News of Radio Prague
Polish MP accuses Czech police of lies, files charges
A Polish MP who arrested a Polish murder suspect on Czech territory and transported him across the border into Poland last week has filed charges against the Czech police. MP Krzysztof Rutkowski, who is also a private detective, said the police in the Czech town of Cesky Tesin had lied when they said he had refused to hand the suspect over to them, and had carried the man across the border in a diplomatic car. Mr Rutkowski told journalists on Tuesday that the Czech police had created an international scandal. Poland has already officially apologised to the Czech Republic for Mr Rutkowski's behaviour.
Havel satisfied Czech Republic is stable, transformation continuing
With four months of his term remaining, President Vaclav Havel has said he is satisfied that the Czech Republic is relatively stable and that the transformation process is continuing. Mr Havel told journalists on Tuesday, however, that it was in his character to be more aware of what had not been achieved than what had been achieved since the fall of communism in 1989. Both houses of parliament will vote for a successor to Mr Havel after his retirement at the beginning of February.
UK deports another group of Czech asylum seekers
The authorities in Great Britain have deported another group of Czech asylum seekers. A plane carrying almost 50 Czechs denied asylum in Britain landed in Prague on Tuesday afternoon; it was the fourth such mass deportation in recent weeks. The number of Czechs seeking asylum in Britain - most of whom are Romanies - is constantly increasing, according to UK authorities. On Monday the British Home Secretary, David Blunkett, said that the Czech Republic was not a dangerous country and the vast majority of its citizens did not qualify for asylum in Britain. For their part, Romanies say they suffer violence and constant discrimination in the Czech Republic.
Police launch search for boy missing since floods
The police have launched a search for a youth who has been missing since August 13, when he hitchhiked from his home town of Stara Hut to Prague to see the results of the floods. 17-year-old Vladimir Muzik has not been seen since.
Prague Jewish Museum to reopen, two months after floods
Prague's Jewish Museum is to reopen next Tuesday, two months after parts of the museum were damaged in the floods. The Pinkas Synagogue however is expected to be closed for another year, a spokesperson for the Jewish Museum said on Tuesday. The lower part of the synagogue was under 1.5 metres of water, and considerable damage was done to the inscriptions of the names of 80,000 Czech Jewish holocaust victims.
Weather
Wednesday should be sunny in places with occasional showers. The maximum temperature will be 13 degrees Celsius.
