• 04/17/2006

    Prague's biggest funfair Matejska pout closed its gates on Monday for the last time this year. The traditional fair begins at the end of February and takes place in the Vystaviste exhibition grounds in Prague 7.

    Author: Ian Willoughby
  • 04/17/2006

    The leading Czech men's tennis player Radek Stepanek has reached 12th in the ATP world rankings, the highest position of his career. Stepanek won his first ATP title in Rotterdam in February, after previously losing three finals.

    Author: Ian Willoughby
  • 04/17/2006

    English Premier League club Fulham are interested in signing the Czech footballer Rudolf Skacel in the summer, the internet site 4thegame.com reported. The player is contracted to Marseilles but has been on loan at Scotland's Hearts all season. He has been a big success at the club, scoring 16 goals in 31 league games.

    Author: Ian Willoughby
  • 04/14/2006

    The first secretary of the Czech Embassy in Havana, Stanislav Kazecky, has been given three days to leave Cuba after local authorities refused to renew his visa, accusing him of subversive actions and working for the United States. The Czech Foreign Ministry has called on Cuba's charge d'affaires in Prague to explain the decision, which it regards as tantamount to expulsion. It said the move was clearly in response to the Czech Republic's policy of criticizing human rights abuses in Cuba and supporting the island state's opposition. Reuters reported that Mr Kazecky had close contacts with dissidents in Cuba.

    A Czech Foreign Ministry spokesperson said it would respond in kind by not renewing the visa of a Cuban diplomat in Prague next week. Tensions have been high between the two countries for some years.

    Author: Chris Jarrett
  • 04/14/2006

    Flood alerts have reached their third and highest level in Hradek u Rokycan in western Bohemia, after morning rainfall raised water levels in the Klabava river, which rose above the 2 metre threshold for increasing the alert.

    Meteorologists have issued a warning that further towns in Southern parts of the Czech Republic could also still be at risk of flooding. They said that continued rainfall and snow from the mountains could further increase levels in the Vltava and Lužnice rivers over the weekend, but do not believe it will be sufficient to raise the flood alert to its highest stage in these regions.

    Author: Chris Jarrett
  • 04/14/2006

    Czech President Vaclav Klaus today signed a bill to facilitate bankruptcy proceedings, strengthen creditors and provide aid to companies in financial trouble. It should prevent commercial bankruptcies from leading to automatic liquidation, which could save jobs. The law has also introduced personal bankruptcies for individuals and allows insolvent people to clear debts without the necessity of property seizure. The authors of the bill say it is intended to alter how the country's previously inadequate bankruptcy laws are viewed in Europe.

    Author: Chris Jarrett
  • 04/14/2006

    The funding for opposition Civic Democrat chairman Mirek Topolanek's luxurious Prague flat is being investigated by police after an anonymous report to the district state attorney's office. The complaint suggested that the purchase of Topolanek's 350,000-dollar flat was sponsored by the CEZ power utility company. Financial police are continuing the investigation.

    Author: Chris Jarrett
  • 04/14/2006

    The Scottish bakery Lightbody has revealed plans to build a new production hall in the Louny area of north western Bohemia. The company, which supplies goods to international retail chains such as Tesco and Carrefour, wants to begin production at the plant in March of next year. The venture is expected to create around 600 jobs in the region.

    Author: Chris Jarrett
  • 04/14/2006

    The Czech Republic have drawn Holland in the play-offs for a place in the elite world group in tennis's Davis Cup. Czech number one Radek Stepanek is unlikely to return to the Czech team for September's tie: he has had a falling out with team manager Cyril Suk, and says he will not represent the Czech Republic as long as Suk remains in charge.

    Author: Chris Jarrett
  • 04/14/2006

    The all-Czech semi final of the ATP tennis tournament in Valencia has seen Cyril Suk and his doubles team-mate Petr Pala, who entered the competition as second seeds, knocked out by fourth seeds Lukas Dlouhy and Pavel Vizner. The match, which ended 6:3, 5:7, 10:5, means Dlouhy and Vizner will play either Spain's Feliciano Lopez and Fernando Verdasco or David Skoch and Tomas Zib of Ukraine in the final.

    Author: Chris Jarrett

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