Saturday, July 31, 2010

News 7.31.2010

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Copyright (c) 2010 Radio Prague (Cesky Rozhlas 7 - Radio Praha)

News Saturday, July 31st, 2010

By: Sarah Borufka

* The Supreme Audit Office is to investigate the Environment Ministry's
sale of carbon dioxide emission rights.

* Four Czechs were killed in a car accident near the Danish capital of
Copenhagen.

* A member of the Social Democrats is suing the party over the state of
its accounting.

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Supreme Audit Office to look into sale of carbon emission rights
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The Supreme Audit Office is planning to look into the Environment
Ministry's selling of carbon dioxide emission rights. The audit will
focus on how funds from the sales are used. A spokeswoman for the
ministry said that this year, nineteen billion Czech crowns worth of
emission rights have been sold. Most of them went to Japan and the
company Mitsui. Since 2008, following a change in law, the Environment
Ministry is authorized to sell surplus emission rights. In accordance
with the conditions of the Kyoto protocol, proceeds from those sales
can only go to the State Environmental Fund of the Czech Republic and
have to be used towards measures that help cut overall carbon dioxide
emissions.

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Four Czechs killed in traffic accident in Denmark
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Five people were killed in a car accident on a motorway near Copenhagen
early on Saturday morning. Four of the passengers were Czechs working
in Denmark; the nationality of the fifth victim is yet unknown. A
spokeswoman for the Czech embassy in Copenhagen confirmed the
information but says no further details regarding the identity of the
victims are available at the moment. The car was travelling above the
speed limit when it hit a crash barrier on the side of the road, a
witness told the press. Police say that three of the passengers were
sitting in the back of the vehicle, which had no seats or seat belts.
According to a local paper, this accident is one of the worst to happen
near the Danish capital in several years.

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Social Democrat sues own party
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Pavel Imris, a member of the Social Democrats, is suing the party over
the state of its accounts, Mlada fronta dnes reported on Saturday. Mr
Imris says he believes that the leadership of the party should no
longer have the right to dispose of the party's assets. He argues that
the actual expenses for the election campaign differ hugely from
published estimates, and opposes plans of the party to make a mortgage
deal with the credit bank Fio on buildings adjacent to its Prague
headquarters. He considers this step financially unwise and believes
that such decisions have to be approved of by the whole party at its
party summit.

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Ministry of Health experts find small amounts of alcohol do not affect
driving performance
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A team of experts from the Ministry of Health has found that a blood
alcohol concentration of 0.24 pro mille and below does not affect the
performance or judgment of drivers. In its Saturday edition, the daily
Lidove noviny reported that the ministry has instructed traffic police
to no longer pursue cases of drivers with a blood alcohol concentration
of 0.24 pro mille or below. Previously, any alcohol consumption prior
to driving was illegal in the Czech Republic. Many other European
countries are considering the introduction of 0.00 pro mille limits.

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Czech NGO publishes guide for the country's immigrant population
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The NGO People in Need's Plzen branch has published a guide for
foreigners living in the Czech Republic. It is meant to help immigrants
navigate the country's various government offices and relevant
not-for-profit organizations. The guide, titled Welcome to the CZungle,
is available in Czech, Vietnamese and Mongolian. It provides an
overview of where to file for work permits and visas, along with
listing important phone numbers for foreigners. In addition, the guide
features instructions on how to proceed in nine situations that
immigrants may need information on dealing with, such as illness, debt
or pregnancy.

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Prague animal rescue workers saved 400 animals in 2010
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Prague animal rescue workers have saved 400 animals this year, a
spokesman for the Czech Union for Nature Conversation told the Czech
News Agency on Saturday. Most often, workers rescued injured animals or
abandoned offspring, among them hedgehogs, pigeons, rabbits and swifts.
Some of the more unusual animals that they encountered this year were
mouflons, wild boar and badgers. Since July, the organization has to
depend solely on donations to operate because of budget cuts and the
loss of some sponsors due to the economic downturn.

