• 07/29/2005

    The body of a 21-year old Czech who was murdered two weeks ago in the Scottish town of Arbroath, will be repatriated on Saturday. The costs will be covered by the proceeds of a public collection launched by Sue Smith who first discovered the young man's body. Ms Smith is also helping the bereaved parents to deal with all the legal formalities. So far people in the UK have collected 6,000 pounds, part of which will cover the installation of a memorial plaque on the spot of the tragedy. Eighteen-year old Adam Gallagher from Arbroath has been accused of murdering the 21-year-old Czech, who was a seasonal worker in the area.

  • 07/29/2005

    Former triple world and Olympic javelin champion Jan Zelezny will decide whether to compete at world championships next month after Friday's Golden League meeting in Oslo. The 39-year-old world record holder said he would announce his decision on Monday. The Czech, widely acknowledged as the greatest javelin thrower in history, will be up against home favourite and Olympic champion Andreas Thorkildsen and world leader Tero Pitkamaki of Finland in Oslo. The world championships take place in Helsinki from 6 to 14 August.

  • 07/29/2005

    German Bundesliga runners-up Schalke admit they are unlikely to sign Czech international striker Milan Baros from Liverpool claiming the seven million pound asking price is too high. Schalke entered the race for Baros's signature on Thursday but have baulked at Liverpool's valuation of the topscorer from the Euro 2004 finals. Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez is prepared to let the 24-year-old Baros go after signing Peter Crouch from Southampton but he wants a sizeable transfer fee for the marksman. Premiership side Aston Villa have already had a five million pound offer turned down and are considering whether to up their bid.

  • 07/28/2005

    Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty is to move from its current location at the top of Wenceslas Square to a safer place away from the centre of Prague, the United States-funded broadcaster announced on Thursday. Security at the station was stepped up in the wake of the 9/11 attacks on the US, and Czech politicians had called for RFE/RL to relocate as it posed a risk to the general population. It is moving to a new building in the Prague 10 district of Hagibor.

    Author: Ian Willoughby
  • 07/28/2005

    A memorial ceremony for Culture Minister Pavel Dostal, who died on Sunday, has been held at Prague's National Theatre. The ceremony was broadcast live on Czech Television and was attended by President Vaclav Klaus, Prime Minister Jiri Paroubek and other politicians, as well as many well known figures from the world of Czech culture. Mr Dostal will be laid to rest in a private family funeral on Friday.

    Author: Ian Willoughby
  • 07/28/2005

    Meanwhile, there were press reports on Thursday that Vladimir Darjanin has provisionally agreed to replace Mr Dostal as minister of culture. Mr Darjanin is currently the head of the Czech pavilion at the Expo 2005 in Japan; he is not a member of any political party and comes from eastern Slovakia.

    Author: Ian Willoughby
  • 07/28/2005

    The prime minister, Jiri Paroubek, looks set to stand as a Social Democrat candidate in the Usti nad Labem region in general elections next year, two Czech dailies reported on Thursday. Mr Paroubek currently represents Prague and may have wished to avoid a possible head-to-head battle with Mirek Topolanek, chairman of the opposition Civic Democrats; his party are traditionally strong in the Prague area.

    Author: Ian Willoughby
  • 07/28/2005

    Three Czechs hoping to swim the English Channel are still waiting for suitable weather conditions. One of them, professional swimmer Yvetta Hlavacova, had to be rescued during a training session near Dover on Wednesday, after the sea turned very rough. She and fellow Czechs Richard Haan and Stanislav Bartusek have until August 3 to attempt the gruelling 21-mile swim.

    Author: Ian Willoughby
  • 07/28/2005

    Czech football star Milan Baros has been in talks with German club Schalke over a possible transfer. Baros has been at England's Liverpool for three and a half years, but is not the club's first choice striker. He has a remarkable record at international level, with 25 goals in 37 games for the Czech Republic.

    Author: Ian Willoughby
  • 07/27/2005

    Electrical engineering has become the Czech Republic's biggest industrial sector, having more than doubled since the year 2000, and having posted a turnover of 436 billion crowns (19 billion US dollars) last year, the economic daily Hospodarske noviny writes. The steel and metal industry in the second place generated a turnover of 400 billion crowns and engineering, the third largest sector, 374 billion crowns last year. Behind the fast growth of Czech electrical engineering is modernisation of companies already integrated into the EU supply system and the launch of new large plants built by foreign investors at the turn of the millennium.

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