• Schwarzenberg: deportation shows nervousness of unsure regime
    05/21/2005

    Czech senator Karel Schwarzenberg has been commenting on his expulsion from Cuba on Thursday, in the latest in a series of diplomatic rows between Havana and Prague. Speaking in Paris on his way back to the Czech Republic, Mr Schwarzenberg said his deportation had been quick and had passed without incident. But he added that Cuba's "exaggerated" reaction showed the nervousness of a regime visibly unsure of itself. Senator Schwarzenberg had planned to attend an unprecedented meeting of opponents of the Castro regime.
    Author: Ian Willoughby

  • Lower house chairman Zaoralek leads delegation to North Korea
    05/21/2005

    A delegation from the Czech lower house led by chairman Lubomir Zaoralek has begun a three-day visit to North Korea. The Czech MPs are due to discuss both a possible resumption of six-nation talks on North Korea's nuclear programme and co-operation between their two countries with officials in Pyongyang. Mr Zaoralek is the most senior official from Prague to visit North Korea since the foundation of the Czech Republic.
    Author: Ian Willoughby

  • Czech PM Jiri Paroubek to meet Tony Blair in London on Monday
    05/21/2005

    The Czech prime minister, Jiri Paroubek, is due to meet his British counterpart Tony Blair in London on Monday, as part of a two-day visit to the United Kingdom. The two leaders are expected to discuss the European Union constitution, further expansion of the EU and the Czech military presence in Iraq. Mr Paroubek will also decorate Czech war veterans at the country's embassy in London.
    Author: Ian Willoughby

  • Czech Army flies Russian MiG 21 jets for last time
    05/21/2005

    After 44 years the Czech Army has stopped using Russian made MiG 21 fighter planes, with the "last farewell" at a ceremony at Caslav airbase in central Bohemia on Saturday. In recent years most of the Army's MiGs were not functional; they have been replaced by Swedish made Gripen jets.
    Author: Ian Willoughby

  • Prague Foreigners Police extend hours due to long queues, chaos
    05/21/2005

    The Foreigners Police in Prague are to extend their opening hours from the beginning of next week, in order to deal with extremely long queues of foreigners applying for residence in the Czech Republic. The Interior Ministry said on Friday that the chaotic situation at the police's office on Prague's Olsanska Street had been due to both a rise in the number of applicants and new regulations which accompanied accession to the European Union.
    Author: Ian Willoughby

  • Project to film Hrabal novel I Served the King of England presented at Cannes
    05/21/2005

    The Czech Film Centre has presented a project to film Bohumil Hrabal's novel I Served the King of England at its stand at the Cannes Film Festival in France. The film is being made by director Jiri Menzel, best known for the Oscar-winning Closely Observed Trains, which is also based on a Hrabal novel.
    Author: Ian Willoughby

  • Jazz legend Herbie Hancock appears at Prague Spring
    05/21/2005

    One of the highlights of this year's Prague Spring classical music festival is taking place on Saturday night, when the legendary jazz pianist Herbie Hancock appears at the Rudolfinum with the Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra. Hancock was a child prodigy who later played with Miles Davis for several years before releasing Headhunters, one of the biggest selling jazz albums of all time.
    Author: Ian Willoughby

  • Rising Czech tennis star Vaidisova beaten in final of Istanbul Cup
    05/21/2005

    Rising Czech tennis star Nicole Vaidisova has been beaten in the final of the Istanbul Cup by America's Venus Williams. Vaidisova only turned 16 a month ago but is already Czech women's number one. She was beaten 6-3 6-2 by Williams on Saturday, in a competition regarded as a warm-up for the French Open.
    Author: Ian Willoughby

  • Czech officials react heatedly to Schwarzenberg's expulsion from Cuba
    05/20/2005

    Czech officials and politicians have reacted heatedly to Cuba's expulsion of a Czech senator, demanding an explanation. Senator Karel Schwarzenberg was thrown out of the country late Thursday, soon after arriving to meet with Cuban dissidents. So far, Foreign Minister Cyril Svoboda has reacted by saying the expulsion was proof the Czech Republic's tough stance on Cuba was justified. Senate chairman Premysl Sobotka, meanwhile, has described the expulsion as "a blatant violation of international rights".

    Karel Schwarzenberg is the former head of the presidential office under former Czech president Vaclav Havel, himself a strong critic of Fidel Castro's regime. The European Union is to decide soon whether to reinstate diplomatic sanctions against Cuba on the basis of human rights violations. The Czech Republic has been pushing the EU not to soften its stance.
    Author: Jan Velinger

  • Prime minister, health minister & insurance companies fail to reach agreement over doctors' pay
    05/20/2005

    The prime minister, the health minister Milada Emmerova, and the heads of Czech health insurance companies failed to reach an agreement over doctors' pay on Friday, although a decision may come as early as one week's time. Doctors would like to see higher remuneration for their work, something which insurance companies are warning could raise health insurance debt from 10 to 34 billion crowns, approximately 1.5 billion US. Without a raise the head of the Czech Doctors' Association David Rath has suggested doctors could curb the number of patient - doctor meetings without having a negative effect on the quality of individual treatment, lessening the work load. The prime minister, however, has already said he was not interested in the idea of patients receiving less care. All the parties involved are expected to meet again next week to decide the issue.
    Author: Jan Velinger

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