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Bank robber leaves scene of crime on bike
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A bank in the South Moravian town of Mikulov was robbed on Friday
afternoon. Police are now searching for the bank robber, who left the
scene of the crime on his bicycle, according to witnesses who saw him
escape. An employee of the bank said that the man was armed but did not
use his weapon during the hold-up. The exact amount of money he has
stolen is unknown at this point.

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Residents evacuate tower block due to house fire
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Residents of a tower block building in the city of Brno had to evacuate
their homes due to a house fire on the night from Friday to Saturday.
Building materials in front of the tower block went ablaze; its facade
subsequently caught fire. Fire fighters and police cleared the
building, attempts to remove remaining pieces of burning isolation
material failed. Eventually, they were able to get the fire under
control and residents were able to return to their apartments.

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Czech fisherman appears on American late -night show
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The Czech fisherman Jakub Vagner appeared on the popular American
television show The Tonight Show with Jay Leno on Friday night. His
appearance came ahead of the US premiere of a new National Geographic
series, Fish Warrior, in which he travels to South America and Africa
to catch huge species of fish. The hardcore fisherman, who is the son
of well-known musician Karl Vagner, told TV host Jay Leno that he did
not know who he was prior to being invited to appear on the show. Jay
Leno's program has an average four million nightly viewers in the US.

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Disappointment for hurdler Svoboda in Barcelona
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There was disappointment for Petr Svoboda in the men's 110 meters
hurdles at the European Athletics Championships in Barcelona, after the
Czech medal hopeful tripped at the seventh hurdle and ended up
finishing sixth in Friday's final. Meanwhile, Zuzana Hejnova missed out
on a bronze medal at the finish of the women's 400 meters hurdles. Of
the other Czechs in action on Friday, pole vaulter Jirina Ptacnikova
came fifth, as did Denisa Rosolova in the 400 meters, while Lenka Masna
came sixth in the 800 meters.

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Weather
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The weekend will be sunny, with occasional thunderstorms in some
regions of the country. Daytime temperatures should reach 29 degrees on
Sunday.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Articles posted on www.radio.cz today
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Magazine
Magazine 7.31.2010
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A traffic inspector makes off with a tram left unattended. The
inhabitants of Hradec Kralove put up a fight to bring back the sound of
church bells at night, and Prague hosts the world's geniuses. Find out
more in magazine with Daniela Lazarova.

http://www.radio.cz/en/article/130322

SoundCzech
Troubles with svizel
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Hello and welcome to Soundczech, Radio Prague's signature series in
which you can learn some interesting Czech phrases while listening to a
song. Today, we'll hear a modern cover version by the band Lucie of the
1933 song Klobouk ve krovi, or The Hat in the Bushes, originally
composed for a theatre play by Jaroslav Jezek, Jiri Voskovec and Jan
Werich. The phrase to listen for is mit svizel.

http://www.radio.cz/en/article/130287

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all rights reserved. http://www.radio.cz, E-mail: cr@radio.cz

Radio Prague Today 7.31.2010

Radio Prague Today

Articles posted on www.radio.cz today

News

The Supreme Audit Office is to investigate the Environment Ministry's sale of carbon dioxide emission rights.

Four Czechs were killed in a car accident near the Danish capital of Copenhagen.

A member of the Social Democrats is suing the party over the state of its accounting.

Magazine: Magazine 7.31.2010

A traffic inspector makes off with a tram left unattended. The inhabitants of Hradec Králove put up a fight to bring back the sound of church bells at night, and Prague hosts the world's geniuses. Find out more in magazine with Daniela Lazarova.

SoundCzech: Troubles with svízel

Hello and welcome to Soundczech, Radio Prague's signature series in which you can learn some interesting Czech phrases while listening to a song. Today, we'll hear a modern cover version by the band Lucie of the 1933 song Klobouk ve křoví, or The Hat in the Bushes, originally composed for a theatre play by Jaroslav Ježek, Jiří Voskovec and Jan Werich. The phrase to listen for is mít svízel.

