News Saturday, April 5th, 2008
By: Jan Richter
* The Chinese government has cancelled a planned visit to China by
Czech Education Ministry officials over hoisting the Tibetan flag at
the ministry building.
* The opposition Social Democrats have called on the government to link
the vote on the planned U.S. radar base with a vote on confidence.
* The police have seized eight paintings belonging to the fugitive
businessman Radovan Krejcir which were to be sold at an auction.
========================================================================
Education Ministry officials won't visit China
------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Chinese government cancelled a planned visit to China by Czech
Education Ministry officials over hoisting the Tibetan flag at the
ministry building, the news website Aktualne.cz reported on Friday.
Education Minister Ondrej Liska, of the Green Party, had the Tibetan
flag put up on his ministry's building on March 10 to commemorate a
Tibetan uprising against China. The Chinese embassy in Prague said that
hoisting the flag represented direct support of Tibetan independence,
and a gross interference with internal Chinese matters. During the
planned visit, Education Ministry officials were going to sign an
extended agreement on cooperation between the two countries in
university education.
========================================================================
Social Democrats want to link vote on radar with vote on confidence
------------------------------------------------------------------------
The opposition Social Democrats have called on the government to link
the vote on the planned U.S. radar base with a vote on confidence. The
Czech Republic and the United States reached agreement at the NATO
summit in Bucharest concerning the siting of a U.S. tracking radar base
in the Czech Republic as part of the American missile defence shield.
The treaty between the two countries is expected to be signed at the
beginning of May in Prague; both chambers of the Czech Parliament will
then vote on the document. The demand by the opposition Social
Democrats has been rejected by Deputy Prime Minister Petr Necas who
said the government would not listen to such extremist proposals.
In related news, Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek confirmed that next
Tuesday the country's National Security Council would discuss the
Czech-U.S. Status of Forces agreement, defining the status of U.S.
troops on Czech soil in connection with the planned radar base. A new
round of bilateral talks between the US and the Czech Republic is then
to continue on Wednesday, with a final agreement expected by April 11.
Defence Minister Vlasta Parkanova said on Thursday that the Security
Council should now decide whether to preserve the mandate of Czech
negotiators or make modifications. Besides covering the legal status of
US soldiers, the SOFA also deals with environmental and transport
issues as well as other factors including controls by authorities over
construction and taxation.
========================================================================
Police seize paintings of runaway businessman
------------------------------------------------------------------------
The police seized eight paintings on Friday belonging to the fugitive
businessman Radovan Krejcir which were to be sold at an auction. If
sold, the eight works by renowned Czech modernist painters Jan Zrzavy
and Vaclav Spala could go at an estimated 80 million crowns, or more
than 5 million U.S. dollars. Fugitive Radovan Krejcir is wanted in the
Czech Republic for a number of crimes including conspiracy to murder,
counterfeiting and extortion. Mr Krejcir ran away in 2005 and is
currently living in South Africa with his family.
========================================================================
Communist leader: country in political, economic crisis
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Communist Party leader Vojtech Filip said on Saturday that the Czech
Republic undergoing deep political and economic crisis. Speaking a
party conference, the communist politician said the government was
based on treason by two opposition MPs and it defied public opinion
concerning the possible siting of a U.S. radar base in the country. Mr
Filip also noted that about 100 billion crowns, or more than 6.2
billion U.S. dollars, of economic profits leave the country each year.
========================================================================
New documents on Masins found
------------------------------------------------------------------------
The head of the Institute for the Study of Totalitarian Regimes, Pavel
Zacek, revealed the finding of new documents pertaining to the Masin
brothers - members of an anti-communist resistance group who shot their
way out of Communist Czechoslovakia. The documents reportedly date to
the interrogation of family member Ctibor Novak, later executed by the
regime. The documents suggest that under questioning Mr Novak admitted
that the Masins had planned to abduct Communist Defence Minister Alexej
Cepicka as well to conduct acts of sabotage. It is plausible the
statements were made under the threat of violence by the secret police.
Not long ago the Masins, along with resistance group member Milan
Paumer, were recognised by Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek for their
willingness to fight against the Communist regime in the 1950s.
