News

A Czech court has acquitted former Czech police officer Tomáš Čermák on the charge of having attacked Kateřina Jacques, a Green Party official who is now a lower house deputy. Mr Čermák was accused of having beaten up Ms Jacques up when she protested against neo-Nazis demonstrating in Prague in May 2006. After the incident, which was partly caught on camera, Mr Čermák was sacked from the police and accused of abuse of power and inflicting bodily harm. The defence said that during the demonstration the defendant had repeatedly asked Jacques not to enter a zone where she would come into direct contact with attendees of the neo-Nazi rally. The defence had also argued that Jacques aimed to gain publicity ahead of a general election in June 2006.

Czech Railways is to seek billions of crowns in funding from public finances to rebuild its aging carriage stock. The news was revealed by the head of Czech Railways Petr Žaluda on Friday, suggesting that an estimated 17 billion crowns (the equivalent of almost 1 billion US dollars) annually was needed. Transport Minister Aleš Řebíček has indicated that there may be opportunity to meet the request. Currently Czech Railways has 1,000 locomotives and 4,000 carriage cars which average 20 years in service. The Transport Minister has made clear that the need to invest in new vehicles to replace aging cars is a priority.

The Czech Republic is leading 3:0 over Belgium in the first round of the Davis Cup in tennis and is advancing to the quarterfinals.

In the first two matches in Ostrava on Friday, both Tomáš Berdych and Radek Štěpánek beat Kristof Vliegen and Steve Darcis, respectively, in three sets. The two Czechs then on Saturday faced the Belgian players Rochus and Vliegen in the double, and won after a five-set battle 6:7, 7:6, 7:5, 5:7 and 6:4, securing the Czech triumph. The 3:0 score means the Czech team advances to the quarterfinals of the Davis Cup irrespective of the results of the two remaining games between the Czech Republic and Belgium.

Two rounds of voting fail in the Czech presidential election failed to produce a new head of state on Friday evening. Neither the incumbent, Václav Klaus, nor his challenger Czech-American economist Jan Švejnar were able to secure majorities in both houses of Parliament in Friday’s joint-session. In the first round, Mr Klaus received a majority in the Senate with 47 senators voting for him, while his challenger won a majority in the Chamber of Deputies. A second round followed shortly afterwards, also proving inconclusive. Both candidates, however, have made it to the third a final round of the election, now set for Saturday.

Lawmakers from both houses of Parliament will reconvene their joint-session at Prague Castle at 10 am to try and elect the new president. Unlike the first two rounds in which a majority in both houses is needed to win, the third pools votes from both the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate.