News

The Senate has approved the sending of around 150 Czech soldiers to Afghanistan. The Chamber of Deputies is due to vote on the issue in the middle of February and the government hopes to send the troops, most of them members of the Czech Army's Special Forces, in the middle of April.

An appeals court in the North Moravian town of Bruntal has ordered a retrial of a case in which three youths carried out a racially-motivated attack against a Romany couple. The three were given suspended sentences for the attack, a verdict which outraged human rights groups and Romany activists. The three youths, masquerading as policemen, burst into the couple's flat in Jesenik last June. The woman, who was pregnant at the time, was hit in the eye with a cobblestone, leaving her with permanent injuries. The state prosecutor failed to appeal against the original verdict, and has since complained of political interference.

The first and only Czech astronaut, Vladimir Remek, has confirmed that he was interested in running in the country's first election to the European Parliament on the Communist Party's candidate list. Mr. Remek's confirmation followed several insider reports this week in the Pravo newspaper about his alleged negotiations with leaders of the Communist Party. Remek, who is 55, currently works in the commercial section at the Czech Republic's embassy in Moscow. Mr. Remek flew with a Russian partner on the Soyuz 28 mission in 1978, becoming the first person in space who was neither American nor Russian. Czech voters will choose 24 of the European parliament's 732 seats after European Union enlargement in May.

The Czech government has approved a new demerit points system for drivers that should discourage reckless driving and lower the number of accidents on Czech roads. According to the bill amendment two serious transgressions committed by drivers would be enough to see them lose their licence. The new system will rely on twelve demerit points, whereby those who reach the 12-point mark will automatically lose their licence, while having to pay an extensive fine. According to the proposal drivers, for example, caught drinking at the wheel will automatically lose 7 points. The bill amendment also describes - in detail - protocol for remanding licences, as well as outlining maximum fines for various offences. If approved by Parliament the bill will come into effect on May 1st, the day the Czech Republic joins the European Union.