News

Schwarzenberg raises possibility of deal with Zeman over ambassadors

The Czech minister of foreign affairs, Karel Schwarzenberg, has raised the possibility of a deal with President Miloš Zeman on the appointment of ambassadors, an issue on which the two men have been at loggerheads. In a newspaper interview, Mr. Schwarzenberg said he would propose Communist Party MEP and former cosmonaut Vladimír Remek, who enjoys Mr. Zeman’s support, for the post of envoy to Moscow, if the president approved his suggestions for other ambassadorial positions. In a separate interview, the foreign minister said former defence minister Alexandr Vondra would make a good ambassador to Israel. However, he has insisted that former first lady Lidia Klausová, who Mr. Zeman is pushing, is not qualified to become Czech ambassador to Bratislava.

Ministry of Transport officials play down bicycle register idea

The Ministry of Transport has played down a report in Mladá fronta Dnes suggesting that it is proposing the creation of central register of bicycles in a bid to reduce the number of thefts. A ministry official said on Saturday afternoon that the idea was only aimed at fostering debate on the issue of bicycle thefts. The prime minister, Petr Nečas, had said earlier in the day that a register of that type, which would cost around CZK 20 million, would only increase bureaucracy. Last year nearly 8,000 bicycles were stolen in the Czech Republic, where the total number of bikes is around 4 million, Mladá fronta Dnes said.

Death of woman from methanol poisoning 25th in Moravian-Silesian Region

A 56-year-old woman died from methanol poisoning in a hospital in Orlová, north Moravia on Friday. She was the 25th victim of methanol poisoning in the Moravia-Silesia Region, while over 40 people have died around the Czech Republic since the first such death last summer. The Ministry of Health imposed a ban on sales of all spirits for a two-week period in September in a bid to deal with a health crisis stemming from illegally-produced poisonous booze. Police are still warning against the consumption of old bottles of spirits and of alcohol of uncertain provenance lacking the correct stamps.

Saturday marks 135th anniversary of foundation of Social Democratic Party

Saturday marks the 135th anniversary of the foundation of the Social Democratic Party, which is today the Czech Republic’s largest left-wing grouping. The party was established at the Kaštan house of culture in the Prague district of Břevnov on April 7 1878 as part of the Austrian Social Democrats. Present-day leaders laid a wreath at the still-functioning Kaštan on Friday, while on Saturday an anniversary ball is being held at the National House in Prague’s Vinohrady district.

Czechs lead Kazakhstan in Davis Cup quarter-final

The Czech Republic are leading 2:1 on matches against Kazakhstan in the quarter-finals of the Davis Cup. On Friday, the Czechs – who are without the country’s men’s number one, Tomáš Berdych – got off to a perfect start when Jan Hájek and Lukáš Rosol won their singles matches to open up a 2:0 lead. However, in Saturday’s doubles rubber Hájek and Radek Štěpánek were beaten 7-6 6-4 6-3 by Evgeny Korolev and Yuriy Schukin. The Czechs are the defending Davis Cup champions after taking the trophy in Prague at the end of last year.

Rosický scores twice in Arsenal win

The Czech soccer captain Tomáš Rosický scored both goals for Arsenal in a 2:1 win over West Bromwich Albion in an English Premier League game on Saturday. They were his first league goals of the season. The midfielder, who is 32, had headed a shot of the line to prevent a West Brom lead when the score stood at 0:0. Rosický has said he will consider his future at Arsenal in the summer, after not being a regular starter this term.

Around 12,000 take part in Prague Half Marathon

Around 12,000 people took part in the Prague Half Marathon on Saturday. The race was won by Zersenay Tadese of Eritrea in a time of 1:00:10, meaning organisers’ hopes of a world record in the 15th edition of the race were dashed. The fastest of the women was Kenya’s Gladys Cheron, who set an event record of 1:06:47. The full Prague Marathon takes place on May 12.

Weather

It should be cloudy with some sunny spells in the next couple of days. Temperatures are expected to reach a maximum of 9 degrees Celsius.