15 Dead in Czech Republic After Shooting at Prague University

THE NEW YORK TIMES: The police said the suspect, who also died, first shot his father in a town outside Prague and then continued his rampage at the university.

At least 15 people were killed during a shooting rampage in the Czech Republic, on Thursday, including 14 people at Charles University in Prague and the suspect’s father, the authorities said. Twenty-four other people were wounded at the university.

The gunman, a 24-year-old student in world history at Charles University, also died. He first killed his father in their family home in the town of Kladno, outside of Prague, said Radek Jiroudek, a police officer with Interpol Prague, in an interview.

He killed himself after the shooting spree in central Prague.

The police identified the assailant as David K. Speaking at a news conference in Prague. The chief of the national police force, Martin Vondraska, said the assailant “got inspired by a similar terrible event abroad.” He did not specify where. » | Andrew Higgins and Jenny Gross | Thursday, December 21, 2023

Czech MP Comes Out as Gay after Slovakia LGBTQ+ Bar Shooting: ‘Society Is Being Radicalised’

Jiří Navrátil. (Facebook/Jiří Navrátil)
PINK NEWS: A Czech Republic MP has come out as gay in the wake of an apparent anti-LGBTQ+ shooting in neighbouring Slovakia.

Jiří Navrátil discussed his sexuality and his experiences as a gay man in an interview for Seznam, the Republic’s most used search engine.

A member of the Christian and Democratic Union in the Chamber of Deputies, he said he was prompted to come out after reports of a gun attack in Slovakia on 12 October, where two gay men were fatally shot.

The killings led to several protests in the Czech Republic, with thousands of people gathering on Prague’s Wenceslas Square on Wednesday (26 October) to protest against homophobia and calling on the government to take more action against hate.

Protesters also placed blame on governments in both the Czech Republic and Slovakia for not moving fast enough on protecting LGBTQ+ people. » | Theo Burman | Monday, October 31, 2022

Revealed: Czech PM Used Offshore Companies to Buy £13m French Mansion

THE GUARDIAN: Pandora papers reveal Andrej Babiš financed purchase via secret loans through three overseas firms

Andrej Babiš is the second-richest man in the Czech Republic. Illustration: Guardian Design
THE GUARDIAN: Pandora papers reveal Andrej Babiš financed purchase via secret loans through three overseas firms

Andrej Babiš, the billionaire Czech prime minister, is under pressure to explain a convoluted offshore structure he used to finance his purchase of a £13m mansion in the south of France.

The disclosure that Babiš controls a group of overseas companies comes as he contests a general election in the Czech Republic this week – and represents the latest embarrassing turn for a former oligarch who entered politics promising to fight corruption. Babiš is the second-richest man in the Czech Republic with a net worth of £2.7bn but his previous business dealings have provoked public protests and an ongoing clash with the EU.

Details of the secretive offshore arrangements set up by the prime minister are disclosed in the Pandora papers, the largest ever trove of leaked offshore data. The leaked documents have been shared by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists with the Guardian, the BBC and other media around the world. » | Simon Goodley, Robert Tait and Scilla Alecci | Sunday, October 3, 2021

Crown estate bought £67m London property from family of Azerbaijan ruler: Leak reveals firms linked to Aliyev family – repeatedly accused of corruption – have traded nearly £400m of UK property »

Russian tycoon’s link to alleged corruption in leaked files raises questions for Tory ministers: Leak sheds light on past offshore structure used by Viktor Fedotov, whose UK firm is seeking approval for huge UK infrastructure project »

Pandora papers live: Boris Johnson says ‘all Tory donations vetted’; Kremlin dismisses ‘unsubstantiated claims’»

Major Tory donor advised on Uzbekistan deal later found to be $220m bribe: Leak shows Mohamed Amersi helped firm with what it later accepted was ‘corrupt payment’ to then Uzbek ruler’s daughter »

Pandora Papers: Ein internationales Recherchenetz beleuchtet, wie Präsidenten, Autokraten und ein König Steuern umgehen: Dem Internationalen Netzwerk investigativer Journalisten sind fast zwölf Millionen vertrauliche Dokumente zugespielt worden. Ihre Enthüllungen belasten 35 Staats- und Regierungschefs und Hunderte von Politikerinnen und Politikern. »

Czech Republic: Anti-Islam Demonstrators Rally Outside Saudi Embassy On 9/11 Anniversary

An Anti-Islam demo called "With humor to Mecca" took place on Sunday afternoon in Prague.

