Latest news with #Brno
Arab News
3 days ago
- Arab News
Czech authorities detain 5 teens over online radicalization by Daesh and charge 2 with terror plot
PRAGUE: Czech authorities have detained five teenagers for being radicalized online by the militant Daesh group and charged two of them with terror-related crimes over an attempt to set fire to a synagogue, officials said Wednesday. Břetislav Brejcha, the director of the Czech counterterrorism, extremism and cybercrime department, said most of the suspects are under 18 years old. They were detained between February and June as a result of an international investigation that started last year. The five were promoting hate content on social media against minorities, certain communities and Jews, Brejcha said. During seven raids in the Czech Republic and Austria, police seized some weapons, such as knives, machetes, axes and gas pistols. On Jan. 29, 2024, two of the five tried to set a synagogue in the second largest Czech city of Brno on fire, Brejcha said without offering details. The following month, Czech media reported an arson attempt and said police were looking for witnesses. The reports said two suspects placed a firebomb in front of the synagogue but it did not explode and no damage was reported. The charges against them include hate-related crimes, promotion and support of terrorism and a terror attack attempt. The suspects were also involved in online groups recruiting fighters for Daesh militants in Syria, Brejcha said. The Czech authorities cooperated with their counterparts in Austria, Britain, Slovakia and with the European Union's law enforcement agency Europol in this case, he added. Michal Koudelka, the head of the Czech counterintelligence agency known as BIS, said the five shared a fascination with violence and hatred against Jews, and others. They were approached online by Daesh members and became radicalized, Koudelka said. 'We consider online radicalization of the youth a very dangerous trend,' Koudelka said, adding that the suspects had not been in touch with the local Muslim community.
CTV News
3 days ago
- CTV News
Czech authorities detain 5 teens over online radicalization by IS and charge 2 with terror plot
PRAGUE — Czech authorities have detained five teenagers for being radicalized online by the militant Islamic State group and charged two of them with terror-related crimes over an attempt to set fire to a synagogue, officials said Wednesday. Břetislav Brejcha, the director of the Czech counterterrorism, extremism and cybercrime department, said most of the suspects are under 18 years old. They were detained between February and June as a result of an international investigation that started last year. The five were promoting hate content on social media against minorities, LGBTQ+ community and Jews, Brejcha said. During seven raids in the Czech Republic and Austria, police seized some weapons, such as knives, machetes, axes and gas pistols. On Jan. 29, 2024, two of the five tried to set a synagogue in the second largest Czech city of Brno on fire, Brejcha said without offering details. The following month, Czech media reported an arson attempt and said police were looking for witnesses. The reports said two suspects placed a firebomb in front of the synagogue but it did not explode and no damage was reported. The charges against them include hate-related crimes, promotion and support of terrorism and a terror attack attempt. The suspects were also involved in online groups recruiting fighters for IS militants in Syria, Brejcha said. The Czech authorities co-operated with their counterparts in Austria, Britain, Slovakia and with the European Union's law enforcement agency Europol in this case, he added. Michal Koudelka, the head of the Czech counterintelligence agency known as BIS, said the five shared a fascination with violence and hatred against Jews, LGBTQ+ people and others. They were approached online by Islamic State members and became radicalized, Koudelka said. 'We consider online radicalization of the youth a very dangerous trend,' Koudelka said, adding that the suspects had not been in touch with the local Muslim community.
Associated Press
3 days ago
- Associated Press
Czech authorities detain 5 teens over online radicalization by IS and charge 2 with terror plot
PRAGUE (AP) — Czech authorities have detained five teenagers for being radicalized online by the militant Islamic State group and charged two of them with terror-related crimes over an attempt to set fire to a synagogue, officials said Wednesday. Břetislav Brejcha, the director of the Czech counterterrorism, extremism and cybercrime department, said the suspects, said most of the suspects are under 18 years old. They were detained between February and June as a result of an international investigation that started last year. The five were promoting hate content on social media against minorities, LGBTQ+ community and Jews, Brejcha said. During seven raids in the Czech Republic and Austria, police seized some weapons, such as knives, machetes, axes and gas pistols. On Jan. 29, 2024, two of the five tried to set a synagogue in the second largest Czech city of Brno on fire, Brejcha said without offering details. The following month, Czech media reported an arson attempt and said police were looking for witnesses. The reports said two suspects placed a firebomb in front of the synagogue but it did not explode and no damage was reported. The charges against them include hate-related crimes, promotion and support of terrorism and a terror attack attempt. The suspects were also involved in online groups recruiting fighters for IS militants in Syria, Brejcha said. The Czech authorities cooperated with their counterparts in Austria, Britain, Slovakia and with the European Union's law enforcement agency Europol in this case, he added. Michal Koudelka, the head of the Czech counterintelligence agency known as BIS, said the five shared a fascination with violence and hatred against Jews, LGBTQ+ people and others. They were approached online by Islamic State members and became radicalized, Koudelka said. 'We consider online radicalization of the youth a very dangerous trend,' Koudelka said, adding that the suspects had not been in touch with the local Muslim community.
