Copyright (c) 2008 Radio Prague (Cesky Rozhlas 7 - Radio Praha)
News Friday, May 30th, 2008
By: Jan Velinger
* President Vaclav Klaus has told the Washington Times that a decision
on a US radar base in the Czech Republic is up to the Czech government
and "not Russia's business".
* Parliamentary leaders of the Visegrad Four are meeting in the Czech
capital to discuss the EU's Lisbon Treaty.
* The Czech Republic's national football team has defeated Scotland 3:1
in a final match ahead of Euro 2008.
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Klaus tells Washington Times radar base not Russia's business
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Czech President Vaclav Klaus, on a visit to the US this week, told the
US newspaper the Washington Times that an American radar base planned
in the Czech Republic was a decision for the Czech government and "not
Russia's business". Russia continues to strongly oppose the project,
rejecting claims US missile defence was protection against rogue
states. In his interview, the Czech president said there was little
chance Russia would drop its objections. Earlier, Mr Klaus met with US
vice president Dick Cheney to discuss the radar, which has been
proposed as part of a broader US missile defence shield in Europe. The
Czech government has agreed on the treaty covering the base, expected
to be signed in the coming months. Despite the government's backing,
polls have repeatedly suggested that two-thirds of the public continues
to oppose the project.
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Visegrad Four representatives meet to discuss Lisbon Treaty
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Parliamentary leaders of the Visegrad Four - Slovakia, Poland, Hungary
and the Czech Republic - have begun a two-day meeting in Prague to
discuss the Lisbon Treaty. The Czech Republic has not yet ratified the
agreement, which replaces the failed EU constitution. On Thursday
Deputy Prime Minister Alexandr Vondra said the Czech government
supported the treaty but made clear the cabinet will now wait to see
how it is assessed by the Czech Constitutional Court - a decision is
expected in the autumn. The Czech Republic is the only Visegrad country
that has not ratified the treaty, which has been passed by 15 out of
the 27 EU countries overall.
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Sarkozy to visit Prague in mid-June
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French President Nicolas Sarkozy is scheduled to travel to the Czech
Republic next month to meet with the prime ministers of the Visegrad
Four. The visit has been set for June 16 and is to take place in the
Czech Senate. Topics on the agenda will include the upcoming EU
presidencies; France is to take up the presidency on July 1, the Czech
Republic on the first of January. Among priorities for the French are
energy and the climate while the Czech Republic is focussing on the
removal of barriers between EU states. Nicolas Sarkozy's visit to
Prague will be the first by a French president since 1997 - excluding
Jacques Chirac's attendance at the NATO summit in 2002.
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Prague clamps down on littering
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The city of Prague is set to join a number of Czech municipalities
clamping down on littering and other soiling of city streets. On
Thursday legislators at City Hall passed a decree allowing police to
fine anyone caught throwing cigarette butts or chewing gum on the
street 1,000 crowns. A refusal to pay, leading to administrative
proceedings, could see the fine raised to 30,000 (the equivalent of
around 1,800 US dollars). The law applies not only to the throwing away
of wrappers but also of food scraps. Similarly, anyone failing to pick
up after their dog or caught spitting or urinating in public could also
be fined. Some have expressed scepticism the legislation will be
effective but towns already with experience with such bans have
attested to positive results. The changes are to take effect in Prague
on July 1.
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Finance ministry ordered to pay European Democrats, Independents,
compensation
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A Prague court has ruled that the finance ministry must pay 800,000
crowns in compensation to the Independents and European Democrats for
subsidies the ministry failed to pay out after the European Democrats
earned mandates in local elections in 2002. Following the parties'
success in the elections they were entitled to an annual state subsidy
of 250,000 crowns for each mandate gained. But Bohuslav Sobotka, then
finance minister, and his successor Vlastimil Tlusty, both maintained
that the subsidies could onlz go to a party or a coalition of parties,
not an association comprising a political party and independent
candidates. The defence lawyer for the European Democrats and
Independents has maintained on the basis of the law the compensation
could come directly from the former ministers' pockets.
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Survey suggests tenth of population suffers health disability
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A unique survey released by the Czech Statistical Office on Friday has
suggested that people with some kind of health disability make up 10
percent of the Czech population (around 1 million people). The study
took into account random reports from 548 general practitioners and
paediatricians. The authors processed information about more than ten
thousand patients in making their estimate. Of 1.15 million people
suffering a disability 52 percent are men, 48, women. 72 percent, the
survey found, were not professionally active, while 79 percent lived
off their pension.
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Social Democrat leader backs Kaplicky project
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The leader of the opposition Social Democrats Jiri Paroubek met with
architect Jan Kaplicky on Friday to express support for his avant garde
design for the new national library, a building originally planned for
Prague's Letna Plain nicknamed "the Octopus" or "the Blob". The project
came to a standstill after objections were voiced by City Hall,
including the mayor, and disputes emerged over funding as well as
zoning on the original property. On Friday, Mr Paroubek said that if
his party were in government the building would receive the 3 to 4
billion crowns needed for its construction. The topic of the national
library is now likely to become a heated ahead of the next elections.
The head of the national library, Vlastimil Jezek, will reportedly also
meet with Mr Paroubek to try and drum up new support for the stalled
project.
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Z1 to launch digital broadcast Sunday
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A new private news and current affairs station, Z1, will launch digital
broadcasting this Sunday. Its programme will be available in Prague,
Brno, Ostrava and Pilsen for the time being. The new station will
feature well-known Czech journalists such as Veronika Sedlackova and
the former head of Czech Radio's Radiozurnal (Radio Journal) Barbora
Tacheci. Heads at Z1, which is funded by investors J&T, have
acknowledged the aim of trying to capture 3 percent of the market, a
goal which some media experts see as long-term and difficult to
achieve. Charles University specialist Milan Smid has suggested the
station will be successful even with less, providing it is able to
break through as a serious news source.
