By: Rosie Johnston
* US Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice is set to visit Prague in early
May to sign a Czech-American agreement on siting a US tracking radar on
Czech soil.
* The health minister has unveiled plans to streamline the country's
health insurance system, proposing the privatization of all health
insurers except VZP - the biggest state-owned insurance provider.
* The German Embassy in Prague has spoken out against claims made by
Czech PM Mirek Topolanek that police checks near the Czech-German
border were tantamount to 'bullying'.
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Czech-US treaty on radar to be signed by Rice in Prague
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The American Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice is set to visit Prague
in early May to sign a Czech-American agreement on siting a US tracking
radar on Czech soil. A spokesperson for the American Embassy made the
announcement to journalists, but would not disclose the exact date of
the treaty's signing. There has already been some speculation that the
signing of the accord will coincide with a conference on missile
defence to start in Prague on May 5. Even after the deal is signed, the
treaty will still need to be approved by the Czech Parliament and
signed by President Vaclav Klaus. Czech Foreign Minister Karel
Schwarzenberg has been elected to sign the treaty on behalf of the
Czech Republic.
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Health minister unveils plans to privatize all health insurers bar VZP
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The Health Minister Tomas Julinek has unveiled plans to streamline the
country's health insurance system, proposing the privatization of all
health insurers except VZP - the biggest state-owned insurance
provider. Around 60% of Czechs are currently insured by VZP, while the
remaining 40% are insured by a mixture of state and privately-owned
insurance companies. Mr Julinek's plans have come under fire from the
opposition Social Democrats, who say that the privatization of
state-run health insurers could lead to private insurers siphoning off
public money. But Mr Julinek responds that privatization is required to
increase cost-efficiency, saying that at the moment, health insurance
companies are 'unable to fulfill their role, which is to protect their
clients'. The plans will be discussed by the cabinet on Wednesday.
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German Embassy reacts to Topolanek's remarks that German police are
'bullying' Czechs
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The German Embassy in Prague has spoken out against claims made by
Czech PM Mirek Topolanek that police checks near the Czech-German
border are tantamount to 'bullying' and 'a breach of Schengen
protocol'. The Czech Republic joined the Schengen zone in December last
year, and since that time, Czechs have been enjoying passport free
travel over the border to Germany, Austria, Slovakia and Poland. Border
checks have given way to random checks within a 30 kilometre radius of
the Czech Republic's borders with its neighbours, including Germany. A
report recently published by the Centre for European Policy Studies
suggested that German police were targeting Czechs and Poles in
particular in their checks. Czech Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek
condemned German police on the basis of this report at a
Schengen-related event at the end of March. But on Monday, the German
Embassy responded that checks by police and customs officials along the
EU internal border were 'useful and important'.
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Czech trade surplus rises to 14.3 billion crowns in February
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The Czech trade surplus rose to 14.3 billion CZK (898 million USD) in
February, up from 12.9 billion CZK in the same month last year, the
national statistics office said on Monday. The rise was mainly owing to
stronger sales of machinery and transport equipment, coupled with a
narrowing of the deficit in food and a turnaround from deficit to
surplus in sales of drinks and tobacco, the office said. The trade
balance was in surplus to the tune of 26.5 billion crowns in the first
two months of the year, a 3.8-billion crown improvement on the same
period last year.
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Flights to and from Prague airport disrupted by fog
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Flights out of Prague airport were grounded and incoming flights were
diverted on Monday morning due to low visibility caused by thick fog.
The Czech airline CSA said it was forced to cancel nine flights, and
redirect another 11 to the Czech Republic's second city Brno, and
Dresden, Germany. The fog reduced visibility to around 200 metres,
which is less than half the minimum required for the airport to
function normally. An airport spokesperson said that after hours of
disruption, a normal service resumed around 0640 GMT, but with a
backlog of delayed outgoing flights. Prague's Ruzyne airport said that
flights were running to schedule again by late Monday afternoon.
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Tickets for Havel's new play go on sale in Prague
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Tickets went on sale for former president Vaclav Havel's much
anticipated new play 'Odchazeni' ('Leaving') on Monday. The first
rehearsals of the production also got underway at Prague's Divadlo
Archa. The play will be premiered on May 22, with subsequent
performances on the 23 and 24. The premiere was originally expected to
have taken place much sooner, but production of the play was delayed
when negotiations with several theatres broke down. Talks with the
National Theatre collapsed in part over Mr Havel's insistence that his
wife play the female lead. The play was also withdrawn from the
capital's Divadlo na Vinohradech, before finding a home at Divadlo
Archa.
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Czech mountain rescue's work nearly doubles in winter season 2007-2008
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The Czech mountain rescue service was called out nearly twice as much
this winter season as it was in 2006-2007, it was revealed on Monday.
In the period spanning December 1 2007 to April 6 2008, the mountain
rescue service was called out on 6365 occasions, as opposed to 3828
times the previous season. While there was less natural snow this
winter than last, icy weather made ideal conditions for the manufacture
of tonnes of fake snow. According to a spokesperson for the mountain
rescue service, this artificial snow at the country's ski resorts made
for difficult skiing conditions. There were two casualties in the
course of the winter season, both were skiers in the Krkonose
Mountains, and both fatal accidents took place this February.
