Czech Republic takes over EU chair amid crisis

October 6th, 2009 Biden heads to Poland, Romania, Czech RepublicWASHINGTON — Vice President Joe Biden is heading to Europe to meet with NATO allies. The White House on Tuesday said Biden will visit Poland, Romania and Czech Republic from October 20-24.

September 22nd, 2009 Hindus and Jews are hopeful that Pope will not stay apathetic to apartheid conditions faced by Roma people in Czech Republic and will strongly take-up their cause during his September 26-28 visit. Rajan Zed, acclaimed Hindu statesman; and Rabbi Jonathan B.

September 17th, 2009 Obama phones Czech premier on missile defensePRAGUE — The Czech government says President Barack Obama has phoned the country's prime minister to discuss a controversial U.S. missile defense plan.

August 18th, 2009 PRAGUE - Russia has expelled two Czech Republic diplomats Tuesday, following a move by Prague to dismiss two Russian diplomats over suspicion of spying. The two countries have been at loggerheads over Czech accusations of Russian spying - mentioned in reports by the Czech BIS secret service - connected to US plans to place parts of a missile defence system in the Czech Republic.

July 27th, 2009 Hindus have strongly criticized Canada’s imposition of visa restrictions on Czech nationals, calling it a “step in the wrong direction”. Acclaimed Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada (USA) today, said that Roma people in Czech Republic reportedly faced violent attacks, stereotyping, racism, prejudice, growing gap between Roma and other Czechs, fear, beatings, poor quality housing, systemic employment and overall discrimination, persecution, throwing of Molotov cocktails, social exclusion, segregated schools, forced sterilization, marginalization; refused service at restaurants, stores, discos, etc.; municipalities and towns failing to support them; and the state being unwilling or unable to offer protection.

June 30th, 2009 Czech Jewish cemetery desecratedPRAGUE — A Jewish cemetery has been desecrated in the eastern part of the Czech Republic, members of the community there said Tuesday. Jaroslav Klenovsky of the Jewish community in nearby Brno said 63 tombstones were overturned at the cemetery in Uhersky Ostroh, some 280 kilometers (175 miles) southeast of Prague.

June 28th, 2009 Rains, flooding hit parts of Czech RepublicPRAGUE, — Heavy rains are flooding southern parts of the Czech Republic, with mudslides damaging houses and roads in the region. Rivers have been swelling in rural areas some 60 miles (100 kilometers) south of Prague, the capital, Sunday but no casualties had been reported.

June 16th, 2009 PRAGUE - Iran summoned a senior Czech diplomat Tuesday over the European Union's (EU) critical statements about the disputed Iranian presidential election, the Czech foreign ministry said. "I can confirm that our charge d'affaires Josef Havlas was today (Tuesday) summoned to the foreign ministry in Teheran," ministry spokesman Jiri Benes told DPA.

May 12th, 2009 Straka selected new Czech Republic soccer coachPRAGUE — Frantisek Straka was selected as the Czech Republic's new soccer coach on Tuesday, replacing Petr Rada, who was fired last month because of poor results in World Cup qualifying. The Czech soccer federation's decision to appoint the 50-year-old Straka was a surprise after its committee had recommended rehiring Dusan Uhrin, who led the team to the final of the 1996 European Championship.

April 25th, 2009 Former KKK leader ordered to leave Czech RepublicPRAGUE — Czech authorities have released former Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke from detention and ordered him to leave the country. Police spokeswoman Katerina Rendlova says Duke must leave the Czech Republic by midnight Saturday after he was detained on suspicion of denying the Holocaust.

April 24th, 2009 Former KKK leader detained in PraguePRAGUE — Former Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke was detained by police in the Czech Republic on Friday on suspicion of denying the Holocaust. Police spokesman Jan Mikulovsky said the action was taken because Duke does that in his book "My Awakening," which is punishable by up to three years in Czech prisons.

March 6th, 2009 WASHINGTON - US President Barack Obama will make his first trip to Europe later this month with stops in Britain, France, Germany and the Czech Republic, the White House said Thursday. During the March 31-April 5 trip, Obama will attend a conference of the world's largest economies in London before heading to the NATO summit in the French city of Strasbourg and German town of Kehl.

January 25th, 2009 BERLIN - The Czech Republic, which holds the rotating presidency of European Union (EU), has stressed direct and swift talks between Iran and the US to engage the two countries in rapproachment process, IRNA news agency reported Monday. 'I hope very much there will be soon direct and intensive talks between Washington and Tehran,' Czech Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg has said in an interview with Germany's Handelsblatt business newspaper.

January 20th, 2009 PRAGUE - Russian natural gas flowing via Ukraine has reached the Czech Republic, nearly two weeks after a shutdown of supplies forced the country to tap its underground reserves, a gas importer said. Martin Chalupsky, a spokesman for the country's dominant gas importer and distributor, RWE Transgas, said that 'the first thousands of cubic metres' arrived in the Lanzhot border station shortly after 6 p.m.

December 29th, 2008 BRUSSELS/PARIS - The French government Monday called for an emergency meeting of the European Union's (EU) foreign ministers to discuss the crisis in the Middle East, officials confirmed. France, which holds the EU's rotating presidency until Thursday, has called for a meeting of the top diplomats of the bloc's 27-member states in Paris Tuesday to 'discuss the EU's contribution to solving the current crisis', a statement said.