========================================================================
Police break-up British-led gang
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Czech police broke up a British-led gang producing the methamphetamine
pervetin for the British black market. Police said on Friday the gang's
lab was one of the largest uncovered in recent years, producing an
estimated half-kilo of the drug per week. Five were arrested in the
round up, there of them Czechs; if found guilty they could face up to
15 years in prison. According to officials, the pervetin was produced
using store-bought medicines; the lab itself was uncovered in a Prague
garage. Last year more than 2,000 individuals were reportedly arrested
in the Czech Republic for involvement in drug-related crimes - the vast
majority of them Czech nationals. Some 130 were foreigners, officials
say.
========================================================================
Hame and Nordic merge
------------------------------------------------------------------------
The biggest Czech canned food manufacturer Hame merged with the
Icelandic investor Nordic Partners. Financial details of the merger
have not been disclosed. Nordic Partners currently runs food producing
companies in Lithuania, Latvia and Poland; the board chairman of the
Icelandic company Leo Gunnarsson said his company was not considering
closing down any of Hame's plants. After the merger with Hame, the
group will be producing 170,000 tonnes of food products and 100 million
litres of beverages annually. Its annual sales are estimated at 10
billion crowns, or more than 626 million U.S. dollars.
========================================================================
Weather
------------------------------------------------------------------------
The weekend is expected to be partly cloudy, with some rain showers.
Highest day temperatures will range between 8 and 12 degrees Celsius.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Articles posted on www.radio.cz today
------------------------------------------------------------------------
SoundCzech
Screws in your head
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Welcome to this week's edition of Sound Czech, Radio Prague's Czech
language series in which you can learn interesting phrases through
songs' lyrics. Today's phrase "Srouby do hlavy", or "Screws into the
head", is also the name of the song released in 1990 by one of the most
popular Czech pop bands, Lucie.
http://www.radio.cz/en/article/102652
Magazine
Magazine 4.5.2008
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jalta Hotel celebrates its 50th birthday in communist style, the first
space travel agency opens in Prague and, that's not a helicopeter - its
a snowglider! Find out more in Magazine with Daniela Lazarova.
http://www.radio.cz/en/article/102709
By: Jan Richter
* The Chinese government has cancelled a planned visit to China by
Czech Education Ministry officials over hoisting the Tibetan flag at
the ministry building.
* The opposition Social Democrats have called on the government to link
the vote on the planned U.S. radar base with a vote on confidence.
* The police have seized eight paintings belonging to the fugitive
businessman Radovan Krejcir which were to be sold at an auction.
========================================================================
Education Ministry officials won't visit China
------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Chinese government cancelled a planned visit to China by Czech
Education Ministry officials over hoisting the Tibetan flag at the
ministry building, the news website Aktualne.cz reported on Friday.
Education Minister Ondrej Liska, of the Green Party, had the Tibetan
flag put up on his ministry's building on March 10 to commemorate a
Tibetan uprising against China. The Chinese embassy in Prague said that
hoisting the flag represented direct support of Tibetan independence,
and a gross interference with internal Chinese matters. During the
planned visit, Education Ministry officials were going to sign an
extended agreement on cooperation between the two countries in
university education.
========================================================================
Social Democrats want to link vote on radar with vote on confidence
------------------------------------------------------------------------
The opposition Social Democrats have called on the government to link
the vote on the planned U.S. radar base with a vote on confidence. The
Czech Republic and the United States reached agreement at the NATO
summit in Bucharest concerning the siting of a U.S. tracking radar base
in the Czech Republic as part of the American missile defence shield.
The treaty between the two countries is expected to be signed at the
beginning of May in Prague; both chambers of the Czech Parliament will
then vote on the document. The demand by the opposition Social
Democrats has been rejected by Deputy Prime Minister Petr Necas who
said the government would not listen to such extremist proposals.
In related news, Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek confirmed that next
Tuesday the country's National Security Council would discuss the
Czech-U.S. Status of Forces agreement, defining the status of U.S.
troops on Czech soil in connection with the planned radar base. A new
round of bilateral talks between the US and the Czech Republic is then
to continue on Wednesday, with a final agreement expected by April 11.
