News

People in the Czech Republic have been marking the 58th anniversary of liberation from the Nazis. Ceremonies were held across the country. In the town of Plzen in West Bohemia a procession of army vehicles drove through the city centre, to mark the arrival in May 1945 of U.S. troops led by General Patton. Meanwhile in the capital Prague, politicians and ordinary people remembered the 3,000 soldiers and civilians who died in the popular uprising, one of the last battles of the Second World War. A special ceremony was held outside the Czech Radio building, which played a crucial role in the uprising.

The Prime Minister, Vladimir Spidla, has warned that low turnout in June's referendum would play into the hands of the Communist Party, who are campaigning for a "No" vote. Mr Spidla called on people to take part in the poll, which is being held on June 13th and 14th.

A second test by Brno hospital officials to determine whether a man who died of pneumonia over the weekend may have been infected with SARS - has failed to uncover any evidence of the deadly virus. The victim had been suspected of having the disease, after having recently travelled to the Czech Republic from Southeast Asia; he died in hospital on Saturday. An autopsy was first conducted to determine whether the man suffered from Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, or SARS, which has swept Asia and Canada, but so far has not been detected in the Czech Republic. In recent weeks Czech hospitals in the country's main cities have quarantined and examined some 26 people for the disease. None have tested positive so far.

Foreign Minister Cyril Svoboda has indicated he wants the National Security Office to increase the speed of vetting of candidates become members of the permanent Czech mission to the European Union. On Wednesday he requested the government give this task to the head of the National Security Office Tomas Kadlec. In Mr Svoboda's view vetting is clearly necessary with regards to the activities of diplomatic and non-diplomatic personnel, but after the government meeting on Wednesday he expressed dismay that 530 cases at the Foreign Ministry remain incomplete, 120 of those requests dating back to1999. Mr Svoboda wants the government to set specific deadlines for the vetting process. He stressed the importance of the procedure for completing the European agenda, as well as for the setting of Czech representation in Brussels.