Section Archive Current Affairs
California man wanted over Brno murders detained after fleeing to US
Police in Brno have said an American man wanted in connection of the murder
of a Czech family in Brno has been arrested after stepping off a flight
from Vienna to Washington D.C. Twenty-year-old Kevin Dahlgren was being
sought by police in both the Czech Republic and abroad after four bodies
were discovered in the house in Brno where he was staying. According to
Czech media reports, the victims were relatives. More
Prague mayor, other Civ Dem councillors, dismissed
Members of the Prague assembly on Thursday dismissed Mayor Bohuslav Svoboda
as well as two other Civic Democrat councillors in a vote Thursday that
sees the Civic Democrats head into the opposition for the first time in
more than 20 years. The collapse of the council at City Hall was prompted
earlier this week by TOP 09, whose members said they could no longer work
with their partners on key issues. The now former mayor charged that that
was only an excuse for the party to shift gears ahead of next year’s
elections. More
Brewery sues consumer magazine over mycotoxin tests
A Czech brewery is taking the country’s leading consumer magazine to
court over tests which detected high levels of mould in one of its brews.
The Svijany brewery questions the accuracy of the findings, as additional
testing did not find increased levels of mycotoxins in its beer. In an
email leaked to the press, the brewery’s manager also says that
government subsidies for the magazine should be cut. More
President, education minister settle “Putnagate”
A controversy sparked by the Czech president’s reluctance to appoint a
university professor seems to have been resolved. Miloš Zeman’s refusal
to confer the title on Martin C. Putna, a literary historian and vocal
critic of his, caused an outcry in the academic community and beyond.
However on Wednesday, the president and the education minister struck a
deal: Mr Putna will after all be appointed professor. But he will receive
his decree from the minister rather than from the head of state himself. More
Analyst: TOP 09 in high-stakes game to secure dominant position on political right
Talks are continuing at Prague City Hall between former coalition partners
the Civic Democrats and TOP 09. On Monday, the latter quit the 11-member
council, citing concerns over the administration of key areas, including
financing, as well as problematic projects such as the overpriced Blanka
tunnel. TOP 09 have since offered the Civ Dems a new agreement, one that,
however, offers the latter fewer seats on the council and sees them lose
the post of mayor. More
Baník back from brink, but what does future hold for club?
One of the Czech Republic’s best known soccer clubs has just escaped
bankruptcy and expulsion from the first division. In fact, for a brief
period on Monday it appeared it really was curtains for Baník Ostrava. But
how have the 2004 league champions found themselves in such dire straits?
And what does the future hold for the club? More
Police uncover almost one million litres of illegal alcohol
After last year’s methanol affair in the Czech Republic, the police
redoubled efforts in uncovering bootleg liquor. A week ago, it was
confirmed Tuesday, they found three secret sites and uncovered close to one
million litres of undeclared alcohol. Earlier searches at different
warehouses around the country missed the hidden chambers as they were
sealed underground beneath metre-thick concrete. More
Zeman’s refusal to appoint professor sparks outrage
The Czech president, Miloš Zeman, has caused an outcry by saying he will
not confer the title of professor on a Charles University academic. Czech
heads of state normally just rubberstamp such decisions, and Mr. Zeman’s
position on the appointment of Martin C. Putna is wholly unprecedented. The
president has not been entirely clear on the reasons – but says he
objected to a placard the academic carried in a gay pride march. More
Swiss oust Czechs at Worlds
Earlier this week, hockey fans hoped that the Czech national team had
finally found its legs in a 7-0 drubbing of Norway. But that was as good as
things would get. Although the Czechs avoided the embarrassment of an early
exit and made the quarterfinal, they again faced tournament’s biggest
surprise this year, the Swiss, and were defeated. More
Join us on Saturday in celebrating our 90th birthday
This weekend we’ll be celebrating 90 years since the first regular radio
broadcasts in Czechoslovakia, and we’ll be bringing you a special
programme. David Vaughan has been working with a group of Prague journalism
students, to discover some of the forgotten gems hidden in the radio
archive. He tells us more about Saturday’s special programme.
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