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Football: Czech Republic defeat Scotland 3:1 in final match ahead of
Euro 2008
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The Czech Republic's national football team defeated Scotland 3:1 in a
friendly in Prague on Friday evening. The game was the last for the
squad before the European Championship, Euro 2008, kicks off on June 7.
The Czechs' Libor Sionko opened the scoring in the 59th minute. His
goal was followed by a goal by Kadlec 6 minutes from time. Scotland got
one back on a goal by Clarkson, but Sionko then added a 2nd goal. The
Czech Republic will play the opening match at Euro 2008 against
co-hosts Switzerland.
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Weather
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Mostly clear skies are expected into the weekend with a chance of
sudden clouding over and thunderstorms. Daytime temperatures on
Saturday are expected to reach highs of 29 degrees Celsius.
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Articles posted on www.radio.cz today
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ICE - Insight Central Europe
ICE - Insight Central Europe 5.30.2008
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In this week's Insight Central Europe: There's a building boom on
across much of Central Europe and we investigate what that means for
the urban landscape - from Warsaw, to Prague to Bratislava and
Ljubljana. We'll hear how the Slovak capital fears developers are given
too much freedom, how Warsaw is trying to find its heart, and how
Prague is putting up shopping malls. Hear these stories and more in
this special edition of Insight Central Europe. Catch a podcast at
http://www.radio.cz/en/article/104638
ICE - special
Slovenia remembers its great architect - and his timeless appeal
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To mark the 50th anniversary of the death of its greatest architect,
Slovenia has unleashed a flurry of exhibitions and symposiums abroad to
try to bring more recognition to Joze Plecnik. With shows currently
running in Belgium and Japan, Slovenian architects are also hoping to
breathe new life into the so-called Slovenian School of Architecture.
http://www.radio.cz/en/article/104637
ICE - special
Bratislava's building boom - do developers have too much freedom?
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There's a building boom going on across much of Central Europe. In
capitals like Prague, Warsaw and Bratislava cranes dominate the skyline
as builders try to keep up with demand created by rapid economic
growth. That growth is creating jobs and wealth and new architectural
gems. But it's also bringing problems including traffic chaos and fears
for the urban environment. Our special program this week begins on a
building site in Bratislava.
http://www.radio.cz/en/article/104636
ICE - special
Prague: Shopping malls are popping up all over
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One change in the urban landscape in the Czech Republic in recent years
has been a massive increase in the number of shopping malls. Rare a
decade ago, large shopping centres are now part of the everyday lives
of millions of Czechs. And while the number of malls keeps on growing,
some major retailers are also making inroads into the corner shop
market. Radio Prague's Ian Willoughby reports.
http://www.radio.cz/en/article/104635
ICE - special
Warsaw's communist past and capital present live in buildings and spaces
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Warsaw is a city whose skyline is dominated by the Stalinist-era Palace
of Culture and where a heated debate is under way on how to turn the
vast space around it into a genuine human-scale city centre.
http://www.radio.cz/en/article/104634
Business News
Business News 5.30.2008
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This week in Business News: The government is to support Skoda
producing regions, Czech Airlines struggles with high fuel costs,
Czechs are starting to shop for cheaper groceries in Germany, household
debt growing faster than savings and gas prices are set to skyrocket
next year.
http://www.radio.cz/en/article/104633
Current Affairs
Khamoro Festival celebrates 10th anniversary in Prague
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The Khamoro Festival is an international Romany Festival held in Prague
each year. This year saw the 10th anniversary of the event, which
features Romany performers and musicians from around the world,
celebrating their rich cultural heritage with a packed programme of
performances. One of the highlights is a vibrant procession of dancing
and music which winds its colourful way from Mustek to Old Town Square.
Jamie Brindley followed the procession yesterday.
http://www.radio.cz/en/article/104605
Current Affairs
Prague to fine those caught littering
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Prague City Hall has launched a new campaign to clamp down on litter in
the capital. As of June 1, those caught littering in the city can
expect big fines. Councillors say the new system has already been
proved to work in other European capitals, though critics say the
clean-up drive just stinks.
http://www.radio.cz/en/article/104604
Current Affairs
Czech scientists call for rational debate on GMO
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A week before a key vote by EU environment ministers on tightening GMO
cultivation rules, leading Czech scientists have called on European
politicians to start a rational debate on the future of genetically
modified plants. Claiming that GMOs are safe both for consumers and the
environment, Czech experts would like to see the European Union embrace
a more liberal attitude towards biotech crops.
http://www.radio.cz/en/article/104603
Arts
Visa agency head outlines which Czech musicians play in the US, where
they play - and who they play to
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The New York-based company Tamizdat brings music from central and
eastern Europe to an American audience. They also act as an agency
helping musicians get work visas to perform in the US, and handle the
applications of virtually every Czech musician who plays in America.
For that reason, Tamizdat owner Matthew Covey has an extensive
knowledge of Czech artists and the US - which groups visit the States,
where they play, and who they play to.
http://www.radio.cz/en/article/104590
ICE - news
Budapest favourite for EU research institute - but Warsaw
blocksBrussels threatens Poland over shipyard subsidiesCzechs continue
hunger strike protest over US radar basesTransparency: Graft hitting
Hungary's competitivenessSlovakia devalues the koruna to fight
inflationAmnesty: Slovenia's "erased" still suffering
discriminationAustria welcomes agreement on cluster munitions ban
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http://www.radio.cz/en/article/104591
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