News

Civic Democrat Senator Premysl Sobotka has an edge over his party rival Evzen Tosenovsky in the presidential primaries. The senator has just beaten his rival hands down in the South Bohemia and Vysocina regions where he received 221 votes to Tosenovsky’s 96 and 188 against 119 respectively. The party’s hot candidate for the post chair of the lower house Miroslava Nemcova pulled out of the race unexpectedly just ahead of the primaries.

The police have proposed filing criminal charges against Prague Civic Democrat councilor Jan Kalousek. The councilor, who is suspected of insurance fraud to the tune of 50 million crowns, claims he is innocent of any wrong-doing. If charged and found guilty he could face up to three years in jail.

A female lawyer specializing in child custody cases has criticized the fact that Czech courts release children to parents abroad too easily without demanding any guarantees regarding their future welfare. Speaking at an international conference of female lawyers, Iva Jermanova from the Czech Association of Female Lawyers, said that even though the law entitles judges to postpone a child's departure until they receive sufficient background and information regarding the child’s welfare abroad they rarely bother to do so. Jermanova said it was vital to address the issue since the number of international disputes over child custody was growing in correlation to the rising number of mixed marriages.

The Czech national hockey team has reached the semifinals at the world championship in ice hockey after defeating Sweden 4:3 on Thursday night. The Swedes opened the scoring in the first period but the Czechs – putting in their strongest performance of the tournament – turned the score around and led for part of the second period by a score of 3:1. A fourth goal was disallowed before the Swedes came back, tying the game at 3:3 in the first minute of the third. Overall, the match was close but the Czechs showed good speed and created chances although the Swedes also had opportunities. The winning goal was netted just 29 seconds before the end of regulation time, when Milan Michálek – escaping from the corner in the Swedes’ end – put a rising shot over goalie Fasth’s shoulder. The Czech Republic will face Slovakia in the semifinals after the latter eliminated Canada.