• Suspended sentence for conman who flew around world on government planes
    09/21/2005

    Lukas Kohout, a young man who pretended to be an assistant of the foreign minister and travelled the world on government planes, has received a two-year suspended sentence. Two co-defendants were also given suspended sentences by the Prague 1 district court on Wednesday.
    Author: Ian Willoughby

  • Czech boxer wins WBO title in Prague
    09/21/2005

    Czech boxer Lukas Konecny has won the WBO junior middleweight intercontinental title, knocking out Anderson Clayton of Brazil in the third round of their bout at Prague's T-Mobile Arena on Tuesday. The win means Konecny could compete for the European title in the spring, opening the way to a lucrative fight in the United States.
    Author: Ian Willoughby

  • Poborsky steps down as Sparta Prague captain
    09/21/2005

    Karel Poborsky, the biggest star in the Czech football league, has resigned as captain of Sparta Prague. There has been some speculation recently that Poborsky does not see eye to eye with the club's manager, Jaroslav Hrebik.
    Author: Ian Willoughby

  • Vera radar to be loaned to Pakistan
    09/20/2005

    The Czech Industry and Trade Ministry has approved a loan of the Vera radar system to Pakistan. The Vera radar is a sophisticated device which can, for example, pick-up U.S. stealth aircraft without being detected itself. A spokesman for the ministry said the equipment was being loaned not sold. Earlier this year the Unites States showed interest in buying the radar system and the Czech Republic plans to put it at NATOs disposal next year.
    Author: Daniela Lazarová

  • Doctors threaten to go on strike
    09/20/2005

    Private physicians are threatening to go on strike in protest of the poor payment morale of some insurance companies, in particular the leading Czech insurance company VZP. Physicians say the situation has become untenable and is endangering their livelihood. They are considering closing their offices for three days during which time emergency medical care should be provided by hospital wards. The president of the Czech Doctors Association David Rath has offered to meet with the head of the VZP insurance company to discuss a way out of the company's dire financial situation.
    Author: Daniela Lazarová

  • Ex-president Havel appeals for UN initiative to bring reforms to Burma
    09/20/2005

    Ex president Vaclav Havel and retired South African bishop Desmond Tutu have called for a UN initiative to bring reforms to military-ruled Burma or Myanmar. They say that the situation there is far more serious that in other countries where the Security Council had previously intervened, such as Afghanistan or Rwanda. Mr. Havel and Bishop Desmond Tutu commissioned a special report showing how far the situation in Burma had deteriorated under the present regime and they appealed to the Security Council for immediate multilateral action.
    Author: Daniela Lazarová

  • Bublan wants Husak to be appointed police president
    09/20/2005

    Interior Minister Frantisek Bublan will once again ask the Cabinet to officially appoint Vladislav Husak police president. The minister failed to push through Mr. Husak's appointment earlier this summer due to opposition from the Christian Democrats who only agreed to let him serve in the post on a temporary basis. Mr. Husak is considered a controversial choice since he was the officer directly responsible for the police action to end the techno party CzechTek, which left scores of people injured on both sides.

    The police has been severely criticized not only in connection with the crack down on CzechTek, but more recently for failing to intervene during a neo-Nazi concert at which participants did the Nazi salute and chanted racist slogans. The acting police president Vladislav Husak said on Tuesday the police had been inadequately prepared to deal with the situation at the neo-Nazi gathering.
    Author: Daniela Lazarová

  • PM comments on Germany's elections
    09/19/2005

    Prime Minister Jiri Paroubek of the Social Democrats has said the election results in neighbouring Germany could be motivating for his party and inspiring for the voters. Prime Minister Paroubek emphasised the fact that Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder's Social Democrats got only three seats fewer than the Christian Democrats whom pre-election opinion polls had suggested would be the clear winners. Mr Paroubek also said such a balanced election result in Germany was favourable for Czech national interests and could not be expected to bring any changes in Czech-German relations.
    Author: Pavla Horáková

  • Poll: Civic Democrats would take 32.8 of vote
    09/19/2005

    A poll by the STEM agency suggests that if elections were held today in the Czech Republic, the opposition right-of-centre Civic Democrats would be the winners, with 32.8 percent of the vote. The ruling Social Democrats would come second with 21.1 percent, followed by the Communists with 13.5 percent. The next general elections in the Czech Republic are scheduled for mid-next year.
    Author: Pavla Horáková

  • Paroubek wants Bublan to submit information on neo-Nazi concert
    09/19/2005

    Prime Minister Jiri Paroubek has asked Interior Minister Frantisek Bublan to explain why police did not intervene during Saturday's concert of neo-Nazi bands in south Bohemia, although racist slogans and the "Sieg Heil" Nazi salute were chanted at the concert. The lower house defence and security committee will discuss the matter on Tuesday.
    Author: Pavla Horáková

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