• Senior Czech officials welcome Saddam sentencing
    11/05/2006

    The Czech prime minister, Mirek Topolanek, and other senior officials have welcomed the sentencing to death of Saddam Hussein. Mr Topolanek said it had been an act of justice and a warning to other dictators. He also said the fact the former Iraqi leader had been tried in a civilised manner by an Iraqi court offered hope for the country's future. Czech Foreign Minister Alexandr Vondra said it was a historic milestone by which Iraq would come to terms with its past.
    Author: Ian Willoughby

  • Tighter security at Prague Airport from Monday
    11/05/2006

    Tighter security precautions are to be introduced at Prague's Ruzyne airport from Monday; the measures are in line with new European Union rules limiting the amount of fluids and gels passengers may take on board flights, a spokesperson for the airport said. The EU decided to toughen checks after the foiling of an alleged terrorist plan to bomb planes flying from the UK to the United States.
    Author: Ian Willoughby

  • Man charged with possession of five kg of heroin
    11/05/2006

    A man has been charged with the possession of five kilogrammes of heroin. The drug was found in the man's car during a routine police check near Litomerice, north Bohemia. A spokesperson for the north Bohemia customs office said it had been a record capture.
    Author: Ian Willoughby

  • Czech Republic 74th in world in terms of time it takes to start firm
    11/05/2006

    Setting up a company in the Czech Republic takes 24 days, compared to the average of 16 in OECD countries, according to a report released by the World Bank. The Czech Republic ranks 74th in the world in terms of difficulty of starting a company. While there are six steps involved in starting a firm in advanced countries, here there are 10.
    Author: Ian Willoughby

  • James Brown appears in Prague for second time in three years
    11/05/2006

    James Brown has appeared in Prague for the second time in three years. The American music legend, who is now 73, spent more than an hour and a half on stage at Prague's Vystaviste on Saturday night. His set ranged from earlier soul songs such as Try Me to pioneering funk songs like I Got You (I Feel Good).
    Author: Ian Willoughby

  • Social Democrats vote no to coalition participation
    11/04/2006

    The leadership of the Social Democrats has voted not to take part in a "rainbow" coalition which would lead to early general elections. The party's stance represents a rejection of a plan put forward by President Vaclav Klaus as a way out of the deadlock which has gripped Czech politics since inconclusive elections in June.

    The Social Democrats, who came second in the elections, have also reiterated their demand to be given a chance to form a new government, after the failure of the winning Civic Democrats to put together a viable government.

    The leaders of the five parties in the lower house are due to meet Mr Klaus on Tuesday. The president has indicated that if they cannot agree on a solution before then, he will choose a new prime minister himself.
    Author: Ian Willoughby

  • Czech Republic, Germany team up to block tax rise on beer
    11/04/2006

    The finance ministers of the Czech Republic and Germany have announced they will join forces to block a European Commission plan to raise minimum duties on beer. Czech Finance Minister Vlastimil Tlusty said Prague would veto the rise, which needs to be approved by all 25 EU members. He said he and his German counterpart, Peer Steinbruck, would express their joint standpoint at a meeting in Brussels next week.

    The Czechs are the world's biggest beer drinkers, consuming nearly 160 litres per person per year. The Germans are the third biggest consumers.
    Author: Ian Willoughby

  • Assailants torture Vietnamese shop keeper with electric shock stun gun
    11/04/2006

    A search is on for three men who are alleged to have tortured a Vietnamese shop owner with an electric shock stun gun in Jindrichov, north Moravia on Thursday. The man was also shot by the three, who broke into his shop at around 1 am. The police said they were examining possible motives for the attack and have not ruled out the possibility it was racially motivated.
    Author: Ian Willoughby

  • Sparta fans cause 20-minute metro delay
    11/04/2006

    Fans of Sparta Prague ice hockey club caused a metro train to short circuit on Friday evening, when they threw a metal stick onto the line at Hlavni nadrazi station, the website iDnes reported. Services on the C line were interrupted for 20 minutes.
    Author: Ian Willoughby

  • Survey finds Prague Metro line C busiest by far
    11/04/2006

    Meanwhile, a survey carried out by Prague's transport authority found the C line was the busiest line, with 48 percent of passengers using it, Lidove noviny reported. Thirty percent said they mainly travelled on line B and 22 on line A. Passengers criticised the long intervals on line B and at night and said the system lacked clocks on carriages and sufficient dustbins in stations.
    Author: Ian Willoughby

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