• Reaction to the president's criticism
    12/11/2004

    Members from two of the three government parties have - for the most part - rejected the president's view. On Saturday Social Democrat deputy chairman Zdenek Skromach said he believed the government of Prime Minister Stanislav Gross would manage to govern until the next election in 2006, and ruled out a shift to minority rule. Freedom Union deputy chairman Frantisek Pelc, also commented, largely rejecting the president's words. At the same time he did concede he felt there was some truth to the president's criticism of the government's health care reform, which the president had said lacked "strategic focus".
    Author: Jan Velinger

  • Police investigate self-immolation in Liberec
    12/11/2004

    Police in the town of Liberec are investigating an incident on Friday evening in which an unidentified man publicly doused himself in gasoline before setting himself alight. The incident took place in an area between the town's courthouse and local prison. Rescue workers who arrived at the scene were unable to save the man who died shortly after, having suffering burns on 100 percent of his body. The case of self-immolation is the 2nd in Liberec this year.
    Author: Jan Velinger

  • Businessman found strangled in Pilsen
    12/11/2004

    Police are searching for the killer of a Czech businessman, found strangled in Pilsen on Friday. The 45-year-old, who was in the construction business, was found dead at a homes developing site in the town. His wife contacted police after he failed to return home.
    Author: Jan Velinger

  • Czech ski jumper comes 4th at World Cup in Harrachov
    12/11/2004

    Czech ski jumper Jakub Janda has placed fourth at the ski jumping World Cup in Harrachov, north-east Bohemia. The sportsman landed jumps at 136.5 and 137 metres. First place in the event was clinched by Adam Malysz of Poland, who set a new local record at 143 metres.
    Author: Jan Velinger

  • Police: Army driver probably responsible for tragic crash
    12/10/2004

    An accident in which five soldiers died when their military vehicle was hit by a train at a level crossing in south Moravia was probably caused by the Army driver, police said on Friday. They said the driver probably failed to notice the on-coming train, although an investigation into the tragedy is continuing. Eight other people were injured in Thursday's crash, which was the worst of its kind in the Czech Republic in some years.
    Author: Ian Willoughby

  • Terezin application for EU funds to build university, cultural centre rejected
    12/10/2004

    Terezin has failed to obtain European Union funding to start building a university and cultural centre on the site of the town's former garrison and World War II ghetto, a spokesman said on Friday. He said the main reason the grant application was denied was the fact the buildings have yet to be transferred from Ministry of Defence ownership to the local authorities. But the defence minister, Karel Kuhnl, has said negotiations on the transfer will begin in the New Year.
    Author: Ian Willoughby

  • Price of stamps to increase from February
    12/10/2004

    Czech Post is putting up the price of services and stamps from February; for instance it will cost 7.5 crowns to send a letter within the Czech Republic, up 1 crown from the current price. The company said the increases would boost both sales and net profits. "Ceska posta" posted net profits of 700 million crowns last year.
    Author: Ian Willoughby

  • Czech international captain Galasek made captain of Ajax Amsterdam again
    12/10/2004

    Czech midfielder Tomas Galasek has once again been appointed captain of the famous Dutch football team Ajax Amsterdam. Galasek, who is 31 and has been at Ajax for four years, was made captain of the Czech national team in October, after the retirement from international football of Pavel Nedved.
    Author: Ian Willoughby

  • British Law Lords rule British immigration checks at Ruzyne were discriminatory
    12/09/2004

    The UK's highest court institution has ruled that British government regulations that prevented some Czechs - namely Romanies - from travelling to Great Britain in 2001 were discriminatory on racial grounds. The Law Lord's verdict concerns controls which were carried out by British immigration officials at Prague's Ruzyne airport in July 2001 in an effort to lower the number of those seeking asylum in Britain. In 2002, the British human rights organisation Liberty lodged a complaint against the checks on behalf of six Roma and the European Centre for Roma Rights. A lower level court and Great Britain's Supreme Court originally rejected the complaint.

    In response to the latest ruling, the British Home Office has replied it had not meant to discriminate against anyone, adding that the measures in place at the time were meant to prevent abuse of the asylum and immigration system.
    Author: Jan Velinger

  • Five Czech soldiers dead, one missing, following collision
    12/09/2004

    Five Czech soldiers have been killed in a collision between their army truck and an oncoming express train. The accident took place at a crossing near Prostejov, east Moravia. All five men belonged to the Czech Special Forces unit based in the region. A sixth soldier remains missing. Five other military personnel, as well as two civilians, were also injured in the accident: three are in critical condition.
    Author: Jan Velinger

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