News

Police arrest man who shot at Václav Klaus with plastic gun

The police arrested a man who shot at President Václav Klaus during a bridge-opening ceremony in Chrastava, in northern Bohemia, on Friday afternoon. The 26-year-old man, dressed in camouflage, put his plastic airsfot gun to Mr Klaus’ left side from up close and fired several plastic pellets. The president suffered no injuries but underwent medical test after his return to Prague. After the shooting, the attacker walked away and told TV Nova station he did it in prostest of the government's policies which "starved a third of the nation". He said he was a manual worker, and gave his political affiliation as communist but said he was not active in the party. He was then apprehended by the president’s security service who handed him over to the police. President Klaus, who arrived in Chrastava after attending an event marking the holiday of St Wenceslas earlier in the day, displayed annoyance at his security service, and said the attacker deserved "a few slaps".

Czech politicians condemn attack on President Klaus

Several Czech politicians condemned Friday’s attack on Václav Klaus. Prime Minister Petr Nečas said people had the right to express their views but that these expressions should not exceed acceptable norms. Communist leader Vojtěch Filip said his party distanced themselves from the attack, and condemned violence. Social Democrat deputy chair Lubomír Zaorálek said the attack was “unbelievable” and blamed the president’s security service for letting the attacker close to Mr Klaus.

Methanol crisis: three people remain in hospital in critical condition

Three people intoxicated with methanol remain in critical condition in hospitals in the north-east of the country. A 43-year-old man, who was earlier this week hospitalized in Havířov, showed signs of improvement on Friday, doctors said. Another two people – a 60-year-old and a 58-year-old men – are in an Ostrava hospital; their condition has been reported as stable. 26 people have died in the recent outbreak of methanol poisoning in the country while dozens have been hospitalized.

Czechs commemorate holiday of St Wenceslas

Czechs commemorate Saint Wenceslas, the nation’s patron saint, on Friday, a public holiday entitled the Day of Czech Statehood. More than 2,000 people attend the traditional pilgrimage in Stará Boleslav, north-east of Prague, where Wenceslas was assassinated by his brother on September 28, 935. Czech President Václav Klaus, Prague Archbishop Dominik Duka and other dignitaries are to take part in the event. Prague’s Wenceslas Square, named after the saint, will on Friday see a historic procession complete with Saint Wenceslas riding a horse.

Wenceslas, from the Přemyslid dynasty, was the duke of Bohemia from 921 until his assassination 14 years later. He is considered a the founder of the historic Bohemian state, and has been worshiped as a martyr and a saint.

President Klaus calls for more vocal defence of national traditions

Speaking at the St Wenceslas pilgrimage in Stará Boleslav on Friday, President Václav Klaus called for “more vocal defence” of national traditions. That would benefit the “inner unity” of the Czech nation and state and its prosperity, he said. The Czech president again warned against the decline of traditional European values brought about by the “integration experiment”. For his part, Plzeň’s Bishop František Radkovský asked people not to allow a new form of dictatorship to appear as a result of the ongoing moral crisis and issues with democracy.

First name Václav coming out of fashion

Václav is one of traditional Czech names but it is going out of fashion, the news agency ČTK reported on Friday. According to government statistics, there are nearly 133,000 men and boys named Václav living in the country, some 20,000 fewer than two decades ago. Its currently the 17th most popular name in the country. Around 6,600 Czech women bear the female version of the name, Václava.

President Klaus says Czech Rep. should foster relations with China

The Czech Republic should foster its relations with China, according to Czech President Václav Klaus. Speaking at a reception at the Chinese embassy in Prague, Mr Klaus said Czechs should boost ties between the two countries rather than strain them with “unnecessary obstacles”. For his part, Chinese ambassador Yu Qingtai said his country was set to continue with its reforms and opening up to the world.

Mr Klaus’ remarks came a few weeks after Czech Prime Minister Petr Nečas suggested Czech support for the Dalai Lama and the imprisoned members of the Russian group Pussy Riot hurt Czech trade with China and Russia, respectively.

Football: Plzeň’s Limberský fined for faking foul

The Czech Football Association handed a fine of 40,000 crowns, or around 2,000 US dollars to Viktoria Plzeň midfielder David Limberský for faking a foul, and for his post-match remarks. In the Czech top division’s seventh-round game between Plzeň and Sparta Prague, Limberský dived inside the penalty area; the referee awarded Plzeň a penalty kick thanks to which the home side won 1:0. After the game, Limberský said Sparta won its 20 league titles with help from referees. Viktoria Plzeň later apologized to Sparta for the comment. The referee was banned for five top division games.

Weather

The weekend will be mostly overcast with some rain showers, mainly in the west. Daytime highs should range between 16 and 20 degrees Celsius.