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Copyright (c) 2010 Radio Prague (Cesky Rozhlas 7 - Radio Praha)
News Tuesday, February 9th, 2010
By: Christian Falvey
* The Czech Police have announced new and supplemental measures to
combat extremism in the country.
* Prime Minister Jan Fischer has said that the Czech Republic is
prepared to offer its assistance in mediating disputes between Israel
and its neighbours.
* Parliamentarians have begun the first in a series of four special
sessions of parliament.
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Police announce new, additional measures to counter extremism
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The Czech Police have announced new and additional measures to combat
extremism in the country. The head of the riot police, Petr Sehnoutka,
told reporters Tuesday that units would be receiving additional
training, public order squads would be used more frequently, and new,
heavy-armour units will be added in the Ustecky and Moravskoslezsky
regions. The police said that the further specialisation of the units
was in reaction to the greater specialisation of extremist groups
themselves, which Sehnoutka said are becoming more aggressive, better
organised and embracing new methods. The two regions in which the new
units are to be placed were chosen due to their being what the police
called major bases for extremists. Currently only Prague and Brno riot
police have such heavy-armour squads.
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Czech PM pledges diplomatic assistance in Near East
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Prime Minister Jan Fischer said Tuesday that the Czech Republic is
prepared to offer its assistance in mediating disputes between Israel
and its neighbours in the Middle East. Speaking at a conference marking
the 20th anniversary of the renewal of diplomatic relations between the
Czech and Jewish states, Mr Fischer said that the Czech Republic's
experience and good relations with the countries of the Middle East
could help aid international relations there. He also said that having
a clear stance towards Israel would be one of the main tasks of any
integrated foreign policy in the European Union, and that his country
would help in building one. Relations between Czechoslovakia and Israel
were frosty between the early 1950s and the fall of the Iron Curtain,
since which time the two countries have developed strong economic,
scientific and technological cooperation.
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MPs meet for first of four special sessions
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Parliamentarians have begun the first in a series of four special
sessions of Parliament convened because January's session ended in
deadlock. Tuesday's session was called by the Social Democratic Party
in order to debate amendments to the Income Tax Act and the Criminal
Code. Members will also be discussing proposals to cancel ceilings on
social insurance payments and the government's anti-corruption package.
The coming days' debates will involve primarily hot election topics,
such as the left's aim to increase maternal benefits and a call by
Civic Democrats to confront allegations of corruption in the purchase
of Gripen fighter jets from Sweden.
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Czech Foreign Minister says willing to talk with Ukraine election winner
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Czech Foreign Minister Jan Kohout has praised the Ukrainian elections
as being in line with international standards and norms. He said that
the Czech Republic was ready to talk with Kiev about issues such as
energy security, the future of the EU's Eastern Partnership accords,
security issues and the integration of Ukraine in Euro-Atlantic
structures with the incoming president. Viktor Yanukovych gained a slim
victory in the second round presidential election vote with 48.83
percent of votes. His main rival, Yulia Tymoshenko, had 45.59 percent.
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Christian Democrat deputy resigns for family reasons
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Deputy chairman of the Christian Democratic Party, David Macek, has
resigned from his position for family reasons. Party chairman Cyril
Svoboda has called upon the regional offices to propose a replacement.
Mr Macek said Tuesday that he would remain in the party background, but
that he was seeking more time and energy for his family and church than
the time constraints of his position allowed for. He is currently
expecting a second child. Mr Macek, who has been a deputy chairman
since 2006, will in his own view likely be replaced by a representative
from the party's strongest office in the region of South Bohemia.
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Heavy smog in Prague as blight continues in east of country
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After several days of heavy smog in the far east of the Czech Republic,
conditions have worsened in the capital as well. Prague monitoring
stations on Tuesday moved the air-quality rating to five on a scale of
six, with inversion preventing an improvement. 14 out of 15 stations in
Prague reported that flue dust levels had exceeded the limit as of
Tuesday evening. Meanwhile, a station in the industrial area of Trinec
has recorded flue dust levels of seven times the limit, which is 50
micrograms per cubic metre; polluters in that region were ordered to
reduce production. Senior citizens, children and the chronically ill
have been advised to restrict their time out of doors in the areas in
question.
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Poll asks Czechs who they would not want as neighbours
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A poll published by the agency Factum Invenio suggests strong biases
among many Czechs against sharing a neighbourhood with people of
specific ethnicities. In response to the question "who would you not
want as a neighbour", 76% of respondents replied "definitely not" or
"maybe not" in regards to a hypothetical Romani neighbour. Such
responses were also high in regards to Arabs (60%) and respondents were
mostly split when asked about Ukrainians and Vietnamese. 40% said they
would not want an Israeli as a neighbour, while 18% said they would not
want a Jew. The study, which was released at Tuesday's conference
marking the 20 years of diplomatic ties with Israel, suggested that 70%
of Czechs had a positive attitude towards Jewish cultural heritage,
while 53% perceived Israeli culture positively.
