place every summer and the venue is always announced at the very last minute. Police said they have yet to receive any complaints from locals, though some told reporters they were unable to sleep because of the loud music.
Students from 32 countries study Czech at Summer School
Almost 150 students from 32 countries are learning Czech at the annual Summer School of Slavonic Studies, which got underway in Brno on Saturday. As well as students from Europe, the school is welcoming people interested in studying Czech language and culture from as far afield as Sri Lanka and Afghanistan.
Sunday's weather
Sunday should be mostly sunny, with temperatures of up to 29 degrees Celsius.
