• Gross denies alleged link between Unipetrol corruption scandal and purchase of his flat
    09/12/2005

    The leader of the Social Democrats, former prime minister Stanislav Gross has rejected the statements of some Polish MPs who link the Unipetrol corruption scandal with the controversy surrounding the purchase of Mr Gross's Prague apartment. Stanislav Gross denied the allegations saying the sale of Unipetrol to the Polish company PKN Orlen was approved by the government of Prime Minister Vladimir Spidla last year whereas Mr Gross bought his flat in 1999. Some Czech media suggest that the privatisation of the oil and chemicals group Unipetrol might have been manipulated and bribes amounting to hundreds of millions of crowns were involved.
    Author: Pavla Horáková

  • Christian Democrats not to support removal from office of Supreme State Attorney
    09/12/2005

    One of the two smaller parties in the ruling coalition, the Christian Democrats, have said they will not support the removal from office of the Supreme State Attorney Marie Benesova proposed by the Justice Minister Pavel Nemec of the Freedom Union. The Christian Democrats say they are convinced that politicians must not influence decisions in criminal cases. Relations between Ms Benesova and Mr Nemec have been tense for several months because of certain criminal cases and the crisis culminated a few days ago when Minister Nemec launched disciplinary proceedings against the Supreme State Attorney.
    Author: Pavla Horáková

  • BIS: Czech counter-intelligence played role in thwarting planned attack
    09/11/2005

    Jiri Lang, the head of BIS - the Czech counter-intelligence agency - has revealed that the agency recently helped thwart the planning of a terrorist attack within the European Union. Mr Lang made the statement on a news discussion programme on Sunday but refused to elaborate on further details, including whether any Czechs were involved. Public broadcaster Czech TV has pointed to a group recently arrested in Spain for planning an attack. According to BIS head Jiri Lang there are some links in the Czech Republic between individuals and the financing of terrorism. He indicated on the programme that counter-intelligence was following all suspicious leads.
    Author: Jan Velinger

  • Poll: majority of Czechs feel large-scale attack unlikely in Czech Rep
    09/11/2005

    In related news, a poll conducted by the SC&C agency for the Czech daily Mlada Fronta Dnes has suggested that a majority of Czechs do not feel threatened by the possibility of a terrorist attack. Of 381 questioned some 70 percent said similar attacks to those that hit New York and Washington four years ago, or London this year, were unlikely in the Czech Republic. Interior Minister Frantisek Bublan said on Saturday that that the risk of attacks could never be ruled out, especially since the Czech Republic is both an EU member and a member of NATO.

    In September Czech officials have planned exercises on the Prague metro line to analyse how effectively the city would respond to a terrorist strike.
    Author: Jan Velinger

  • Czech Republic sends first humanitarian aid to US
    09/11/2005

    On Sunday the Czech Republic sent its first delivery of humanitarian aid for victims of hurricane Katrina in the United States. Comprising some 24,000 blankets, 600 camp beds, as well as a number of hall-sized tents, the aid is the first of its kind from the Czech Republic to the US. Its sending was coordinated within NATO, also the first time the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation has taken part in organised aid to the United States.

    The US Ambassador to Prague, William Cabaniss, was on hand at a ceremony on Sunday to accept the aid offer, noting the symbolism of the gesture on September 11th, four years after New York and Washington were struck by the terrorist attacks.

    The Czech aid package is worth 25 million crowns, the equivalent of around one million US dollars. The Czech Republic is also ready to provide part of a field hospital, fire-fighters, and experts in removing environmental damage.
    Author: Jan Velinger

  • Czech police to send officials to Seychelles in Krejcir case
    09/11/2005

    Czech police say they will send two officials to the Seychelles this week to negotiate with authorities over the possibility to extradite Czech fugitive Radovan Krejcir, a businessman wanted on fraud charges as well as allegedly planning the murder of a customs official. Krejcir fled the Czech Republic two months ago and was later joined on the Seychelles by his wife and son. On Friday it was revealed that all three now have Seychelles citizenship. The Czech Republic does not have an extradition treaty with that country. The Justice Minister Pavel Nemec has suggested it is unlikely the fugitive businessman will be handed over. Mr Krejcir's wife is also wanted by Czech police.
    Author: Jan Velinger

  • Unmanned plane crashes on "NATO Day"
    09/11/2005

    An unmanned plane flown at an exhibition during NATO Day on Saturday held in the north Moravian town of Mosnov, crashed shortly after take-off. But, a spokesman has said the public was not in any danger. Further details are to be released by the Czech Army on Monday. The plane, a "Sojka" which weighs some 140 kilograms and has a wing span of four metres, was hit by strung winds before going down.
    Author: Jan Velinger

  • Milena Hubschmannova, founder of Roma studies in Czech Republic, dies in car crash
    09/11/2005

    One of the founders of Roma studies in the Czech Republic, Milena Hubshmannova, was killed on Thursday in a car crash in South Africa. One other person, a South African man, also died and three others were seriously injured. Hubshmannova, a professor at Prague's Charles University, was born in 1933 and was one of the Czech Republic's foremost specialists in Roma culture. After the fall of communism in 1989 she helped found the department of Roma Studies at Charles University. Other projects included numerous translations from Romany to Czech. Milena Hubschmannova was 72.
    Author: Jan Velinger

  • Lendl named to US Open's Hall of Fame
    09/11/2005

    Retired tennis star Ivan Lendl will be named on Sunday to the US Open's Hall of Fame. The Czech-born player won the final three times at Flushing Meadows in the years 1985 - 88. In all, Lendl appeared in 8 finals, tying Bill Tilden's record from 1918 - 1925. Lendl, who became a US citizen in 1982, played some of his most memorable matches against US-born player Jimmy Connors and American star John McEnroe.
    Author: Jan Velinger

  • Jagr Rangers bound
    09/11/2005

    Czech ice hockey star has departed for the US to return to the NHL, where he will honour his commitment to the New York Rangers. The forward, who led the Czechs to gold at this year's World Ice Hockey Championships in Vienna, played in Europe throughout the NHL lockout, first for his hometown of Kladno, and then Russia's Omsk. Departing on Sunday from Ruzyne airport Jagr was in good humour, reportedly telling journalists he hoped to shed a few extra pounds during training camp.
    Author: Jan Velinger

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