• President Klaus vetoes bill on witness immunity
    09/17/2005

    President Vaclav Klaus has vetoed a law under which accused felons could have received legal immunity in return for their testimony in serious criminal cases. Mr Klaus refused to sign the bill on the grounds that it had been previously rejected by the Senate; he said the consent of both houses of parliament was necessary for such an important piece of legislation. It will now be returned to the Chamber of Deputies.
    Author: Ian Willoughby

  • Grenbenicek makes no mention of "resignation" at Communist festival
    09/17/2005

    The chairman of the Communist Party, Miroslav Grebenicek, made no mention of his stated intention to resign during a speech at a festival organised by the Communist newspaper Halo noviny. Mr Grebenicek said less than a week ago he was going to step down as party leader. During Saturday's address, however, he merely said the Communists should "pull on the same rope".
    Author: Ian Willoughby

  • Low turnout for ParoubTek protest techno festival
    09/17/2005

    A techno music festival entitled ParoubTek intended as a protest against the police's break-up of a previous festival, CzechTek, has not attracted large crowds. On Saturday evening around 500 dancers were reported to be at the event, which is being held at the same venue in west Bohemia as CzechTek.
    Author: Ian Willoughby

  • Prague public transport system celebrates 130th anniversary
    09/17/2005

    The Prague public transport system held an open day on Saturday, marking the 130th anniversary of its foundation. The city's first, horse-drawn tram went into operation in September 1875; its route was from the National Theatre to Karlin.
    Author: Ian Willoughby

  • Jukebox memorial to underground rocker Hlavsa opened in Prague
    09/17/2005

    A memorial to underground rock musician Milan "Mejla" Hlavsa has been opened at a building on Prague's Jecna Street where he lived during the 1970s. The memorial is in the form of a jukebox which, for ten crowns, plays his best-known song, "Muchomurky bile".
    Author: Ian Willoughby

  • Czech footballer Skacel sets new goals record in Scottish league
    09/17/2005

    Czech football player Rudolf Skacel has set a new record in the Scottish Premier League, after scoring in seven games in a row. Skacel, who is 26, scored the only goal of Hearts' game against Inverness on Saturday.
    Author: Ian Willoughby

  • Police identify murder suspect
    09/16/2005

    The police say they have identified the man who shot a television technician in a Prague park this week. According to investigators the offender is an aggressive drug addict who had been previously been sentenced for acts of violence. The offender is believed to have been under the influence of drugs and was threatening a young woman in the park with a gun when the television technician came to her assistance. The offender turned on him and fired two shots without warning. The technician died that night after undergoing extensive surgery. Police have launched a nation wide search for the murder suspect.
    Author: Daniela Lazarová

  • More Iraqi children to be operated on in the Czech Republic
    09/16/2005

    Doctors in Prague's Motol hospital will perform surgery on another group of Iraqi children who have serious heart defects and could not be helped in their homeland. The small patients were selected by Czech doctors working in a field hospital in Basra. A total of twenty six critically ill Iraqi children have so far undergone surgery in the Czech Republic. The latest group will arrive in Prague accompanied by two Iraqi doctors who will attend a three months training course in this country. Motol hospital has agreed to train a number of Iraqi doctors so that they can set up a specialized cardio unit in the own country.
    Author: Daniela Lazarová

  • Techno party in west Bohemia
    09/16/2005

    Some 1,000 young people are expected to attend another techno party in west Bohemia at the weekend. The rave is taking place on the exact same spot where the police cracked down on a techno party earlier this summer. Its organizers say they have rented the respective plot of land from Friday until Tuesday and want to continue with the party that was broken up by the police. The event has been named ParoubTek after Prime Minister Paroubek whom they hold responsible for the police crack-down. The police are monitoring the situation.
    Author: Daniela Lazarová

  • Efforts to secure Krejcir's extradition continue
    09/16/2005

    The Czech police and Foreign Ministry continue in their efforts to try and secure the extradition of Czech billionaire Radovan Krejcir from the Seychelles. Krejcir, who escaped to the Seychelles in June is wanted for extensive fraud, conspiracy to murder, illegal arms possession and tax evasion. The Seychelles and the Czech Republic do not have an extradition treaty, but at the request of the Czech police and Interpol the local authorities say they have taken steps to ensure that Krejcir does not leave the islands.
    Author: Daniela Lazarová

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