• 'Day of Czech Statehood' celebrated
    09/28/2004

    Tuesday is St Wenceslas Day, an official state holiday in the Czech Republic, marking the death of the nation's patron saint. As is the tradition on this "Day of Czech Statehood," Prague Castle, as well as town halls and churches throughout the country, are holding celebrations to commemorate the martyrdom of Prince Wenceslas, who was killed on this day in the year 935 by his brother Boleslav. For the holiday, Radio Prague is broadcasting the English-language world premiere of former president Vaclav Havel's 1968 radio play "Guardian Angel".
    Author: Brian Kenety

  • Czech senator Petr Pithart honoured by France
    09/28/2004

    Czech senator Petr Pithart was made a knight of France's "Legion of Honour" on Tuesday. The ceremony, presided over by Christian Poncelet, the president of the French senate, took place at the historic Czech embassy in Paris. The embassy officially reopens Tuesday night after two years of reconstruction. Poncelet praised Pithart as a former dissident who remained engaged in politics by working to further European integration. He also praised Pithart for supporting the French position during the lead-up to the war in Iraq. Other Czechs in the Legion of Honour include former Czechoslovak presidents Tomas Garrigue Masaryk and Vaclav Havel, as well as the writer Milan Kundera and director Milos Forman.
    Author: Brian Kenety

  • Demonstration held in Cheb against 'Germanisation' of Czech culture, business
    09/28/2004

    Some 300 people demonstrated on the main square of the Czech border town of Cheb on Tuesday against the supposed "Germanisation" of the Czech Republic and its loss of sovereignty. The Club of Czech Demonstrators (KCP) was protesting against what members see as excessive German ownership of formerly fully Czech-owned businesses.
    Author: Brian Kenety

  • Ostrava police investigate misuse of funds by Romani organisation head
    09/28/2004

    Ostrava police are investigating the head of a local Romani organisation, Dzeno, for allegedly misusing some 270,000 crowns worth of funds earmarked for combating unemployment among the minority group. Mikulas Horvath, who denies any wrongdoing, had previously been questioned over the use of funds for civil society projects that were never realised.
    Author: Brian Kenety

  • Plzen university student fell to his death from seventh-floor dorm room
    09/28/2004

    A 22-year-old university student fell to his death from the window of his seventh-floor dormitory room in Plzen during the early hours of Tuesday morning. The young man's roommates told police they had gone to bed Monday night without incident. The students had been drinking and initial information points to an unfortunate accident rather than suicide or foul play.
    Author: Brian Kenety

  • Dallas Stars' Svoboda to play for Ostrava during NHL lockout
    09/28/2004

    Jaroslav Svoboda of the Dallas Stars agreed on Monday to play for a Czech hockey team, raising to 173 the number of National Hockey League players set to compete in Europe during the NHL lockout. Svoboda, a forward, will play for Olomouc. One hundred and seventy three NHL players have agreed to play for Euroean teams during the lockout; the Czech league will have nearly 50 NHL players, including Jaromir Jagr of the New York Rangers.
    Author: Brian Kenety

  • Hurikova wins mountain biking junior time trials in Italy
    09/28/2004

    Tereza Hurikova of the Czech Republic won the junior time trial to take home the first gold medal and rainbow jersey of the world road cycling championships, which got underway in Italy on Monday. Hurikova had lost three minutes fixing a mechanical failure on her bike which cost her the lead at the cross country worlds. This month she won a bronze medal in the junior race at the cross country worlds in France.
    Author: Brian Kenety

  • Spidla fields questions as nominated EU commissioner, speaks out for EU social model
    09/27/2004

    Vladimir Spidla, one of 25 incoming Euro commissioners, spoke on Monday in favour of the European Union social model during his hearing in European Parliament. He said he also supported reforms to increase the competitiveness of the European economy and said as commissioner of EU social affairs he would strive to achieve and maintain a high employment rate within the union.

    Later in the day, Mr Spidla then faced grilling from euro MPs, including representatives from the Czech Republic and Greece, over topics like state debt and poverty. Mr Spidla also spoke about the free movement of labour as one of the EU's strengths, the reason why, as commissioner for social affairs, he would push for twelve countries from the "original fifteen" to reconsider restrictions against new member states that joined the EU in May.
    Author: Jan Velinger

  • Czech president to El Pais: "European identity does not exist"
    09/27/2004

    Czech president Vaclav Klaus, on an official visit to Spain, has rejected the notion of a single European identity, for Spanish journal El Pais. Speaking with the paper Mr Klaus said differences over Iraq were proof that Europe was "not united". During the discussion Mr Klaus rejected the "eurosceptic" label, telling El Pais he preferred to be seen as a "euro realist" for whom a freer, more democratic Europe with higher productivity was important.
    Author: Jan Velinger

  • Police arrest members of human trafficking gang
    09/27/2004

    Czech police have arrested 13 Vietnamese members of a human trafficking gang believed to have smuggled young Vietnamese women into the Czech Republic for forced prostitution. A police spokesman said on Monday the gang had been broken by the police special unit against organised crime. The gang lured victims to the Czech Republic on promises of legal employment, before forcing them into prostitution. One under-aged girl was allegedly sold in Germany for an estimated 100, 000 euros.
    Author: Jan Velinger

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