Should We Fear Islam? Czech Parliament

Czech President: Migrants Should Be Fighting Isis, Not 'Invading' Europe

Milos Zeman's Christmas message was criticised
by the Czech prime minister

THE GUARDIAN: Milos Zeman says children, the old and sick deserve compassion but young single men fleeing Middle East should stay behind and take up arms

The Czech president, Milos Zeman, has called the movement of refugees into Europe “an organised invasion” and declared that young men from Syria and Iraq should stay in their countries to “take up arms” against Isis.

“I am profoundly convinced that we are facing an organised invasion and not a spontaneous movement of refugees,” said Zeman in his Christmas message to the Czech Republic.

Compassion was “possible” for refugees who were old or sick, and for children, he said but not for young men who should be back home fighting against jihadists.

“A large majority of the illegal migrants are young men in good health and single. I wonder why these men are not taking up arms to go fight for the freedom of their countries against the Islamic State,” said Zeman, who was elected Czech president in early 2013.

Fleeing their war-torn countries only served to strengthen Isis, he said. » | Agence France-Presse in Prague | Sunday, December 27, 2015

Worlds Apart: Europe Needs to Limit Liberty for the Sake of Security - Ex Czech FM

The EU has been tackling crisis after crisis in recent years – from debt to terrorism, regional conflicts and migration. And while its leaders have tried to produce collective political responses, many members are struggling to reconcile their national interests with the bloc's policies. How has this turbulence challenged the idea of European values, and is it prudent to force Europe's diverse voices to sing as one chorus? Oksana is joined by Cyril Svoboda, the former Foreign Affairs Minister of the Czech Republic, to explore these issues.

Czech Republic: Hundreds of Protesters Rally against Islam & EU Asylum Policies

At least 250 anti-European Union protesters gathered on Moravian Square in Brno to protest against "Islamisation" while calling for the exit of the Czech Republic from the continental body, Saturday. Protesters and activists held banners reading "We don't want migrants in the Czech Republic" and "No Islam, no EU."

Czech President Shocks Nations in Expletive-filled Interview

Czech president Milos Zeman

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Czech president Milos Zeman swears his way through a radio interview in English and Czech, leading to hundreds of complaints

The Czech president has come under attack from the country’s prime minister for his liberal use of profanities in a radio interview that shocked the nation.

The country’s media watchdog said it received hundreds of complaints following the Sunday night interview in which Milos Zeman demonstrated his knowledge of English expletives while littering his speech with Czech vulgarities.

“The president should not speak in such a way as it damages the reputation of the presidency, sets a bad example and does nothing for our reputation abroad,” said an angry Bohuslav Sobotka, the Czech prime minister.

Petr Fiala, leader of the opposition Civic Democrats, also joined in a chorus of disapproval emanating from across the political spectrum saying the president “no longer just pushes the limits: he exceeds them.”

“I can’t believe the Czech president spoke in such a way,” he added. » | Matthew Day in Warsaw | Tuesday, November 04, 2014

Zeman: Islam Is to Blame for Attack on Jewish Museum in Brussels

Miloš Zeman, Czech President

PRAGUE POST: Czech president says he condemns any group that targets another based on religion

Prague, May 27 (ČTK) — Islamic ideology rather than individual groups of religious fundamentalists is behind violent actions similar to the gun attack at the Jewish Museum in Brussels that killed four people, Czech President Miloš Zeman said Monday at the Israeli Embassy in Prague.

Two Israeli tourists and a member of the museum staff were killed by an unknown shooter Saturday, and another staff member died of his injuries Sunday.

Zeman's speech sharply condemning "the hideous attack" was posted on his official website today. Zeman took part in the celebration of the 66 years of independence of Israel.

"I will not be calmed down by statements that it is only small marginal groups. I believe, on the contrary, that this xenophobia and this racism or anti-Semitism stem from the very nature of the ideology on which these fanatical groups rely," Zeman said.

He said one of the sacred texts of Islam calls for the killing of Jews. » | Czech News Agency | Tuesday, May 27, 2014

Czech Election: Milos Zeman Wins Presidential Poll
BBC: Former PM Milos Zeman has won the Czech Republic's presidential election - the first time the position has been decided by direct popular vote.

He won 55% of votes in the second-round poll, compared to Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg's 45%.

Voters had braved freezing conditions to turn out in what was being seen as a nail-bitingly close poll.

Mr Zeman is seen as a hard-drinking, chain-smoking politician, known for his witty put-downs of opponents.

As president, he will represent the Czech Republic abroad and appoint candidates to the constitutional court and the central bank, but the post does not carry much day-to-day power.

Mr Zeman will replace the eurosceptic Vaclav Klaus, who steps down in March after ten years in office.

