Czech soldiers relieve colleagues in Afghanistan
A Bohemian Hall dispute probably behind Czech consul's dismissal ...
Rice says Czechs might travel to USA visa-free by year end ...
Czechs donate three more helicopters to Afghanistan ... contingent from the Czech Army has left for Afghanistan where it will take over from other Czech troops serving in a provincial reconstruction team.
More Czech soldiers will join the fresh contingent in the course of this month. Two hundred Czech soldiers and civilians will spend six months supporting the central government and Afghan security services in the province of Lowgar, as well as working on humanitarian projects and reconstruction. Two Czech soldiers died in a suicide bombing in Lowgar earlier this year.
Rock musician Kocáb standing for the Greens in Senate elections
The musician Michael Kocáb has confirmed he is going to stand for the Green Party in elections to the Senate this autumn. However, he said he would withdraw his candidature if the Greens moved to the left under Dana Kuchtová, who is set to challenge chairman Martin Bursík for the leadership next month. Mr Kocáb, who leads the rock group Pražský výběr, played a leading role in the Velvet Revolution and was a Civic Forum deputy. He oversaw the withdrawal of Soviet troops from Czechoslovakia and was an advisor to Václav Havel during Mr Havel’s presidency.
Publication of neo-Nazi book not a crime in Czech Republic, says analysis for police
A notorious neo-Nazi book cannot be banned in the Czech Republic, the website tyden.cz reported. The Czech police commissioned a legal analysis of The Turner Diaries after it was published in Czech for the first time earlier this year. The report states that no crime was committed in connection with the publication of the so-called “neo-Nazi bible”, a spokesperson for the Prague police told tyden.cz. Police are not satisfied with its findings and have now requested a second analysis. The Turner Diaries, which describes an Aryan revolution that leads to the extermination of the world’s non-white peoples, is banned in other European states.
Four hundred attend neo-Nazi rock concert near Brno
Around 400 people attended a neo-Nazi rock concert at Ochoz near Brno on Saturday evening. The event was monitored by hundreds of police officers. One of the organisers said the attentions of the state and the media had put off some would-be attendees, while most of the far-right rock groups slated to play at the outdoor concert also pulled out. Another such event is planned for the Pardubice area in east Bohemia the weekend after next.
Experts on extremism have told the Czech Press Agency they believe the Czech far right is planning to try to enter politics at the national level. The neo-Nazis long-term strategy involves a concerted effort to not break the law in order to gain broader support with an eye to eventually entering Parliament, a member of the Czech Helsinki Committee said. The Interior Ministry recently said it would put more energy into monitoring far-right groups.
Controversial politician Jiří Čunek to be subject of feature film
There are plans to make a feature film about the controversial Christian Democrats leader and deputy prime minister Jiří Čunek. The movie will be directed by Robert Sedláček, who is best known for the 2006 picture Rules of Lies. While the lead role has yet to be filled, the director told the idnes.cz website that the part of Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg would be played by the Slovak actor and director Martin Huba. Minister Schwarzenberg had at one point seemed ready to quit the cabinet if Mr Čunek remained in government. The latter has been the subject of financial scandals and also made headlines over evidently racist comments he made about the Czech Republic’s Roma minority.
Czechs keeping more cash at home
Czechs have around CZK 60 billion (USD 3.9 billion) in cash in their homes, according to a study by the Czech Statistical Office. The average Czech has around CZK 6,000 in cash, the report said. The figures represent an estimated fifty percent increase on those for 2006. The increase has been attributed to very low interest rates on money held in bank accounts.
Uherské Hradiště Film School comes to close
The 34th Uherské Hradiště Film School came to end in the south Moravian town on Sunday. Nearly 400 short and feature length films were shown over a week and a half. Among the guests this year were the great Czech director Jan Švankmajer, Slovak director Juraj Jakubisko and the writer Pavel Kohout. Accompanying events such as lectures and rock concerts were also held at the film school, which this year was under new management.
Weather
It should be quite sunny with rain at times over the next few days. Temperatures will reach up to 26 degrees Celsius.
(radio-Prague)
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