Copyright (c) 2010 Radio Prague (Cesky Rozhlas 7 - Radio Praha)
News Wednesday, March 3rd, 2010
By: Ian Willoughby
* Union leaders have said a transport strike planned for Thursday
morning will not now go ahead.
* The minister for human rights has criticised Czech Television for
showing communist-era news bulletins.
* President Vaclav Klaus has warned Czechs against voting for new
parties just because of their novelty.
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Union leaders call off transport strike planned for Thursday morning
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Transport union leaders have said a five-hour strike planned for
Thursday morning will not now go ahead. They said they were calling off
the strike because the Chamber of Deputies had on Tuesday given in to
their demand to amend a law that had placed workers' benefits in a
higher tax bracket. The Senate is dominated by the right and is not
expected to follow the lower house's lead, which would mean the matter
would then return to the Chamber of Deputies. Meanwhile, the Czech
president, Vaclav Klaus, says he will not sign the relevant amendment
if it comes before him.
The strike planned for Thursday had originally been set for Monday,
before being postponed by union leaders. It was due to last from 4 am
to 9 am and would mainly have affected the Czech Republic's rail
network and public transport in some cities.
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Human rights minister slams broadcasts of communist-era TV news
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The minister for human rights and minorities, Michael Kocab, has
criticised public broadcaster Czech Television for showing
communist-era news bulletins. Czech Television's CT24 news channel has
been broadcasting daily news from 25 years ago for the last three
years. Mr Kocab on Wednesday issued a statement saying it was just as
indefensible as if German TV had screened news broadcasts from the Nazi
era two decades later, adding that the communist-era bulletins were
shown without any explanation of the historical context. Czech
Television has refused to comment.
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Klaus warns Czechs against voting on basis of novelty
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President Vaclav Klaus says Czech voters should decide wisely on whom
to support in general elections at the end of May and not to vote for
new parties just because of their novelty. In an interview on TV Nova,
he described the number of freshly-formed parties as a totally new
situation. Mr Klaus said that until recently people knew more or less
who to vote for; he said this has now changed and the situation is
"risky". Polls indicate the new right-of-centre party TOP 09 is likely
to pass the 5-percent threshold to enter parliament, while some polls
suggest Public Affairs could also win seats in the lower house.
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Mayor of Nachod charged over sale of town brewery
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The mayor of Nachod, Oldrich Ctvrtecka, has been charged by police over
alleged corruption linked to the sale of the east Bohemian town's
brewery last year. It was bought by the Liberec-based company for CZK
150 million (nearly USD 8 million). Another interested party, the
brewer Holba, has questioned the sale, saying it offered CZK 185
million. The mayor is suspected of abuse of office and dereliction in
connection with the management of the property of others. Mr Ctvrtecka
rejects such allegations. He told the news website novinky.cz that such
sales were carried out by local authorities, not mayors.
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Meat sales down 10 percent in 2009 due to financial crisis
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Sales of meat in the Czech Republic fell by around 10 percent
year-on-year in 2009, the chairman of the Czech Association of Meat
Processors said on Wednesday. Speaking at foodstuffs trade fair Salima,
Jaromir Kloud said, however, that other industries such as machinery
and textiles had suffered greater downswings in sales. Mr Kloud said
some meat producers had managed to keep business at 2009 levels, often
thanks to new services or marketing strategies.
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Car sales up considerably in first two months of year
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There was a marked rise in purchases of new cars in the Czech Republic
in the first two months of 2010, according to figures released by the
Car Importers Association. The overall number of car sales increased by
17 percent compared to the same period in 2009, with companies buying
59 percent more vehicles. Interest in company cars has risen this year
after a change to the law on VAT. The biggest seller in January and
February was Skoda, followed by Volkswagen and Ford.
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Czech filmmakers questioned for several days by Iranian police
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Two Czech documentary makers were interrogated for several days after
being arrested by police in Iran, the news website idnes.cz reported.
Martin Sima and Jan Sibik, who is best known as a photographer, were in
the country making a film about a lawyer defending a woman condemned to
death. They were arrested last month after recording some shots of
young people in a park. Both are now back in the Czech Republic.