The Sun
6 days ago
- Sport
- The Sun
Abandoned 50,000 capacity stadium to be DEMOLISHED after becoming overrun by nature following 20 years of neglect
AN abandoned 50,000 capacity stadium is set to be demolished after years of neglect. The Za Luzankami Stadium in the Czech Republic was once the biggest stadium in Czechoslovakia, now it has sat empty for years and is in line to be resigned to the history books within the next year. 8 8 8 8 8 The former home of FC Zbrojcka Brno, Za Luzankami has hosted international fixtures and even holds the record for the highest-attended game in the history of the Czech first league. However, after the modernisation of stadiums and updates to Fifa and Czech FA criteria for the quality of grounds, Zbrojcka were forced to leave their historic home in 2001. Since then it has sat empty, disappearing into the overgrown nature and looking worse for wear as each year of neglect passes. In 2012, plans were drawn up to allow Zbrojovka to return thanks to the reconstruction of the stadium, but amid financial concerns, the project was put on hold. Now plans are in place to finally demolish the ground after authorities decided to remove the colossal building back in 2023. According to Czech outlet Brno Daily, the city council are currently looking for a contractor to demolish the stands after areas surrounding the ground have been closed due to safety reasons. It's claimed that the demolition could happen as early as October of this year, but must be completed by February 2026 at the latest. £5.7MILLION. 8 8 For now, the stadium remains in its overgrown state of disrepair until the the demolition is completed. Plans have outlined how the ground will be grassed over and become freely accessible to the public once it has been knocked to the ground. Birmingham give update on new £3billion stadium as they announce major development While there is already thought to be dialogue over further development of the area in the future. Fortunately fans already got to say their emotional farewell to the stadium in 2015, after Zbrojovka captain Petr Svancara took it upon himself to start a crowdfunding project to allow a goodbye game. His campaign, which was backed by fans, eventually saw the stadium reopen in 2015 for 35,000 fans to watch one final match. Svancara, who once revealed there was a crack running underneath the ground, discussed the dire state of the stadium in an interview with The Guardian. He said: "When we came back for the first time, you could have shot a beautiful horror film there… "The stadium had started to crumble and it was for political reasons. "It needed reconstruction but nobody would take care of it. The club was moved to Srbska and Luzanky was filled with trees and bushes. "Homeless people lived in the stands, and the vegetation that started to take over even became home for some rare species of bird. "There was one funny pheasant that we ousted from the stadium when we came back but it kept returning several times – he simply came back home. "Leaving Luzanki divided the fans into two groups – one of which loved Luzanky too much and did not want to go to another stadium "That was the case with the older generation in particular. It hurt the identity of the club enormously." 8
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
UConn women's basketball transfer Kayleigh Heckel selected to Team USA for U19 FIBA World Cup
UConn women's basketball sophomore Kayleigh Heckel was named to the final 12-player Team USA roster that will compete in the 2025 FIBA U19 World Cup this summer, marking her first selection to a World Cup team. Heckel, a 5-foot-9 guard from Port Chester, New York, played her freshman season at USC and signed with the Huskies out of the transfer portal on May 26. She previously competed for USA Basketball in the 2024 U18 FIBA AmeriCup, where she won a gold medal alongside UConn sophomore Sarah Strong. Heckel was the second-leading scorer for the U.S. in the AmeriCup averaging 12.8 points in 21.2 minute per game plus 3.8 rebounds and 3.7 assists. Advertisement The U19 World Cup runs from July 12-20 in Brno, Czech Republic, where Team USA will look to bring home a fourth consecutive gold medal and 11th all-time in the event. The team begins group play against South Korea on July 12, and it will also face off against Israel and Hungary in Group A to advance to the knockout rounds. The U.S. has reached at least the championship game in 10 straight U19 World Cups dating back to 2005, and it has only lost once during that stretch, to Russia in 2017. Heckel is one of four players on the World Cup roster with collegiate experience alongside Texas guard Jordan Lee, Florida guard Alivia McGill and former UCLA forward Zania Socka-Nguemen, who transferred to Indiana this offseason. Lee and McGill also played with Heckel at the U18 AmeriCup. Indiana coach Teri Moren will lead the squad with Notre Dame coach Niele Ivey and South Florida coach Jose Fernandez serving as assistants. Heckel was the No. 13 prospect in the Class of 2025, and averaged 6.1 points, 1.9 rebounds and 1.3 steals in 17 minutes per game during her freshman season at USC. She is just the fifth player UConn has signed out of the transfer portal since it was established in 2019, and her signing also marked the first time that coach Geno Auriemma added multiple transfers in a single offseason during the portal era. Former Wisconsin forward Serah Williams also signed with the Huskies as they look to defend their NCAA Championship in 2025-26.
