Archive: Society | Crime Crime
Czech police race to find source of methanol poisoning outbreak
The Czech authorities continue to struggle with an outbreak of fatal
alcohol poisoning that’s so far claimed the lives of 18 people,
apparently from drinking bootleg spirits tainted with the industrial
chemical methanol. The government has banned sales of hard alcohol at
outdoor kiosks and mobile stands, and says it’s ready to ban spirits
outright if the number of deaths continues to rise. More
Government takes extraordinary measures as death toll from methanol poisonings rises
Czech authorities are still clueless regarding the source of bootleg liquor
which has killed 11 people across the country over the last six days. The
government has established a central emergency response council on
Wednesday to in an attempt to bring the situation under control, and is
considering declaring a nationwide state of emergency. More
Growing concern over public safety as police investigate bootleg liquor deaths
The Czech Republic is in the grip of a methadone scare after 11 people
suffered acute methadone poisoning from bootleg alcohol. As the number of
fatalities rises police around the country are trying to trace the source
of the contaminated liquor and issuing urgent warnings to the public. More
Explosives ordnance team to clear mortar bombs in Sava River in Bosnia
An elite police unit from Brno has headed to Bosnia and Herzegovina to
clear vestiges of the war in Bosnia 17 years ago: unexploded mortar bombs
in the winding Sava River. Divers from the elite squad – working in poor
visibility, underwater – will understandably have to proceed with extreme
caution: an estimated 150 mortar shells litter the river bottom. More
Spy games turn real as eavesdropping technology spreads
When is the last time you used your mobile phone? Did you say anything
important? Are you sure no one else was listening? There are rising
concerns in the Czech Republic about the increasingly common use of devices
that can intercept your daily mobile communication. Masha Volynsky has
more. More
The e-cigarette phenomenon - study finds a third of Czech smokers have tried the new "safe" cigarettes
Across the Czech Republic, electronic cigarettes, or e-cigarettes, have
become something of a phenomenon in the last year or so. Stores are opening
up on streets in the country’s towns and cities selling these nicotine
replacement devices. The rise of the e-cigarette in the Czech Republic
mirrors its growing popularity for smokers seeking to kick the habit across
much of the world. But questions persist. Are they safe? Do they work? The
Czech government is currently debating new regulations to ban them from
places where smoking is already prohibited. Doctor Eva Králíková runs the
Prague-based Czech Centre for Tobacco Addiction. Her organization has just
undertaken a study, which found that more than one-third of Czech smokers
have tried e-cigarettes. I asked her for the medical perspective: More
US metal singer arrested in Prague on manslaughter charges “awaiting release” on bail
The singer of the US heavy metal band Lamb of God, Randy Blythe, who was
arrested in Prague last month on manslaughter charges, is awaiting release
from prison. On Wednesday, the Prague Municipal Court doubled Mr Blythe’s
original bail of 200,000 US dollars, which has already been raised by the
band. The singer faces accusations that during the band’s 2010 Prague
concert, he pushed a 19-year-old fan off the stage who later succumbed to
his injuries. Mr Blythe’s Czech attorney, Martin Radvan, says the heavy
metal singer should be out of jail any day now. More
Kidnapped newborn found in Germany
A three-week-old baby girl who was kidnapped by an unidentified man in the
region of Ústí nad Labem last week has been found safe and sound.
Following an intense police search in both the Czech Republic and
neighboring Germany, police learned the whereabouts of the child and four
suspects on Monday. Now the newborn will be reunited with her family. More
Czech police bust massive marihuana grow op with sealed-in gardener
Czech police have busted the largest marihuana grow operation ever
discovered in the country. Last month, officers from the national anti-drug
unit found nearly 6,000 cannabis plants at four different sites in western
Bohemia, and arrested 13 members of a Czech-Vietnamese gang, the police
said on Thursday. The police also detained a Vietnamese man who was sealed
in at one of the facilities and forced to care for the plants. More
President vetoes controversial banishment bill
Czech President Václav Klaus on Tuesday vetoed a controversial bill which
would give towns the power to banish repeat offenders without permanent
residence from their territory for up to three months. Authors of the
legislation say it will provide a much needed tool to fight petty crime and
misdemeanours. But the president sided with the bill’s critics and said
it might be in breach of the constitution. More
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