Both presidential candidates support deeper integration of the European Union. (+ video) » | Saturday, January 26, 2013

Rückblick auf das Leben des tschechischen Ex-Präsidenten Havel
Der frühere tschechische Präsident und Dissident Vaclav Havel ist tot. Er starb nach Angaben seines Büros im Alter von 75 Jahren auf seinem Gut nahe dem ostböhmischen Ort Hradecek.

THE GUARDIAN: Václav Havel obituary: Czech playwright and former dissident who led his nation after the collapse of communism » | WL Webb | Sunday, December 18, 2011

THE GUARDIAN: Václav Havel: a life in pictures – Václav Havel, playwright and former leader of the Czech Republic, has died. The dissident writer became Czechoslovakia's first post-communist president after leading the 'velvet revolution' » | Sunday, December 18, 2011

THE GUARDIAN: Václav Havel: director of a play that changed history – The former president of the Czech Republic was the epitome of a dissident because he persisted in his struggle, patiently, non-violently, with dignity and wit » | Timothy Garton Ash | Sunday, December 18, 2011

Related »

Vaclav Havel: The Playwright Who Led a Revolution
Politician, playwright and former Czech leader Vaclav Havel, a hero of the epic struggle that ended the Cold War, has died aged 75.

Read article here | Sunday, December 18, 2011
Related »

Lech Walesa: Vaclav Havel 'Great Man, Meritorious Man'
The former Polish president paid tribute to the dissident playwright who was jailed by Communists and then went on to lead the bloodless Velvet Revolution.

Read article here | Sunday, December 18, 2011
Related »

Vaclav Havel, Czech President and Dissident Playwright Who Led 1989 Velvet Revolution, Dies Aged 75
THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH: Vaclav Havel, the play writer turned dissident who led Czechoslovakia’s Velvet Revolution, had died at the age of 75 after years of battling ill health.

Mr Havel died on Sunday morning at his weekend house in the northernCzech Republic, his assistant Sabina Dancecova said.

A former chain smoker, Mr Havel had been suffering from respiratory and heart problems, and his health had declined over the past few months to the extent that public appearances became rare and his body gaunt and frail.

In 1996 he had part of his right lung removed due to a tumour.

His health had been further stressed by the pressure of producing his last play, Leaving, which made its debut in theatres earlier this year.

The shy and softly spoken intellectual became the figurehead of Czechoslovakia’s 1989 revolution after years of battling the communist establishment. » | Matthew Day, Warsaw | Sunday, December 18, 2011

HUFFINGTON POST: Vaclav Havel Dies: Former Czech President Dead At 75 – PRAGUE — Vaclav Havel wove theater into revolution, leading the charge to peacefully bring down communism in a regime he ridiculed as "Absurdistan" and proving the power of the people to overcome totalitarian rule. » | William J. Kole and Karel Janicek | Sunday, December 18, 2011

LE POINT: Vaclav Havel est mort : L'artisan de la "Révolution de velours" et chef de l'État tchécoslovaque puis tchèque, de 1989 à 2003, s'est éteint dans son sommeil. L'ex-président tchèque Vaclav Havel, longtemps éloigné de la vie publique à cause de la maladie, est mort dimanche à l'aube, à l'âge de 75 ans, a-t-on appris auprès de son office. L'artisan de la "Révolution de velours" anti-communiste 1989 et chef de l'État tchécoslovaque puis tchèque, de 1989 à 2003, s'est éteint dans son sommeil, selon sa porte-parole, Sabina Tancevova. » | Source AFP | dimanche 18 décembre 2011

LE POINT: Merkel rend hommage à Havel, le combattant pour la liberté et la démocratie : La chancelière allemande a salué la mémoire d'un "grand Européen". » | Source AFP | dimanche 18 décembre 2011

FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE: Zum Tode von Václav Havel: Der Dissidentenpräsident – Václav Havel vereinte in seiner Person viele Rollen, von denen die des Präsidenten seine größte war. Zur Politik kam der Theatermann in dem Versuch, Würde und Selbstachtung gegenüber einem Regime zu behaupten, das zum Leben in der Lüge einlud. » | Von Karl-Peter Schwarz | Sonntag 18. Dezember 2011

NZZ ONLINE: «Wir wollen in der Wahrheit leben» : Zum Tode des Dichters und Staatsmanns Vaclav Havel Vaclav Havel hat sich als Dissident und Schriftsteller hartnäckig, aber gewaltlos gegen den kommunistischen Totalitarismus aufgelehnt und dabei viel auf sich genommen. Auch als Staatsmann und Präsident blieb er nach der Wende ein Humanist. » | Andreas Oplatka | Sonntag 18. Dezember 2011

Vaclav Klaus, The President of the Czech Republic: A Penchant for Other People’s Pens!

