News

Heavy snowfall continues to complicate traffic in the mountain regions and drivers who are setting out for the country's ski-resorts have been warned not to leave without winter tires, chains and a bagful of sand. Food and drink is also advisable since many vehicles have got stuck in snowdrifts and pileups in the past two or three days. Ten passengers were forced to spend the night in bus which got stuck in a drift in the Jeseniky Mountains late Friday.

On Thursday President Klaus discussed the EU constitution with his Polish counterpart, Lech Kaczynski, in Warsaw. Both men agreed that non-acceptance of the document would not lead the EU into crisis. The two presidents also discussed the United States plan to build parts of its global missile defence programme in their countries. A radar base will be built in Brdy, central Bohemia if approved by the Czech parliament, while a missile interceptor base could be built in Poland. Mr Kaczynski said the two countries would co-ordinate their approach to the project.

Speaking on the eve of Holocaust Memorial Day, Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek said people should not forget what had led to the extermination of Jews and others during World War II. Mr Topolanek was speaking at a meeting at the Senate organised by the Czech Federation of Jewish Communities and the Fund of Holocaust Victims Foundation. He said if people allowed their individual freedom to be replaced by spirit of collectivism a new Holocaust could arise.

One of the most highly regarded Czech-Americans in Washington Irena Kirkland has died at the age of 81. After surviving Auschwitz she fell foul of the communist authorities in Czechoslovakia before moving to Israel and later the USA. Irena Kirkland did a lot to help the anti-communist movement in her native country and received the Czech Foreign Ministry's Gratis Agit award just a week before her death.