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September 6th, 2008
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March 12th, 2008 | Current Issue

Facing prison
Iranian court sentences radio journalist Parnaz Azima to a year behind bars

Pařížská shooting linked to mafias
Police suspect incident is part of ongoing war between crime groups

Court refuses to extradite fugitive
South African ruling frees Krejčíř with bizarre reasoning

New era in Czech-Cuban relations
Officials and Cuban émigrés look to the post-Fidel period

Little hope for dirty transit stations
As city officials pass the buck, metro and tram stops get worse

Training for police recruits cut back
Staff shortages mean quality of instruction could be compromised

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BRIEFS


SPAIN Prime Minister José Luis Rodriguez Zapatero promised a new age in Spanish politics, after he won another four-year term in office. His Socialist Party won 169 seats, which was five more than in the last election, but still short of an absolute majority, the BBC reported March 10.

SERBIA Following the collapse of Prime Minister Vojislav Koštunica’s governing coalition, the Serbian government is urging President Boris Tadić to dissolve Parliament and hold an early election, possibly in May. Serbia’s coalition partners disagree over the best strategy for the future and whether the central issue is ties with the European Union or Kosovo’s independence, the BBC reported March 10.
UK Britain’s weather service issued severe weather warnings March 10, as strong winds and rains caused major travel complications, including at least 54 flight cancellations at Heathrow and Gatwick airports. Tug boats and lifeboats were also dispatched to assist area vessels in distress, CNN reported.  
AUSTRIA A 27-year-old man suspected of setting fire to the state prosecutor’s office in Salzburg was arrested March 10 by local authorities, the Associated Press reported. The man, whose motive is unknown, confessed to pouring a flammable liquid on the prosecutor’s desk, starting a blaze that destroyed documents and furniture.
EUROPE A European spacecraft was launched from French Guiana March 9 to bring supplies to the International Space Station. The unmanned, 20-ton ship is the biggest and most complex spacecraft Europe has ever attempted to put into orbit, according to a BBC report. It is expected to dock with the space station in April.
BELARUS Belarus said it was withdrawing its ambassador from Washington, in reaction to sanctions imposed by the United States over its crackdown on political opposition and the press. In addition, Belarus demanded that Washington likewise withdraw its ambassador from Minsk, The New York Times reported March 8.
POLAND President Lech Kaczyński has promised to restore citizenship to thousands of Jews who were expelled from the country by communists in 1968, the BBC reported March 8. About 15,000 Jews in 1968 were blamed for student unrest, stripped of Polish citizenship and ordered out of the country.

SCHENGEN Interior Minister Ivan Langer signed a memorandum March 10 granting non-Schengen nationals a grace period as they wait for long-term visas. Effective until June 30, the grace period applies only to citizens of visa-free countries who applied for a visa since Dec. 21, but haven’t received it yet due to the length of the procedure, according to a U.S. Embassy statement.

RACISM The Senate Immunity Committee will begin investigating independent Senator Liana Janáčková for racist comments she allegedly made in 2005, committee deputy chairman Moroslav Pelc told the Czech News Agency (ČTK) March 10. Police requested that Janáčková be stripped of her diplomatic immunity amid allegations that she called the Roma community in her jurisdiction “overpopulated” and suggested their removal with dynamite.
VISAS The government came under criticism from members of the European Parliament March 10 for its recently signed visa waiver agreement with the United States, ČTK reported. Calling the agreement illegal due to a clause that grants U.S. authorities unprecedented access to private data regarding Czech citizens, the parliament members called on the European Commission to freeze all such bilateral agreements.
ISRAEL In a March 10 meeting with his Israeli counterpart Ehud Olmert in Jerusalem, Prime Minister Mirek Topolánek backed Israel’s fight against terrorism and spoke in support of stronger Czech involvement in the Middle East, ČTK reported. The Czech Republic will help arrange a peace agreement in the Middle East, Topolánek said.
TIBET About 100 people met outside the Chinese embassy in Prague March 10, carrying banners and Tibetan flags, and lighting candles in commemoration of the 49th anniversary of the Tibetan uprising against Chinese oppression, according to ČTK. The demonstration, part of the Day of Tibet, was organized by Amnesty International.
PENSIONS The government approved March 10 an amendment to the pension law, which would grant pensioners an additional monthly allowance of 465 Kč as of August, ČTK reported. The law is a reaction to this year’s 7.5 percent price increase — the highest in the past 10 years.

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