Copyright (c) 2010 Radio Prague (Cesky Rozhlas 7 - Radio Praha)
News Friday, July 30th, 2010
By: Ian Willoughby
* An "early warning centre" the US is aiming to build on Czech
territory would be part of a NATO missile defence system, says the
Czech PM.
* The European Court of Justice says Anheuser-Busch InBev may not
register "Budweiser" as an EU-wide trademark, ending a dispute with
Budejovicky Budvar.
* Barbora Spotakova has taken bronze in the women's javelin at the
European Athletics Championships in Barcelona.
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Necas: US facility on Czech territory to be part of NATO defence system
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An "early warning centre" that the US is aiming to build on Czech
territory would be part of a NATO missile defence system, Czech Prime
Minister Petr Necas said on Friday. Washington and Prague are
discussing the creation of such a facility, which Mr Necas said would
be run by Czechs, doing away with the need for a bilateral treaty. He
said it would collate satellite information about rockets aimed at NATO
states, and would be more technical and administrative than military in
nature. Mr Necas said the US was proposing to put around USD 2 million
into the project in 2011 and 2012.
President Barack Obama last year announced the dropping of plans for an
American anti-missile shield that would have included a radar base in
the Czech Republic.
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EU court rules in favour of Czech brewer in "Budweiser" dispute
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The European Court of Justice has ruled that Anheuser-Busch InBev may
not register "Budweiser" as an EU-wide trademark, ending a long legal
dispute with the Czech state-owned brewer Budejovicky Budvar.
Anheuser-Busch applied for trademark registration in the EU in 1996,
but was opposed by Budvar, which already had protection for its own
Budweiser beer in Germany and Austria. Thursday's ruling upheld a
previous decision by Europe's second highest court last year. It does
not prevent Anheuser-Busch from registering the name Budweiser in
individual markets. The two sides have been fighting over the brand
name in courts around the world for decades.
Budweiser means from Budweis, the German name for the city of Ceske
Budejovicke, which has a brewing tradition stretching back to the 13th
century. Anheuser-Busch began making its own Budweiser in 1876.
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Communist symbol to remain on Brno war memorial after all
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The authorities in Brno are to leave a controversial communist symbol
on a monument after preservationists objected to its removal. Some
local people had voiced opposition to a hammer and sickle on a monument
in the city's Kralovo Pole district in honour of the Red Army soldiers
who liberated the region at the end of the war, and earlier this year
councillors voted to remove it. However, the National Monuments
Institute has recommended that the communist symbol remain in place,
and the Brno Town Hall is expected to respect that suggestion.
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Government meeting to be interrupted for funeral of Masin group member
Paumer
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A meeting of the Czech government planned for next Wednesday will be
interrupted for three and a half hours because of the funeral of Milan
Paumer, a member of a controversial group who shot their way across the
Iron Curtain in the 1950s. It is not clear whether any cabinet members
will attend the ceremony in Podebrady, but both Prime Minister Petr
Necas and Defence Minister Alexandr Vondra have said they may do so. Mr
Paumer was part of what became known as the Masin group after the two
brothers that led it. Some regard them as heroes for fighting the
Communists, though others condemn them for killing a number of people.
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Half of Czech customers now buy electronic goods on internet, suggests
survey
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Half of Czech customers now buy electronic goods on the internet,
suggests a report by the Incoma GfK market research agency. Of those
surveyed, 35 percent said they had bought computers and accessories
online in the previous 12-month period, 20 percent had bought household
appliances, and 14 percent had bought other consumer electronics. An
industry body said that while Czechs had spent an estimated CZK 22
billion shopping online in 2008, last year that figure had risen to CZK
26 or 27 billion.
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Potato salad causes dysentery outbreak in Ceske Budejovicke
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An outbreak of dysentery has been reported in Ceske Budejovicke. Around
50 people probably caught the intestinal disorder from a batch of
potato salad at a canteen in the city last Friday, local hygiene
officials said. An epidemiologist told reporters it was the biggest
single incidence of dysentery in the city in some years, though it did
not amount to an epidemic. Infected persons have been forced to stay
off work and their children have been forbidden from going to
traditional summer camps.
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Spotakova takes bronze in women's javelin in Barcelona
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Barbora Spotakova finished third in the women's javelin at the European
Athletics Championships on Thursday evening, taking the Czech team's
first medal in Barcelona. Spotakova finished behind two German
competitors with a throw of 65.36 metres. The Czech athlete is the
reigning Olympic champion in the women's javelin, and holds the world
record in the discipline.
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Viktoria Plzen score best result of three Czech clubs in Europa League
qualifiers
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Viktoria Plzen drew 1:1 at home with the Turkish club Besiktas in their
Europa League third qualifying round first leg on Thursday night. The
Czech side went 1:1 ahead before the visitors managed to draw even with
a penalty. In the same competition, Jablonec lost 1:0 away to APOEL
Nicosia, while Banik Ostrava were beaten 1:0 by Dnepr Mogilev in
Belarus.
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Sparta's Repka suspended over alleged spitting incident
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Sparta Prague player Tomas Repka has been suspended over allegations he
spat at an opponent during a game. Repka has been barred from taking
part in a league match against Ceske Budejovice on Sunday, prior to a
Czech football association disciplinary hearing next week. Sparta are
reported to have already handed the defender an unspecified punishment
for spitting at Ladislav Volesak of Slovacko in a game last weekend.
Repka, who is 36, is known for having a short fuse and an
uncompromising style of play.
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Prague island hosts fashion market
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Prague's Strelecky ostrov has become the unlikely venue for an outdoor
fashion market. For three days the island, which can be reached via the
most Legii bridge, will be home to around 80 stalls selling clothing
and accessories made by students and graduates of fashion and design.
Code:Mode also features a circus arts workshop and live music.
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Weather
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It should be mainly sunny with occasional rain over the next few days.
Forecasters say temperatures will reach a maximum of 29 degrees Celsius.
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Articles posted on www.radio.cz today
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Current Affairs
Court decision leaves Budejovicky Budvar winners in EU trademark battle
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The Czech brewer Budejovicky Budvar scored a major victory on Thursday
when the top European Court ruled that global rival Anheuser-Busch
InBev could not register the Budweiser name as a EU-wide trademark. The
decision brought to an end a 14-year-long legal dispute, meaning that
Budejovicky Budvar will not have to fear that its own trademarks in 19
European countries could be challenged. In Great Britain the Budweiser
name, for example, is used both by Budvar and Anheuser-Busch, but in
Germany only Budvar has rights to the brand.
http://www.radio.cz/en/article/130311
Current Affairs
Czech Republic to host part of new missile defence shield
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The Czech Republic is likely to host part of the US anti-missile
defence shield in Europe. The American administration has officially
asked the US Congress to fund the early warning program. Czech Prime
Minister Petr Necas confirmed the news on Friday, saying that the new
centre could be positioned in Prague or in its vicinity. If approved,
the project could be launched before the end of the year.
http://www.radio.cz/en/article/130310
Arts
Future of the Future exhibition at Prague's DOX seeks to go beyond
established conceptions of past, present and future
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The future is not what is used to be. This popular statement was the
inspiration for a fresh exhibition that opened at Prague's DOX Center
for Contemporary Art this week. It is titled The Future of the Future
and explores not just our visions of the future, but also how our
understanding of the actual concept has changed. On display are works
by artists from Austria, England, Germany and the US. Sarah Borufka
went and took a look at what the future holds.
http://www.radio.cz/en/article/130286
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