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Prague's Charles University celebrates 660 years
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Prague's Charles University, the oldest university in Central Europe,
is celebrating its 660th anniversary on Monday. On this day in 1348,
King Charles IV issued an edict calling for the university's
foundation. To mark the anniversary, a special ceremony is being held
in Prague's Carolinum, at which four honorary doctorates are being
bestowed. Those receiving recognition include Dutch lawyer Johan Ankum,
British pharmacologist Salvador Moncada, Czech philosopher Ivan Chvatik
and Japanese physicist Teruo Kishi.
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Football: Cech undergoes facial surgery after training ground accident
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Chelsea and Czech national goalkeeper Petr Cech underwent facial
surgery on Sunday following a training ground accident which left him
with cuts to his lip and chin, a spokesperson for the Blues said
Monday. On its website, Chelsea FC wrote that it 'hoped to have Petr
back playing as soon as possible'. The Czech Republic international has
not played since March 1 because of an ankle injury, with Italian Carlo
Cudicini standing in. Last season, Cech was out of action for three
months after suffering a fractured skull from a collision with
Reading's Stephen Hunt. He now wears a rugby-style protective skull cap
whenever he plays.
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Berdych equals lifetime best in world tennis rankings
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Czech tennis star Tomas Berdych has climbed to ninth place in the world
tennis rankings, having made it through as far as the semifinal in the
recent Miami Masters. This position sees Berdych equaling his personal
lifetime best. Compatriot Ivo Minar has also climbed up the rankings to
74th place, while Radek Stepanek - Czech tennis's number two, dropped
to 28th place.
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Weather
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It will be rainy over the next couple of days, with near constant cloud
cover, and temperatures ranging from 8 - 15 degrees.
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Articles posted on www.radio.cz today
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Sports News
Sports News 4.7.2008
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In Sport News this Monday: the final series playoffs in the Czech ice
hockey Extraliga get off to an exciting start, with surprise package
Karlovy Vary beating Slavia in Prague in the opening game; goaltender
Dominik Hasek (43) wins his third trophy for the fewest goals conceded
in the regular season; the Czech men's team travel to Moscow for a
Davis Cup quarter-finals clash; Sparta edge ahead in the Czech football
league, with Slavia due to play on Monday evening; and the Czech
national team doctor says Tomas Rosicky has come to terms with the fact
he may not play for Arsenal again this season.
http://www.radio.cz/en/article/102755
Current Affairs
Vintage Czech aircraft reaches North Pole
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At the weekend two Czech pilots made history by flying a vintage Czech
aircraft to the North Pole. The small twin-engine plane known as the
Morava L-200 flew first took flight 50 years ago and the duo of Petr
Bold and Richard Santus wanted to mark the anniversary by flying to the
pole, stopping off for refuelling at the Russian base of Barneo.
Preparing for the 11-hour journey meant preparing for the dangers of
poor visibility, buffeting winds and even the possibility of an
emergency landing among polar bears. Luckily, everything went off
without a hitch. The duo reached the pole, successfully refuelled at
Barneo, and are now in Norway before the last leg of their journey. Jan
Velinger spoke to pilot Richard Santus by phone to Svalbard, asking him
what it was like to reach the North Pole.
http://www.radio.cz/en/article/102744
Current Affairs
Charles University celebrates 660th anniversary
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Monday marks 660 years since the founding of Charles University, the
oldest university in Central Europe. On this day back in 1348 Emperor
Charles IV issued an edict calling for the founding of a university in
Prague bearing his name. Politicians, cultural figures and academics
gathered in Prague's Carolinum, the university's historic building, on
Monday to commemorate the anniversary. Related events are scheduled to
take place throughout the year. Ruth Frankova spoke to Jan Skrha, the
vice-rector of Charles University about the history and reputation of
the country's most esteemed place of learning:
http://www.radio.cz/en/article/102743
Current Affairs
Czechs say permanent Russian presence at US radar base out of the
question
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It was smiles and handshakes all round at the NATO summit in Bucharest
last Thursday when the United States and the Czech Republic announced
they had reached agreement on building a radar base on Czech territory
as part of the U.S. missile defence shield. But it was clear to all
that the road to implementing the agreement would be long and
difficult. The past weekend has indicted possible pitfalls for Czech
diplomacy as the U.S. and Russian presidents strove to find common
ground on missile defense.
http://www.radio.cz/en/article/102742
One on One
Zuzana Ondomisiova: pro-Tibetan activist in Prague
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My guest this week is Zuzana Ondomisiova who runs an organisation
called Portala, which promotes Tibetan cultural issues in the Czech
Republic. With the recent protests and subsequent Chinese crackdown,
Tibet has certainly been on the radar both in the Czech Republic and
around the world. I began by asking her to tell me a little more about
this NGO.
