• Zaoralek calls on North Korea to return to negotiations on nuclear programme
    05/22/2005

    The chairman of the Czech lower house, Lubomir Zaoralek, has called on North Korea to return to six-nation talks on the country's nuclear programme. Mr Zaoralek, who is leading a delegation of Czech MPs on a three-day visit to Pyongyang, said international negotiations were the best way to calm the situation and find a solution. He said the Czech Republic could serve as a mediator between North Korea and Czech allies such as the United States.
    Author: Ian Willoughby

  • Kenyan runners dominate 11th Prague Marathon
    05/22/2005

    Runners from Kenya have dominated the 11th annual Prague Marathon. The winner of the men's race was Kenya's Steven Matebo Cheptot in a time of 2 hours, 10 minutes and 42 seconds, while his countrymen took second and third place in Sunday's race. The women's race was won by the favourite Salina Jebet Kosgei, also of Kenya. Transport in the city was disrupted for several hours because of the marathon, which began and ended on Old Town Square and this year attracted a record 5,000 runners.
    Author: Ian Willoughby

  • Sokol movement celebrates 80th anniversary of opening of Prague HQ
    05/22/2005

    The Sokol sports and exercise movement is celebrating the 80th anniversary of the opening of its headquarters, the Tyrsuv Dum building in Prague's Mala Strana. President TG Masaryk was among those who backed its construction, and 14,000 people attended the opening on May 22, 1925. A Sokol official at the time said only two buildings in Prague had been built with that much love and sacrifice: the National Theatre and Tyrsuv Dum.
    Author: Ian Willoughby

  • Ice hockey megastar Jagr need not undergo little finger surgery
    05/22/2005

    X-rays have confirmed that Czech ice hockey megastar Jaromir Jagr will not have to undergo an operation on a little finger injured at the recent World Championships, which were won by the Czech Republic. Jagr is currently in Paris, where he plans to support Czech tennis number one Radek Stepanek at the French Open.
    Author: Ian Willoughby

  • US hip-hop artist latest musician to make music video in Prague
    05/22/2005

    Popular American hip-hop artist and producer Kanye West is to make a video for his single "Diamonds" in Prague, according to MTV. The rapper said he would film in the Czech capital because of the "timeless" quality of the city's architecture. In the past international stars such as INXS and Linkin Park have shot videos in Prague.
    Author: Ian Willoughby

  • Schwarzenberg: deportation shows nervousness of unsure regime
    05/21/2005

    Czech senator Karel Schwarzenberg has been commenting on his expulsion from Cuba on Thursday, in the latest in a series of diplomatic rows between Havana and Prague. Speaking in Paris on his way back to the Czech Republic, Mr Schwarzenberg said his deportation had been quick and had passed without incident. But he added that Cuba's "exaggerated" reaction showed the nervousness of a regime visibly unsure of itself. Senator Schwarzenberg had planned to attend an unprecedented meeting of opponents of the Castro regime.
    Author: Ian Willoughby

  • Lower house chairman Zaoralek leads delegation to North Korea
    05/21/2005

    A delegation from the Czech lower house led by chairman Lubomir Zaoralek has begun a three-day visit to North Korea. The Czech MPs are due to discuss both a possible resumption of six-nation talks on North Korea's nuclear programme and co-operation between their two countries with officials in Pyongyang. Mr Zaoralek is the most senior official from Prague to visit North Korea since the foundation of the Czech Republic.
    Author: Ian Willoughby

  • Czech PM Jiri Paroubek to meet Tony Blair in London on Monday
    05/21/2005

    The Czech prime minister, Jiri Paroubek, is due to meet his British counterpart Tony Blair in London on Monday, as part of a two-day visit to the United Kingdom. The two leaders are expected to discuss the European Union constitution, further expansion of the EU and the Czech military presence in Iraq. Mr Paroubek will also decorate Czech war veterans at the country's embassy in London.
    Author: Ian Willoughby

  • Czech Army flies Russian MiG 21 jets for last time
    05/21/2005

    After 44 years the Czech Army has stopped using Russian made MiG 21 fighter planes, with the "last farewell" at a ceremony at Caslav airbase in central Bohemia on Saturday. In recent years most of the Army's MiGs were not functional; they have been replaced by Swedish made Gripen jets.
    Author: Ian Willoughby

  • Prague Foreigners Police extend hours due to long queues, chaos
    05/21/2005

    The Foreigners Police in Prague are to extend their opening hours from the beginning of next week, in order to deal with extremely long queues of foreigners applying for residence in the Czech Republic. The Interior Ministry said on Friday that the chaotic situation at the police's office on Prague's Olsanska Street had been due to both a rise in the number of applicants and new regulations which accompanied accession to the European Union.
    Author: Ian Willoughby

Pages