• Four Chinese nationals arrested for allegedly importing $30 million worth of goods without paying customs duties or VAT
    05/02/2005

    Four Chinese nationals have been taken into custody on suspicion of having illegally imported and sold some $30 million worth of textiles and other goods, on which customs duties and VAT was not paid. The Chinese nationals were arrested following an eight-month-long investigation. The arrests themselves took place over two days during an action codenamed "List". Police searched 15 homes and several storage facilities during the raid. They seized over $4 million in cash. The Chinese nationals each face up to 12 years in prison.
    Author: Brian Kenety

  • Majority of Czechs are in favour of reinstating the death penalty - CVVM poll
    05/02/2005

    The majority of Czechs are in favour of reinstating the death penalty, according to a new poll by the CVVM agency. Some 28 percent said they were "definitely" in favour of capital punishment; 38 percent said they were "inclined" towards it. Only nine percent of those polled said they were "definitely" against bringing back the death penalty, which was abolished exactly 15 years ago, by the government that took over after the fall of communism. The CVVM agency found that pensioners, non-religious people, and those without formal education tend to favour the death penalty, as do
    Author: Brian Kenety

  • Czech Television launches news channel
    05/01/2005

    Czech Television, the Czech public service broadcaster, is launching a news channel on Monday. The channel, called CT24, will be available on satellite and cable TV 18 hours a day in its trial operation. Round the clock broadcasting is expected to start in the autumn. The channel will also broadcast online at www.ct24.cz. News will be broadcast every hour, other programmes will focus for example on business, sport and science and technology.
    Author: Pavla Horáková

  • Communists not to support new coalition government in confidence vote
    04/30/2005

    The leadership of the opposition Communist Party has decided to recommend to the party's deputies not to support the government of Prime Minister Jiri Paroubek of the Social Democrats in the upcoming vote of confidence. Mr Paroubek is expected to ask the lower house for confidence in his cabinet in two weeks time. A number of Social Democrat MPs have not yet confirmed whether they will give confidence to the current governing coalition which relies on a one-vote majority in the lower house.
    Author: Pavla Horáková

  • Sixth Czech tsunami victim identified in Thailand
    04/30/2005

    DNA tests have confirmed the identity of another Czech national who was killed by the tsunami wave in Thailand at the end of last year. The woman is the sixth confirmed Czech victim of the disaster; five people were killed in Thailand, one in Sri Lanka. Two Czechs still remain unaccounted for. They went missing in the Thai island of Phi Phi are also believed to have died.
    Author: Pavla Horáková

  • EP calls for removal of pig farm from site of Romany concentration camp
    04/29/2005

    The European Parliament has passed a resolution calling for the removal of a pig farm from the site of a Nazi concentration camp near the south Bohemian village of Lety. Over 1,200 Czech Romanies were interned there in 1942 before being sent to Auschwitz. Czech Prime Minister Jiri Paroubek said on Friday he would be in favour of removing the pig farm, while President Vaclav Klaus said it was a matter for the Czech Republic, not the EU. Mr Klaus said most MEPs did not have enough information about the issue.
    Author: Ian Willoughby

  • EP president defends MEPs critical of Czech president over EU Constitution
    04/29/2005

    Meanwhile, the president of the European Parliament, Josep Borrell, has defended two leading MEPs who recently criticised the Czech president for his opposition to the European Constitution. Mr Klaus called for an apology after Alejo Vidal-Quadras and Jo Leinen said he was misleading Czech voters on the issue, and could lead the Czech Republic into isolation. On Friday the Czech president refused to react to Mr Borrell's statement, saying it was an insufficient response to a letter of complaint he had sent to the president of the European Parliament.
    Author: Ian Willoughby

  • State making donation towards repair of Chile forest damaged by fire started by Czech tourist
    04/29/2005

    The Czech Republic is to provide 4.5 million Czech crowns (almost 200,000 US dollars) towards the renewal of a national park in Chile, which was badly damaged in a forest fire started accidentally by a Czech tourist. Over 11,000 hectares of the Torres del Paine park were destroyed in February's fire. The Chilean authorities say it will take more than 7 million US dollars and over a decade to repair the damage.
    Author: Ian Willoughby

  • University students to demonstrate in sharp rise in cost of halls of residence
    04/29/2005

    Students of Prague's Charles University are planning to protest in May against increases in the cost of halls of residence, Pravo reported on Friday. The current monthly rent of around 1,000 Czech crowns (just over 40 US dollars) is set to at least double, due to a change in the grants system. The students are planning to demonstrate at both the Office of the Government and the Education Ministry, and will call for the resignation of Minister Petra Buzkova, said the daily.
    Author: Ian Willoughby

  • Britain's Prince Edward to visit west Bohemian golf club opened by Edward VI
    04/29/2005

    Britain's Prince Edward is to visit in July a Czech golf club which is the only club outside the United Kingdom allowed to call itself "royal". The club, in the spa town of Marianske Lazne, was opened by his great-great-great-grandfather King Edward VII in 1905. The king became the club's first listed member and visited 10 times over the following four years.
    Author: Ian Willoughby

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