• Lany to get new statue of T.G. Masaryk
    04/16/2007

    A new statue of the first Czechoslovak president T.G. Masaryk is to be erected in front of the Masaryk museum in Lany, central Bohemia within three years. The bronze statue will be slightly larger than life-like and will be the first to feature the founder of Czechoslovakia on a horse, said a museum representative. It hopes to raise money for the statue through a national public collection, and has set up a special bank account. Masaryk, who was president from 1918 to 1935, is buried in Lany.
    Author: Ian Willoughby

  • PM Topolanek says 'blob' will probably grow on him
    04/16/2007

    Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek has said he is less opposed than he was to a controversial new National Library building to be built on Prague's Letna Plain. Speaking on a visit to the Library's Clementinum building in Prague's Old Town, Mr Topolanek said he would probably get used to the green blob-like building, which has been designed by London-based Czech architect Jan Kaplicky.
    Author: Ian Willoughby

  • Referee attacked after youth football game
    04/16/2007

    A football referee was hospitalised with suspected concussion after being attacked by a spectator following a youth league game in Plzen, the local edition of the daily Denik reported. The spectator, who is 54, also waved a knife at match organisers, the paper said, adding that the man was believed to be the father of one a teenage player. Police are treating the incident as a misdemeanor.
    Author: Ian Willoughby

  • Director Michalek begins shooting new picture
    04/16/2007

    The Czech director Vladimir Michalek is this week beginning work on a new film entitled O rodicich a detech ('On Parents and Children'). His last movie was Babi leto (Autumn Spring) starring Vlastimil Brodsky, which won four Czech Lion awards. Michalek's new film is based on a novel by Emil Hakl.
    Author: Ian Willoughby

  • Spidla presents anti-discrimination award to Italian journalist
    04/16/2007

    The Czech European commissioner, Vladimir Spidla, has presented an EU anti-discrimination award to Italian journalist Fabrizio Gatti, who infiltrated the world of exploited workers for a piece published in the magazine L'Espresso. Mr Spidla, who is EU commissioner for labour and social affairs, said increasing awareness of such issues was hugely important.
    Author: Ian Willoughby

  • PM to dismiss Cunek only if ruling coalition is not threatened
    04/15/2007

    Civic Democrat Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek is willing to dismiss Christian Democrat leader Jiri Cunek from his posts in government only if he has the backing of Mr Cunek's party. The Prime Minister reacted to Saturday's resolution passed by the Greens, who are in government with the Civic Democrats and the Christian Democrats, calling for Mr Cunek to either resign or be dismissed.

    Minister Cunek is the only government member in the country's history to face criminal charges. Besides allegations of corruption, he also faces criticism for a number of controversial remarks he has made about the country's Roma community. In a Sunday TV discussion programme, Prime Minister Topolanek said although the time had come for Jiri Cunek to leave government, he did not want to take any action that could threaten the stability of the ruling coalition.
    Author: Dita Asiedu

  • Critic of Bursik elected deputy chairman of Green Party Council
    04/15/2007

    The Green Party's national council has elected Matej Stropnicky - one of the biggest opponents of party leader Martin Bursik deputy chairman of the council. Mr Stropinicky has been accusing the head of the party of failing to consult government talks with other party members and not backing calls by Green Party members to hold a referendum on the proposed stationing of a US radar system on Czech territory.

    The council has also elected Dalibor Strasky as chairman and Jana Drapalova as deputy chairman.
    Author: Dita Asiedu

  • Sunday marks Holocaust Memorial Day
    04/15/2007

    As Sunday marked Holocaust Memorial Day around the world, the six million Jewish victims of Nazism as well as the heroic men and women who fought against the Nazis were commemorated on Prague's Namesti Miru Square. The square is located in the Vinohrady district, which had the highest number of Jewish residents before WWII. At the commemorative event, the names of those who perished were read out and an electronic database and literature on Holocaust victims reminded passers-by of the persecution suffered by the Jews.
    Author: Dita Asiedu

  • Fire fighters battling extensive forest fire near Czech-German border
    04/15/2007

    Fire fighters are busy trying to put out an extensive forest fire that started close to the north-western town of Chomutov, near the Czech-German border. Several dozen German fire fighters assisted their Czech colleagues until Sunday afternoon. Although the fire has been contained, it will most likely not be put out on Sunday. What started the fire that has already damaged five hectares of land has yet to be determined.
    Author: Dita Asiedu

  • IMF to review government public finance reform package
    04/15/2007

    The International Monetary Fund, IMF, intends to review the Czech government's public finance reform package. According to Czech National Bank vice-governor in Washington, Ludek Niedermayer, the IMF is particularly interested in the proposed new fiscal policy because the state of the national budget is the most sensitive part of economic development. Fiscal reform is also a condition for discussion on the adoption of the euro to start.

    The government's proposed reform plan is to be presented to parliament in June, where support for the package of ambitious tax reforms and spending cuts is not guaranteed.
    Author: Dita Asiedu

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