• 03/16/2006

    The leader of the so-called Berdych Gang, David Berdych, has received a five-year prison term for counterfeiting banknotes. He already faced five years in jail for blackmail. Around three dozen other members of the alleged criminal gang have also been appearing in court on charges of kidnapping, robbery and murder. Several police officers have also been implicated in the case.

  • 03/16/2006

    Czech tennis player Tomas Berdych has been knocked out in the quarter-finals of the Indian Wells Masters Series. The 20-year-old was beaten 6-4 6-1 by Australian Open finalist Marcos Baghdatis of Cyprus. Last year Berdych caused an upset by winning the Paris Masters, the biggest Czech success in tennis in some years.

  • 03/15/2006

    The Czech Republic is to introduce registered partnerships for gay and lesbian couples, after the Chamber of Deputies on Wednesday overturned a previous veto by President Vaclav Klaus. One hundred and one of 177 deputies present - the bare minimum - voted to overturn the president's veto. The Czech Republic becomes the first former Eastern Bloc state to fully legalise registered partnerships for homosexuals.

    Author: Ian Willoughby
  • 03/15/2006

    The Czech rail system will grind to a halt for half an hour on Thursday; the Federation of Train Drivers is calling a strike between noon and 12:30 in protest against a new labour code. The high-speed Pendolino will be the only train running during the strike; rail workers will read a statement detailing their grievances to its passengers.

    Author: Ian Willoughby
  • 03/15/2006

    The Czech-language radio station Radio Cesko has begun broadcasting on the FM frequency of the BBC World Service in the Czech Republic. Radio Cesko, part of public broadcaster Czech Radio, can be heard on the BBC frequency between 8 and 11 am and 1 and 4 pm seven days a week. The change follows the complete closing down of the Czech BBC at the end of last month after over 65 years on the air.

    Author: Ian Willoughby
  • 03/15/2006

    Prime Minister Jiri Paroubek says he would like to become president of the Czech Republic in the future. In an interview in Wednesday's Mlada fronta Dnes Mr Paroubek also said he was in favour of the public being allowed to vote directly for president, instead of the current system in which the post is decided by both houses of parliament.

    Author: Ian Willoughby
  • 03/15/2006

    Meanwhile, the police have interviewed the prime minister as a witness in a case involving the embezzlement of European Union subsidies in which ten people, including two former state officials, have been prosecuted. While he was local development minister Mr Paroubek ordered an analysis of some property transactions that took place at the ministry before his appointment. The current local development minister used that study as the basis of a criminal complaint filed last year.

    Author: Ian Willoughby
  • 03/15/2006

    Czech passports should contain digital photos from this September and digital fingerprints from May 2008, under a bill approved by the Chamber of Deputies. The legislation, already passed by the Senate, must now be signed by the president.

    Author: Ian Willoughby
  • 03/15/2006

    A teenage boy has been arrested in connection with the killing of the mayor of the village of Liberk in east Bohemia. Mayor Jana Mala, who was 43, was found dead in her home on Tuesday morning. The youth, who cannot be named for age reasons, faces up to 10 years in prison if found guilty.

    Author: Ian Willoughby
  • 03/15/2006

    A cook at a children's home in Horni Slavkov, west Bohemia has been taken into custody on suspicion of sexually abusing four boys. According to press reports, the suspect is the head of an organisation called Circle of Friends of Children's Homes.

    Author: Ian Willoughby

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