RCI Cyberjournal

Man sentenced for trying to evade Iran sanctions

High court turns down mass murderer

Canadian pipeline leak said capped

TORONTO: MAN SENTENCED FOR BID TO VIOLATE IRAN SANCTIONS

Ontario Court of Justice has sentenced a 37-year-old Toronto man to four years and three months in prison for having tried to violate UN resolutions against Iran because of its nuclear program. Mahmoud Yadegari was arrested in April 2009 after a joint investigation with the U.S. He was found guilty earlier this month of having attempted to export to Iran via Dubai devices that are banned under the international sanctions. Yadegari is the first person to have been convicted of violating the UN anti-nuclear proliferation resolutions against Iran. Yadegari was born in Iran but has lived in Canada since 1988.

VANCOUVER: PICKTON RETRIAL REJECTED

The Supreme Court of Canada has rejected a request for a new trial for one of Canada's most notorious killers. Robert Pickton was sentenced to life in prison three years ago for the grisly murders of six women in Vancouver. But he said that he deserved a new trial because the judge gave the jury wrong information. In announcing the Supreme Court's latest decision, Justice Louis Lebel wrote that the initial trial was long and difficult but also fair.

DETROIT: ENBRIDGE LEAK SAID CONTAINED

U.S. officials say that they don't expect the oil that leaked from a Canadian-operated pipeline will spill from the Kalamazoo River in Michigan state into Lake Michigan. The Great Lakes constitute the largest supply of fresh water on earth. The environmental officials they hope to contain the spill oil from the Enbridge Inc. pipeline at Morrow Lake, east of Kalamazoo. The spill started on Monday. Crews with booms and skimmers have been working at the scene of the disaster since Tuesday. Enbridge CEO Patrick Daniel says the leak has been sealed but didn't offer information about when the repairs to the pipeline would be completed or when it would resume operation. He also apologized to local residents "for the mess that we have made" and will clean it up. Enbridge ships most of Canada's oil to the U.S.

OTTAWA: FEDERAL SURPLUS TO RETURN EARLY

A private Canadian economic research group is predicting the federal government will post a surplus a year ahead of schedule. The Conference Board of Canada suggests the federal government will eliminate the deficit and have a surplus of $5 billion within five years.

OTTAWA: ECONOMY REMAINS FLAT

Statistics Canada reports that the Canadian economy grew in May but only by a disappointing .1 per cent. This is the second straight month the economy has been flat, no growth having been achieved in April. The May figure makes it less likely that the Bank of Canada's prediction of three-per cent growth will be reached for the second quarter ending on June 30.

KHARTOUM: SUDANESE TO STUDY QUEBEC REFERENDUMS

As people in southern Sudan prepare for a referendum on independence, a group of high-ranking government officials is going to Canada to learn from sovereignty referendums that were held in the province of Quebec. Quebec held two referendums on sovereignty in 1980 and in 1995. In both referendums, a majority voted to remain in Canada. But sovereignty sentiments in Quebec continue to be promoted in the federal parliament by the Bloc Québécois political party. Four Sudanese delegates from President Omar al-Bashir's party and a delegation of the Sudan People's Liberation Movement led by party secretary general Anne Itto will meet with senior Canadian parliamentarians. Southern Sudan will hold its referendum early next year as part of a peace deal arranged between the north and south in 2005.

CHINA

The international environmental group Greenpeace claims an oil spill in northeastern China may have been about 60 times bigger than the government reported. Greenpeace ranks the spill at an oil storage depot in Dalian as among the world's worst known oil disasters. Greenpeace says between 60,000 and 90,000 tons of crude may have poured into the Yellow Sea after two pipelines exploded at an the storage depot July 16. Chinese officials had said the spill was about 1,500 tons. Officials also said earlier this week that the oil spill had been successfully controlled.

