• ...while documentary about former president is set for cinema release
    10/24/2007

    A documentary film about the former president entitled Obcan Havel (Citizen Havel) is to go on release in Czech cinemas from the end of January, a spokesperson for its distributors said. The original director Pavel Koutecky died during the making of the film; it was subsequently completed by Miroslav Janek.
    Author: Ian Willoughby

  • Greens boss Bursik still looking for candidate for education minister
    10/24/2007

    Greens leader Martin Bursik says he is still searching for a candidate for the post of education minister, after the resignation of his party colleague Dana Kuchtova. The Green Party's national council put forward Dusan Luzny for the post. However, Mr Bursik said on Radio Impuls that he could not imagine how Mr Luzny, who worked at the Education Ministry under Ms Kuchtova, could overcome the prime minister's reservations about appointing him. Dana Kuchtova stepped down over failing to draw on EU funds to the maximum possible extent.
    Author: Ian Willoughby

  • Czech Railways preparing for clocks going back
    10/24/2007

    Czech Railways are making preparations for the clocks going back at 3 am on Sunday morning. The end of daylight saving time means that 12 international trains will have to remain stationary for one hour on Czech territory so as to avoid arriving at their destinations an hour early, said a spokesperson for Czech Railways. When clocks go forward in spring international trains simply arrive an hour late.
    Author: Ian Willoughby

  • Belohlavek conducting Prague Philarmonia at opening of 14th season
    10/24/2007

    Jiri Belohlavek is set to conduct the Prague Philharmonia on Wednesday night on the opening night of the orchestra's 14th season. The concert, which takes place at the Dvorak Hall in Prague's Rudolfinum, will feature the music of Martinu, Tchaikovsky and Mozart. Last week the world renowned Czech conductor led the Berlin Philharmonic during three concerts of Smetana's Ma Vlast attended by a total of 6,000 people.
    Author: Ian Willoughby

  • Slavia trounced by Arsenal in Champions League
    10/24/2007

    Slavia Prague have suffered one of the worst defeats in the history of football's Champions League, losing 7:0 away to England's Arsenal on Tuesday night. The Czech league leaders have three points in three games in Group H, and remain ahead of Steau Bucharest, who Slavia beat in Prague. At this stage Slavia might be satisfied with taking third spot in the group, thus qualifying for a place in the UEFA Cup.
    Author: Ian Willoughby

  • US unveils plan to overcome Russian hostility to its European anti-missile shield.
    10/23/2007

    The US has unveiled a plan to overcome Russian hostility to its European anti-missile shield. US Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, who is in Europe to drum up support for Washington's plan to deploy parts of a missile shield in the Czech Republic and Poland said at a press briefing in Prague on Tuesday that Washington might allow a Russian presence at the Czech radar facility and the interceptor missile site in Poland. Mr. Gates who has recently held talks in Moscow said the United States might delay the activation of its missile defense shield in the Czech Republic and Poland if Russia agreed to cooperate. Prague and Warsaw are expected to come to a decision on the matter next year.
    Author: Daniela Lazarová

  • Talks on radar likely to last several more months
    10/23/2007

    In a related development, Czech Deputy Foreign Minister Tomas Pojar said on Tuesday that he expected talks on the radar between Prague and Washington to last for several more months. Mr. Pojar said that while the Czech side had no interest in artificially prolonging the negotiations the small print was important not least because it would be crucial in obtaining Parliament's approval for the project.
    Author: Daniela Lazarová

  • Lower house approves basic parameters of 2008 budget
    10/23/2007

    The lower house on Tuesday approved the 2008 state budget in its first reading. The proposed budget envisages a deficit of 70.8 billion crowns (3.68 billion dollars) or 2.95 percent of total economic output. The 2008 deficit is below the 3.0 percent of gross domestic product ceiling required for adoption of the single European currency, although Prague has not yet set a target date for the switch from the crown to the euro. Lower house committees can now delve into the finer details of the budget, with a second and final, third, reading scheduled for early December.
    Author: Daniela Lazarová

  • Planned neo-Nazi march may take place
    10/23/2007

    The Prague Municipal Court has struck down a city hall ban on a planned neo-Nazi march through the city's historic Jewish quarter. The march has been set to take place on November 10th, the anniversary of Kristallnacht - a notorious Nazi pogrom against Jews in Germany in 1938. It is the second time the court has ruled in the favour of the right-wing extremists, making it likely the march will now take place. In its ruling the court cited serious procedural errors on the part of the city in its attempt to ban the planned event. According to reports, both sides in the case will receive written statements from the court on Wednesday. Prague City Hall has said it is not giving up the fight and will take further steps to prevent the march taking place.
    Author: Daniela Lazarová

  • Czech national deported from Cuba
    10/23/2007

    A Czech national has been deported from Cuba for taking part in a conference organized by Cuban dissidents. According to the Spanish news agency EFE -two Europeans - a Czech and a Slovak - who participated in a conference on free and fair elections on the island were arrested in Santa Clara on Sunday morning and shortly after put on a plane to Paris. The Czech Embassy in Havana said it had learnt about the incident from dissident sources but had received no official information.
    Author: Daniela Lazarová

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