Copyright (c) 2008 Radio Prague (Cesky Rozhlas 7 - Radio Praha)
News Tuesday, July 8th, 2008
By: Ruth Frankova
* US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and her Czech counterpart
Karel Schwarzenberg have signed a treaty on the planned deployment of a
U.S. radar base on Czech soil.
* Hundreds of people have gathered at Prague's Wenceslas Square to
protest against the visit by Condoleezza Rice.
* Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek has signed an agreement on Czech
accession to the European Space Agency.
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Rice signs treaty on US radar base
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US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and her Czech counterpart Karel
Schwarzenberg signed an agreement on Tuesday on the planned deployment
of a U.S. radar base on Czech soil. To take effect, the treaty will
still need to be approved by the Czech Parliament and signed by
President Vaclav Klaus. The radar base is meant to be part of a US
global missile defence shield. The proposed radar in the Czech Republic
would be linked to a missile base in neighbouring Poland to counter the
threat of an attack from so called "rogue" states such as Iran. Mrs
Rice said on Tuesday that talks with Poland remained incomplete and
that she didn't yet know the date by which the treaty on US missile
base on Polish soil may be signed.
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Hundreds of people protest against US radar
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Hundreds of people have gathered at Prague's Wenceslas Square to
protest against the visit by US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice at
a demonstration organised by the No to Bases Initiative. The protesters
plan to march from top of the square to the American Embassy. Another
demonstration against the radar was staged earlier on Tuesday by
Greenpeace activists. Several dozens of radar supporters met outside
the Foreign Ministry building on Tuesday afternoon.
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Poll: nearly 50 percent of Czechs against radar treaty
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Nearly 50 percent of Czechs believe that Czech parliament and the
president should not approve the treaty on the deployment of a US radar
base on Czech soil signed on Tuesday by US Secretary of State
Condoleezza Rice and her Czech counterpart Karel Schwarzenberg,
according to a poll conducted by the STEM agency in July. Around 50
percent of respondents think that the parliament should vote only after
the US presidential elections in November.
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Rice: Czechs to travel to US without visa by end of year
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Czechs should be travelling to the United States without visas by the
end of this year, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice told the Czech
Television on Tuesday. The Czech interior minister in February signed a
memorandum of understanding with the United States, which was regarded
as a first step towards the Czech Republic being included in the US
visa-waiver programme. US Secretary of Homeland Security Michael
Chertoff said he expected Czechs to travel to the States without a visa
from the end of October or the beginning of November this year.
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Russian general: Russia rejects US radar, will not intimidate anyone
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Russia still perceives the plan to build part of the US anti-missile
shield in central Europe as a threat to its own security, but it will
not intimidate anyone, Russian general Yevgeni Buzhinski said on
Tuesday during his speech at the headquarters of the Social Democratic
Party in Prague. Mr Buzhinski, who is in charge of negotiations on the
issue, said Russia had doubts about the alleged danger cited as the
main reason behind the project.
Russia strongly opposes the base, arguing that it would pose a threat
to the country's security. Russian news agency Interfax on Tuesday
quoted a senior source at the Russian Foreign Ministry, who said the US
deal with the Czech Republic "cancelled out" an agreement between
Moscow and Washington to consult on the issue. The source was also
quoted as saying that the deal has complicated problems of security in
Europe.
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Czech Republic joins European Space Agency
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The Czech Republic has become a member of the European Space Agency.
Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek and European Space Agency head
Jean-Jacques Dordain on Tuesday signed an agreement on Czech accession
to the prestigious space research institution. The Czech Republic has
become the first post-communist country to do so. The Czech membership
in ESA is expected to increase the number of space-related activities
in the country and help the Czech Republic in its campaign to become
the seat of the Galileo Agency.
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Germany opens labour market to Czech graduates as of 2009
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University graduates from the Czech Republic and other countries that
entered the EU in 2004 might have free access to the German labour
market as of 2009, the daily Saechsische Zeitung reported, referring to
the government's labour immigration plan. The German government
reportedly plans to soften conditions for foreigners applying for
long-term residence permits. However, it still plans to postpone the
complete opening of the labour market to workforce from EU newcomer
states until 2011.
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Czech crown again breaks Euro record
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The Czech crown continued to break records against the Euro. The crown
traded at 23.45 crowns to the Euro for a brief time on Tuesday, before
settling at around 23.60 crowns per Euro later in the day.
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Weather
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The coming days will be mostly sunny, with occasional showers and
storms. Daytime temperatures are expected to range between 17 and 22
degrees Celsius.
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Articles posted on www.radio.cz today
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Current Affairs
"Night Owls" premieres at Karlovy Vary
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Monday at Karlovy Vary International Film Festival saw the world
premiere of 'Night Owls' - one of the two Czech films in this year's
competition. The movie was directed by Oscar-nominated animator,
Michaela Pavlatova, and stars the young Czech talents Martha Issova and
Jiri Madl. In the run up to the big screening, Rosie Johnston caught up
with Michaela Pavlatova on the terrace at the spa town's Hotel Thermal.
http://www.radio.cz/en/article/105930
Current Affairs
Alcohol ban hits Prague's public places
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This Monday saw a new bylaw come into effect, banning the consumption
of alcohol in many public places in Prague. But, concerns remain as to
just what the ban is supposed to achieve.
http://www.radio.cz/en/article/105929
Current Affairs
Rice, Schwarzenberg sign agreement on US radar base
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Shortly before 3 pm this Tuesday the Czech Republic and the United
States signed a treaty in Prague on the stationing of a US radar base
on Czech soil: part of US plans for a broader missile defence shield in
Europe. The US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice together with Czech
Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg signed the agreement at Cernin
Palace - the Foreign Ministry in the Czech capital. Our reporter Jan
Richter was at the scene and joined us in the minutes following the
signing.
http://www.radio.cz/en/article/105928
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