Second anniversary of death of Václav Havel marked

Czechs have marked the second anniversary of the death of the country’s first post-communist president, Václav Havel. President Miloš Zeman laid a wreath at his tomb at Prague’s Vyšehrad cemetery, while Cardinal Dominik Duka was due to celebrate a requiem mass in his memory. Other events were organised around the country, including a concert at the capital’s Archa Theatre celebrating the late statesman’s friendship with US musician Lou Reed, who died this year. A playwright and dissident, Mr. Havel led 1989’s Velvet Revolution and was president for over 12 years.
(Radio Prague - the international service of Czech Radio)

Misik rejects

Rock singer Vladimir Misik rejects state decoration
In related news, the rock singer and songwriter Vladimir Misik has rejected a state decoration over his growing discontent with recent decisions by President Milos Zeman.. In a press release, the 66-year-old artist said he informed the president's office of his decision. Vladimir Misik, whose rose to popularity and critical acclaim in the late 1960s and has put out 13 albums, is one of the most respected Czech rock musicians.
(by Radio Prague - the international service of Czech Radio)
It seems to me as one of the January president ellection and this weekend's general election resume...

OpenSky Sudoku Generator

I like it: OpenSky Sudoku Generator

The service lets you generate printable sudoku puzzles which you can download (as Acrobat PDF files), print, and then work out with pencil and paper.
The generator produces classic symmetrical puzzles of varying difficulty levels. The difficulty level ("Easy", "Medium", "Hard", "Very hard") appears on the printed page along with a difficulty factor ranging between 0.01 and 1.00 (the higher the value, the more difficult the puzzle).
Author declared he had not written the generator himself; it is part of the gnome-sudoku software, written by Thomas Mills Hinkle. He has simply made it possible to generate PDFs from the puzzles, and has hooked it up to the web...

Jorge Bergoglio - new Pope

Czech political leaders congratulate new Pope
Politicians and church dignitaries have welcomed the election of Jorge Bergoglio, the Archbishop of Buenos Aires, as Pope. President Milos Zeman sent the Pontiff a letter of congratulations and extended an official invitation for him to attend the 2013 celebrations marking the 1150th anniversary of the arrival of the Christian missionaries Cyril and Methodius to Great Moravia. Prime Minister Petr Necas said he had received the news of Pope Francis' election with genuine pleasure and wished him sound health and strength in facing the challenges ahead.

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Church dignitaries praise result of conclave
Cardinal Dominik Duka said the choice of a pope from Latin America was a natural and right development in view of the prevalence of non-European Catholics in the world and the existing disproportion in their representation in the Church leadership. The Archbishop of Olomouc Jan Graubner suggested the election of the first non-European pope indicated a shift in the Roman Catholic Church to more openness and awareness of "what is important on a global scale". Cardinal Miloslav Vlk pointed out that the name Archbishop Bergoglio had chosen - evoking both St. Francis of Assisi and Francis Xavier - reflected his humble character. Church bells rang out around the Czech Republic on Wednesday evening in celebration of the new Pope.

based on text from Radio Prague - the international service of Czech Radio

Amnesty not created with particular cases in mind

Klaus: Amnesty not created with particular cases in mind
The Czech president, Vaclav Klaus, says he did not decide on an amnesty announced on New Year's Day with any particular cases in mind. Mr. Klaus made the comment in an interview in Mlada fronta Dnes, following growing criticism of one plank of the amnesty under which long-running cases of alleged massive corruption have been dropped. He said that decision was in line with European Union norms against excessively long cases, adding that he would also announce at least one pardon before he steps down in March.

based on text from Radio Prague - the international service of Czech Radio

Karel Caslavsky dies aged 75

Film historian Karel Caslavsky dies aged 75
Czech film historian Karel Caslavsky died on Wednesday at the age of 75, public broadcaster Czech Television said. Mr Caslavsky worked at the National Film Archive since 1963 and became a popular TV personality. He created several shows and co-wrote two volumes of biographies of Czech films actors. For 20 years, he hosted a programme on Czech TV entitled In Search of Lost Time in which he presented archive film footage.

based on text from Radio Prague - the international service of Czech Radio