• Police charge tram driver in connection with Charles Square accident
    06/02/2005

    Police have charged a tram driver with endangering the public in connection with an accident that claimed the lives of two pedestrians in March. The driver's streetcar jumped the rails at Prague's Charles Square killing two and injuring three others who were unable to get out of the way in time. Police say the driver was driving too fast. If found guilty he could face up to 10 years in prison.
    Author: Jan Velinger

  • Czech businessman receives 8-year sentence in Romania
    06/02/2005

    A Czech businessman has received an 8-year prison sentence for complicity to murder, in Bucharest. The announcement was made by the Czech consulate in Romania on Thursday; it is expected that the businessman, Frantisek Priplata, will appeal the ruling.
    Author: Jan Velinger

  • Karasek refused visa to Belarus
    06/02/2005

    Czech MP Svatopluk Karasek has said he has been refused a visa to visit Belarus to take part in a concert organised by dissident groups opposed to the authoritarian rule of President Alexander Lukashenko. Mr Karasek, a vocal supporter of human rights, had wanted to perform a song titled "Say No to the Devil" in Minsk. The MP, who is also a pastor, took part in an opposition rally in Belarus last year. Three other Czech MPs have been granted visas to Belarus and should be able to attend the protest event.
    Author: Jan Velinger

  • Castle steps to see return of MTB racers
    06/02/2005

    The Prague Castle steps will see an exhibition race by world class mountain bikers next week, including Olympic Gold medal winner in Sydney 2000, Frenchman Miguel Martinez. 50 racers are expected to take part. The race, which features a 1,200 metre circuit, includes a descent of 189 Castle steps, and a climbing section with an incline of 12 percent in Prague's Mala Strana (Little Quarter).
    Author: Jan Velinger

  • Czech Republic in favour of extended deadline on ratification of EU Constitution
    06/01/2005

    The Czech Republic will propose to its European partners that the ratification of the EU Constitution should continue but that the whole process should be delayed in the light of the French rejection of the treaty. Prime Minister Jiri Paroubek said on Wednesday that his three party coalition, which strongly backs the treaty, had given him a mandate to seek an extension of the ratification process at a summit of European leaders on June 16th. Mr. Paroubek said that the Czech government would press ahead with its information campaign on the EU Constitution despite calls from the Christian Democrats, one of the smaller parties in government, that it should be suspended, pending a decision by the EU leadership.
    Author: Daniela Lazarová

  • Visegrad group to discuss EU integration
    06/01/2005

    The prime ministers of the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia will meet on June 9th to discuss ways of getting European integration back on track after the French rejection of the EU Constitution. The talks will take place within the framework of a planned summit of Visegrad states, a lose alliance of Central European countries. Polish Prime Minister Marek Belka, who will host the meeting in Warsaw, said the Visegrad member states had unanimously agreed to devote part of the meeting to an exchange of ideas that might give new impetus to the process of European integration. The Polish Prime Minister repeated his conviction that Poland should ratify the EU Constitution and said that he wanted to help France to remain the locomotive of European integration.
    Author: Daniela Lazarová

  • I am not Britain's mystery pianist, says Czech musician
    06/01/2005

    A Czech classical musician appeared on television on Tuesday to deny he was the mysterious mute pianist found last month wandering on an English beach. Tomas Strnad, a former rock musician who fellow band members claimed was the unknown pianist, appeared on three Czech television stations to say he had been misrepresented. Two Czech musicians had claimed after seeing photographs in the media that the unknown man was their former fellow rock band member Strnad. More than 1,000 people have responded to an appeal for information that could help identify the pianist, and have suggested about 250 possible names, British police said.
    Author: Daniela Lazarová

  • Civic Democrats say no point in ratifying EU Constitution
    05/31/2005

    The opposition Civic Democratic Party has called on the Czech government to halt all moves towards the ratification of the EU Constitution in light of France's rejection of the treaty over the weekend. The right wing Civic Democrats told a news conference in Prague that going ahead with plans for ratification had lost its purpose since the EU Constitution had become a legally invalid document. Some Civic Democratic Party officials have accused the government of wanting to press ahead with a campaign on the constitution in order to access the 200 million crowns allotted to publicize the treaty.
    Author: Daniela Lazarová

  • One-off referendum bill still relevant
    05/31/2005

    The bill on a one-off referendum on the EU Constitution, drawn up by the Civic Democrats, remains in play, according to senior party official Premysl Sobotka. Mr. Sobotka said that EU talks might initiate the preparation of a new constitutional treaty, in which case the bill would still be relevant.
    Author: Daniela Lazarová

  • Christian Democrats want ratification suspended
    05/31/2005

    The Christian Democrats of the governing coalition have also called for the ratification of the EU Constitution to be suspended, pending a decision by Brussels. The Christian Democrats, one of the smaller coalition parties, presented their view at a press conference in Prague on Tuesday, independently of the other two ruling parties. This angered Prime Minister Paroubek who accused them of being disloyal to the Cabinet. The prime minister has called a meeting of the coalition leaders for Wednesday to discuss what course of action the government should take.
    Author: Daniela Lazarová

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