SHOOTING s A 30-year-old security guard from the BIS counterintelligence service tried to kill himself with his service weapon at the agency's Prague office, BIS spokesman Jan Subrt told CTK on Sept. 28. The man, who was hospitalized after shooting himself in the chest, was motivated by personal reasons, Subrt said.
SUMMIT s U.S. Ambassador to NATO Nicholas Burns says the state of preparations for the alliance's November summit in Prague is perfect, despite the mid-August floods. The summit, scheduled for Nov. 21-22, will bring together representatives from 19 NATO member countries and will attract thousands of protesters.
TOXIN s One of two men who inhaled nitrogen Sept. 23 in the Spolana chemical factory in Neratovice, central Bohemia, has died, company spokesman Jan Martinek said. The men had entered a storage facility without permission and without wearing required protection, he said.
RACE s A recent national meeting of leaders from the Christian Democrat (KDU-CSL) government coalition party supported the presidential candidacy of Senate chairman Petr Pithart. Meanwhile, Social Democrat (CSSD) Deputy Petr Lachnit expressed his support for former CSSD Chairman and Prime Minister Milos Zeman as the party's presidential candidate. Vaclav Havel's presidential term expires in February.
WEAPONS s Prague police arrested a 38-year-old businessman from central Bohemia who has been collecting machine guns, assault rifles, anti-aircraft guns and other weapons since 1995. The man had 62 weapons and 1,000 rounds of ammunition, police spokeswoman Blanka Kosinova said.
ROMA s British authorities continued with their third deportation of rejected asylum seekers in recent weeks, flying 29 people from London to Prague Sept. 27. The group of Czech Roma included 14 minors.
AIRWAVES s Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty ended broadcasting in Czech Sept. 30 after 52 years. The news station will continue as one of the four stations of the national Czech Radio (Cesky rozhlas) under the name Czech Radio 6.
TRIBUTE s About 100 Palestinians and members of the Prague Arab community staged a two-hour demonstration in Wenceslas Square Sept. 28 to pay homage to those killed in the Israeli occupation of the West Bank and to mark the second anniversary of a Palestinian uprising against Israel.