Plenty of pens for Mr. President’s pocket: Two cheeky Czechs have launched a campaign aimed at gathering writing implements for the country’s President Václav Klaus. In doing so, they express their support to the leader, who has recently found himself in an embarrassing situation. » | Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Le rapprochement USA/Russie inquiète l'Europe de l'Est
LE FIGARO: L'apparente lune de miel entre Obama et Medvedev réveille de vieilles craintes à Prague, Varsovie, Budapest et ailleurs, où le souvenir de l'occupation soviétique demeure très présent, dix-neuf ans après la fin de la guerre froide et la désagrégation de l'URSS.

Les ex-États du bloc soviétique redoutent le réchauffement des relations russo-américaines. Photo : Le Figaro
À Prague

Une fois la poignée de main historique échangée avec Dmitri Medvedev, jeudi à Prague, Barack Obama n'était pas ­encore tout à fait au bout de ses peines. Tandis que le président russe regagnait Moscou sitôt la cérémonie de signature du traité Start terminée, son homologue américain s'apprêtait à prolonger son séjour de quelques heures dans la capitale tchèque. Le temps de recevoir à ­dîner onze chefs d'État et de gouvernement d'Europe centrale et orientale à la résidence de l'ambassadeur américain, avant de redécoller vendredi matin pour Washington à bord d'Air Force One. Faire pièce aux visées russes >>> Par Maurin Picard | Vendredi 09 Avril 2010

Barack Obama Signs Historic Nuclear Treaty with Russian President
THE TELEGRAPH: US President Barack Obama was in Prague to sign a landmark nuclear disarmament treaty with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev that slashes their two nations' atomic arsenals.



US President Barack Obama arrived in Prague on Thursday to sign a landmark nuclear disarmament treaty with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev that slashes their two nations' atomic arsenals.

The two heads of state signed a successor to the 1991 Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START), which expired last December, in the city where Obama called for a nuclear-free world in a keynote speech a year ago.

The treaty, which must be ratified by the US Senate and Russia's parliament to take effect, also imposes limits on the intercontinental ballistic missiles needed to deliver the warheads.

Obama will meet Medvedev at the Prague Castle - the seat of the Czech president - for a one-on-one before the signature stook [sic] place in the castle's richly adorned Spanish Hall around noon local time.

Thousands of police have been deployed to provide security in Prague during the US-Russian summit.

The agenda for the talks includes hot-button international issues such as Iran's nuclear programme. >>> | Thursday, April 08, 2010

LE TEMPS: Nucléaire – Obama et Medvedev ouvrent un nouveau chapitre du désarmement : Le président américain et son homologue russe se sont retrouvés jeudi à Prague pour signer le traité START prévoyant une réduction considérable de leurs arsenaux nucléaires >>> ATS/AFP | Jeudi 08 Avril 2010

WELT ONLINE: Abrüstungsabkommen – Obama und Medwedjew segnen Start-Vertrag ab: Barack Obama und Kremlchef Dmitri Medwedjew haben den umfassendsten Abrüstungsvertrag seit zwei Jahrzehnten unterzeichnet. Der US-Präsident sagte anschließend, der neue Start-Vertrag werde die USA und die Welt sicherer machen. Er tritt in Kraft, sobald ihn die Parlamente beider Staaten ratifiziert haben. >>> AFP/dpa/Reuters/jm | Donnerstag, 08. April 2010

New Dark Age Alert! Cardinal Says Christian Europe Is to Blame for Islamisation
THE TELEGRAPH: A leading Catholic cardinal has said Europeans only have themselves to blame for allowing Islam to "conquer" the continent.

Czech Cardinal Miloslav Vlk, the Archbishop of Prague. Photograph: The Telegraph
Czech Cardinal Miloslav Vlk, the Archbishop of Prague, said Muslims were well placed to fill the spiritual void "created as Europeans systematically empty the Christian content of their lives".

"Europe will pay dear for having left its spiritual foundations and that this is the last period that will not continue for decades when it may still have a chance to do something about it," he said.

"The Muslims definitely have many reasons to be heading here. They also have a religious one – to bring the spiritual values of faith in God to the pagan environment of Europe, to its atheistic style of life.

"Unless the Christians wake up, life may be Islamised and Christianity will not have the strength to imprint its character on the life of people, not to say society."

The 77-year-old cardinal made his remarks in an interview to mark his retirement after spending 19 years as the leader of the Czech Church.

He said he did not blame Muslims for the crisis as Europeans had brought it upon themselves by exchanging their Christian culture for an aggressive secularism that embraced atheism.