Defence Minister Vlasta Parkanova said on Thursday that the Security
Council should now decide whether to preserve the mandate of Czech
negotiators or make modifications. Besides covering the legal status of
US soldiers, the SOFA also deals with environmental and transport
issues as well as other factors including controls by authorities over
construction and taxation.
========================================================================
Police seize paintings of runaway businessman
------------------------------------------------------------------------
The police seized eight paintings on Friday belonging to the fugitive
businessman Radovan Krejcir which were to be sold at an auction. If
sold, the eight works by renowned Czech modernist painters Jan Zrzavy
and Vaclav Spala could go at an estimated 80 million crowns, or more
than 5 million U.S. dollars. Fugitive Radovan Krejcir is wanted in the
Czech Republic for a number of crimes including conspiracy to murder,
counterfeiting and extortion. Mr Krejcir ran away in 2005 and is
currently living in South Africa with his family.
========================================================================
Communist leader: country in political, economic crisis
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Communist Party leader Vojtech Filip said on Saturday that the Czech
Republic undergoing deep political and economic crisis. Speaking a
party conference, the communist politician said the government was
based on treason by two opposition MPs and it defied public opinion
concerning the possible siting of a U.S. radar base in the country. Mr
Filip also noted that about 100 billion crowns, or more than 6.2
billion U.S. dollars, of economic profits leave the country each year.
========================================================================
New documents on Masins found
------------------------------------------------------------------------
The head of the Institute for the Study of Totalitarian Regimes, Pavel
Zacek, revealed the finding of new documents pertaining to the Masin
brothers - members of an anti-communist resistance group who shot their
way out of Communist Czechoslovakia. The documents reportedly date to
the interrogation of family member Ctibor Novak, later executed by the
regime. The documents suggest that under questioning Mr Novak admitted
that the Masins had planned to abduct Communist Defence Minister Alexej
Cepicka as well to conduct acts of sabotage. It is plausible the
statements were made under the threat of violence by the secret police.
Not long ago the Masins, along with resistance group member Milan
Paumer, were recognised by Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek for their
willingness to fight against the Communist regime in the 1950s.
========================================================================
Police break-up British-led gang
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Czech police broke up a British-led gang producing the methamphetamine
pervetin for the British black market. Police said on Friday the gang's
lab was one of the largest uncovered in recent years, producing an
estimated half-kilo of the drug per week. Five were arrested in the
round up, there of them Czechs; if found guilty they could face up to
15 years in prison. According to officials, the pervetin was produced
using store-bought medicines; the lab itself was uncovered in a Prague
garage. Last year more than 2,000 individuals were reportedly arrested
in the Czech Republic for involvement in drug-related crimes - the vast
majority of them Czech nationals. Some 130 were foreigners, officials
say.
========================================================================
Hame and Nordic merge
------------------------------------------------------------------------
The biggest Czech canned food manufacturer Hame merged with the
Icelandic investor Nordic Partners. Financial details of the merger
have not been disclosed. Nordic Partners currently runs food producing
companies in Lithuania, Latvia and Poland; the board chairman of the
Icelandic company Leo Gunnarsson said his company was not considering
closing down any of Hame's plants. After the merger with Hame, the
group will be producing 170,000 tonnes of food products and 100 million
litres of beverages annually. Its annual sales are estimated at 10
billion crowns, or more than 626 million U.S. dollars.
========================================================================
Weather
------------------------------------------------------------------------
The weekend is expected to be partly cloudy, with some rain showers.
Highest day temperatures will range between 8 and 12 degrees Celsius.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Articles posted on www.radio.cz today
------------------------------------------------------------------------
SoundCzech
Screws in your head
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Welcome to this week's edition of Sound Czech, Radio Prague's Czech
language series in which you can learn interesting phrases through
songs' lyrics. Today's phrase "Srouby do hlavy", or "Screws into the
head", is also the name of the song released in 1990 by one of the most
popular Czech pop bands, Lucie.
http://www.radio.cz/en/article/102652
Magazine
Magazine 4.5.2008
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jalta Hotel celebrates its 50th birthday in communist style, the first
space travel agency opens in Prague and, that's not a helicopeter - its
a snowglider! Find out more in Magazine with Daniela Lazarova.
http://www.radio.cz/en/article/102709