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Czech Railways hoping to sell 100,000 tickets through Lidl supermarkets
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Czech Railways hopes to sell at least 100,000 tickets through the Lidl
chain of supermarkets this year, a representative of the former told
reporters on Wednesday. The system was first introduced last year, with
sales during trials in October and in the Christmas period amounting to
28,000. Prague and Brno branches of Lidl are selling train tickets
between the two cities at a reduced price. Czech Railways says they are
planning to also sell cheaper tickets on other routes through the Lidl
chain.
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Czech footballers facing first test of 2010 in Glasgow
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The Czech Republic's footballers are preparing for their first game of
the year, a friendly against Scotland on Wednesday night. Mainstays
Petr Cech and Milan Baros are injured and will miss the match at
Glasgow's Hampden Park. It was arranged before the draw for the
qualifiers for Euro 2012, which pitted the Czechs against Scotland,
along with European champions Spain, Lithuania and Liechtenstein.
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Former Czech international Kubik hired as assistant coach by USA
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Former Czech soccer international Lubos Kubik has been hired as an
assistant coach to the USA, the Associated Press reported on Wednesday.
Kubik, who will be going to the World Cup in South Africa with the US
this year, played for Czechoslovakia against the Americans at the 1990
World Cup; he was also part of the Czech squad that reached the final
of the 1996 European championship. The defensive midfielder played in
the US league for Chicago Fire and Dallas Burn after stints at
Fiorentina, Metz and Nuremberg.
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Hero's welcome for Sablikova and coach in hometown
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The Olympic speed skating champion Martina Sablikova was welcomed by
cheering crowds in her hometown of Velky Osek after returning from the
Games in Vancouver where she won three medals, two gold and one bronze.
Her coach Petr Novak, who is Sablikova's neighbour, also received a
hero's welcome. Local mayor Jiri Otta presented both with an ornament
in the shape of a teardrop produced by local glassmakers inspired, he
said, by the tears of her fans. Mr Otta has been pushing for the
construction of a dedicated speed-skating arena in Velky Osek. The
Czech Republic does not have a facility and Sablikova and other
long-track speed skaters have to train abroad.
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Weather
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We should see bright spells and some snow in the coming days, with
temperatures hovering around freezing point.
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Articles posted on www.radio.cz today
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Czechs in History
Cosmas of Prague and the Chronicle of the Bohemians
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Much of the tapestry of old Czech history and the fundamental legendry
of this country is known to us today thanks to the labours of one wise
old man. His name was Cosmas of Prague, he died almost 900 years ago,
but today his name is known as well or even better than some of the
kings who he immortalised in writing. Cosmas of Prague set the
foundation on which Czech historiography was built when he recorded all
he knew about his nation in its first annals, the Chronicle of the
Bohemians.
http://www.radio.cz/en/article/125599
Current Affairs
Exhibition at Prague Castle offers rare look into T.G. Masaryk's
private life
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A new exhibition which opened at Prague Castle on Tuesday is offering a
rare glimpse into the private life of Czechoslovakia's first president,
Tomas Garrigue Masaryk. The display is part of a series of events
marking the 160th anniversary of Masaryk's birth on March 7, 1850.
http://www.radio.cz/en/article/125595
Current Affairs
Investigation demanded into allegations of harassment of Czech drivers
by German and Austrian police
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Long standing complaints by Czech drivers that they are being harassed
by German and Austrian police have hit new heights amid reports that
they have taken a humiliating turn. Former prime minister Mirek
Topolanek says there is a clear case that European open border rules
have been broken. His successor Jan Fischer has called on the Czech
interior ministry to investigate.
http://www.radio.cz/en/article/125594
Current Affairs
Trade unions call off nationwide transport strike
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Czech trade unions have just called off a nation-wide strike in public
transport planned for Thursday. The unions have been pushing for lower
taxation of employee benefits, and after a meeting on Wednesday, union
leaders decided to give politicians more time to deal with their
demands.
http://www.radio.cz/en/article/125593
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