"Europe has denied its Christian roots from which it has risen and which could give it the strength to fend off the danger that it will be conquered by Muslims, which is actually happening gradually," he said. >>> Simon Caldwell | Wednesday, January 06, 2010

Buy Mark Alexander’s book: The Dawning of a New Dark Age >>>

Lisbon Treaty: More of Britain's Powers Surrendered to Brussels
THE TELEGRAPH: Britain's power to govern itself is to be surrendered increasingly to Brussels after the European Union’s Lisbon Treaty was finally ratified.

The treaty, which will come into force within a few weeks, will create the first president of Europe, as well as a European foreign minister, and will end Britain’s right to veto new EU rules in more than 40 policy areas.

The treaty's supporters say it will allow the EU to operate more efficiently and give it greater influence in world affairs.

But critics say it will cede too much more of Britain's sovereignty to Brussels.

Vaclav Klaus, the President of the Czech Republic, yesterday signed the Lisbon Treaty, ending eight years of resistance to its attempt to give more power to the EU.

The Czechs are the last of the 27 EU states to sign the treaty, and their move forced the Conservatives to abandon their pledge to hold a British referendum on Lisbon.

William Hague, the shadow foreign secretary, said it was “a bad day for British democracy”.

David Cameron, the Conservative leader, will today set out plans for an alternative Tory pledge to renegotiate several parts of Britain’s EU membership, trying to win back control over social and employment laws.

It is understood that one of Mr Cameron's options will be to guarantee a referendum for British voters under a Tory government if any more national powers were in danger of being ceded to Brussels.

Mr Cameron’s retreat on announcing a referendum on the newly ratified treaty has led to accusations of breaking his promise and betraying the British people.

The Lisbon Treaty is based on the European Constitution, which started at a summit in Brussels in December 2001.

Gordon Brown hailed the Czech signature as “a historic step,” and European leaders said it will create a more powerful EU.

Despite the scale of the changes the treaty makes, the British people have never been directly consulted on the document, which was ratified in a Commons vote and signed by Mr Brown in 2007.

Labour won the 2005 general election having promised a referendum on the European Constitution but then dropped the pledge, arguing that Lisbon was a different document.

The Conservatives gave a “cast-iron” guarantee of a vote on Lisbon.

But after Mr Klaus signed the text, the Tories admitted that they will not offer voters a say on Lisbon.

Mr Hague said that once ratified, the treaty will cease to exist as a distinct legal document, meaning no vote can be held on it.

He said: “Now that the treaty has become European law and is going to enter into force, that means that a referendum can no longer prevent the creation of the president of the European council, the loss of British national vetoes, these things will already have happened, and a referendum cannot unwind them or prevent them.”

Daniel Hannan, a Tory MEP and leading Euro-sceptic said the signing was a step towards a European super-state. “The boot continues to stamp on the human face,” he said.

Mr Hague last night attempted to blame Labour for the treaty’s passage. He said: “People have never been consulted or voted in a general election for this.

"The British people have never even voted once, and we will not let people forget whose responsibility that is.”

Mr Brown insisted that the signing of the treaty was something to celebrate. >>> James Kirkup and Bruno Waterfield | Tuesday, November 03, 2009

Czech Leader Signs Lisbon Treaty as Tories Concede Defeat Over Referendum
TIMES ONLINE: The Eurosceptic leader of the Czech Republic, Vaclav Klaus, has signed the Lisbon treaty, finally giving effect to a much-delayed accord designed to overhaul the institutions of the European Union and give the bloc a greater say in world affairs.

The move forced the Tory leadership to concede defeat tonight over their plans to hold a referendum on the treaty with David Cameron promising to clarify his party's policy on Europe tomorrow.

William Hague, the Shadow Foreign Secretary, said it was “no longer possible” to put the treaty to a popular vote. “Now that the treaty is going to become European law and is going to enter into force, that means a referendum can no longer prevent the creation of the president of the European Council, the loss of British national vetoes,” he said.

“These things will already have happened and a referendum cannot unwind them or prevent them.”

President Klaus confirmed that he had signed the pact only hours after the text was given the green light by a Czech court which had been asked to rule on its constitutionality.

"I signed the Lisbon Treaty today at 1500," he told reporters in Prague as an aircraft prepared to take the Czech articles of ratification to Rome, where the original treaty setting up the EU was signed.

Mr Klaus was the last EU leader to ratify the treaty, which began life as the EU Constitution, and his signature means the 27 EU member states can pick their first-ever full-time president as well as a new foreign affairs representative. >>> Philippe Naughton, Philip Webster and Roger Boyes | Tuesday, November 03, 2009