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New radar result builds anticipation of St. Agnes find
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New radar scans conducted in the Church of St. Hastal in Prague have
ignited anticipation that a hole in the floor near the altar may hold
the lost remains of St. Agnes of Bohemia. The scans showed a crevice
bearing a slab that corresponds to the dimensions of the tomb being
sought, though the surveyor emphasised that the result was in no way
conclusive of anything definite. Interest in the church became intense
in November of last year, when an initial radar scan was said to show a
casket beneath the altar. The current scan showed similar results,
though in a slightly different location. The respective parish has said
it would like the part of the floor in question to be raised as soon as
possible so as to clear up the speculation. The remains of the 13th
century saint were allegedly hidden during the Hussite Wars and have
never been found. St. Agnes was canonised by Pope John Paul II just
before the Velvet Revolution, and is considered a symbol of that event.
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President Klaus meets with Egyptian counterpart
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The Czech president, Vaclav Klaus, met with his Egyptian counterpart
Hosni Mubarak on Monday during a three-day visit to Egypt. According to
Mr Klaus' office one of the points discussed was the prospect for a
major exhibition of Egyptian archaeological finds at Prague castle
within the next two years. The Czech President also invited Mr Mubarak
to the Czech Republic with hopes raised that the visit could occur this
year. The Egyptian president last visited in 1994. Talks also covered
trade relations and relations between Israel and Palestine. Mr Klaus
was also due to take part in a signing of the Arabic version of his
book Blue Planet in Green Shackles, which questions the belief that
mankind is responsible for global warming.
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Vaclav Havel cancels engagements due to health problems
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Former Czech President Vaclav Havel has been forced to cancel his
engagements for the coming days because of breathing difficulties, his
office announced on Monday. Spokeswoman Sabina Tancevova said Mr Havel
was taking antibiotics to counter respiratory problems. Havel was due
on Monday to take part in a press conference of a new book by
journalist Karel Hvizd'ala which includes interviews with Havel and
fellow communist era dissident Pavel Landovsky. Mr Havel, a former
heavy smoker whose health suffered during imprisonment under the
Communist regime, had part of his right lung removed in the late 1990's
when cancer was diagnosed.
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Weather
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Conditions over the coming days will be overcast with scattered snow
and fog and daytime lows of -6 to -2oC.
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Articles posted on www.radio.cz today
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Special
Helena Illnerova, the leading lady in Czech science
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Dr. Helena Illnerova is a biochemist, and one of the top minds in the
Czech Republic. She is involved in practically every major academic
committee there is in the country, from the council of the National
Museum to that of Charles University; until 2004 she was the chair of
the Academy of Sciences, and she currently heads UNESCO in the Czech
Republic. It was with the study of biorhythms, though, that Dr.
Illnerova's work began in the 1960s, when she discovered that mice
exposed to light for short periods of time in the night would have
their hormones disrupted - that their bodies, and ours, were governed
by a biological clock.
http://www.radio.cz/en/article/124889
Current Affairs
Head of Czech Centre in The Hague: budget cuts encourage cooperation
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The Czech Centre in the Dutch capital The Hague has been promoting all
things Czech since 1994. Last year, more than 60,000 thousand people
approached the centre or took part in one of their events. But the
economic crisis has put the centre in a difficult situation, as the
Czech Foreign Ministry is planning to cut around one third of its
budget. Radio Prague spoke to the head of Czech Centre in The Hague
Petra Prinsova and asked her how they are coping with the current
situation.
http://www.radio.cz/en/article/124890
Current Affairs
New treatment offers better hopes for victims of spinal injuries
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The Institute of Experimental Medicine in Prague has made a potentially
very important breakthrough in treating spinal cord injuries. Using
stem cells on paralysed rats, the team has managed to heal acute cases
of paralysis, returning the animals' feeling and movement. Now the
group has found that seeding the stem cells in a hydrogel implanted in
the wound can cure even chronic back injuries. I spoke with the
Institute's Eva Sykova, who explained how the new method is a major
development in the use of stem cells to treat such injuries.
http://www.radio.cz/en/article/124880
Current Affairs
New sites, objects, named national treasures
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The Czech government has added 38 historic buildings, areas and objects
to the country's list of cultural heritage sites, bringing it to a
total of 274. For the first time a dam, a train, and a hotel appear
among the country's most valued venues.
http://www.radio.cz/en/article/124875
Current Affairs
Unemployment nudges 10% though analysts say worst is over
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New figures released by the government on Monday showed unemployment
creeping up towards the dreaded 10 percent mark in January. The
registered number of unemployed was 9.8 percent in January, the Labour
and Social Affairs Ministry announced, up 3 percentage points
year-on-year. However analysts say things won't, at least, get much
worse.
http://www.radio.cz/en/article/124874
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