UNITED STATES

U.S. Defence Secretary Robert Gates says the military is reviewing its rules for safeguarding classified information. American officials say the leak of some 91,000 secret war files earlier this week has put U.S. troops and Afghan informants at risk. They also say the release of such information could be beneficial to enemies on the battlefield. The documents were released to several newspapers prior to being posted on the WikiLeaks website. Canada also expressed concern about the leak and the possibility of endangering lives in Afghanistan.

GREECE

Truck drivers in Greece have defied a government order to end their five-day labour strike and clashed with police. Violence erupted outside an oil refinery near the northern city of Thessaloniki. The truckers and their labour unions are threatening to extend the strike. About 33,000 trucks are blocking roads throughout the country. The truckers oppose the government's decision to lower the cost of licences to own and operate trucks. The decision is part of the government's plan to make closely guarded professions more accessible to newcomers.

UGANDA

Charges have been laid against the first suspects connected to two deadly suicide attacks in Uganda earlier this month. Three Kenyans were charged with 76 counts of murder. Sixty-one counts relate to victims killed while watching the World Cup final at a rugby club in Kampala. Fifteen counts are for those killed at an Ethiopian restaurant. Responsibility for the attacks was claimed by a Somali group loyal to al-Qaeda called Al Shabaab.

MEXICO

Mexican soldiers shot to death top drug lord Ignacio Coronel. He is considered a leading figure in the country's Sinaloa drug gang. He was killed as he tried to escape during an army raid outside the western city of Guadalajara. Mexico and the U.S. had arrest warrants for Coronel. Analysts say his death is a major blow against Mexico's powerful drug syndicates. Meanwhile, the U.S. has closed its consulate in the violent border city of Ciudad Juarez for a security review. No date was mentioned when it would be re-opened.

MONTREAL: RIM OVERTAKES SONY ERICSSON

Research in Motion, the Canadian firm that invested the Blackberry device, has overtaken Sony Ericsson as the fourth-biggest supplier of mobile telephones. RIM is now fourth on a list compiled by the International Data Corporation, a provider of global market information. Sony Ericsson slipped to fifth place. RIM first cracked the top five of IDC's list in April. Nokia, Samsung and LG Electronics continue to hold the top three spots.

MARKETS

TSX on : 11,708, down 20. Canadian dollar: US97. Euro: $1.34. Oil: US$78.90, up .54.

SWIMMING

The first Nova Scotian to swim across the English
Channel is back on Canadian soil.
Friends and family of Kristin Roe greeted her Thursday at
Toronto's Pearson International Airport with flowers and signs
saying "Congratulations," and waving Canadian and Nova Scotian
flags.
The 29-year-old Halifax woman completed her swim in the chilly
Channel waters last week.

FOOTBALL

The defending Grey Cup champs continue their early-season march to a title defence. The Montreal Alouettes won their fourth straight, beating Toronto 41-10. The win snapped the Argo's three-game winning streak and leaves Montreal alone atop the Canadian Football League East Division.

Weather

British Columbia on Saturday: mix sun cloud, high C22 Vancouver. Yukon, Northwest Territories: rain. Whitehorse 22, Yellowknife 21, Iqaluit 7. Alberta: rain. Saskatchewan: rain north, mix sun cloud south. Manitoba: sun. Edmonton 26, Regina 28, Winnipeg 30. Ontario: rain north, sun south. Quebec: sun. Toronto 25, Ottawa, Montreal 24. Maritimes: sun. Newfoundland and Labrador: rain. Charlottetown 20, Halifax, Fredericton, St. John's 24.

Friday, July 30, 2010

News 7.30.2010

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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.

========================================================================
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.

========================================================================
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.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Articles posted on www.radio.cz today
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Current Affairs
Court decision leaves Budejovicky Budvar winners in EU trademark battle
------------------------------------------------------------------------

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
------------------------------------------------------------------------

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

Radio Prague Today 7.30.2010

Radio Prague Today

Articles posted on www.radio.cz today

News

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 Budějovický Budvar.

Barbora Špotáková has taken bronze in the women's javelin at the European Athletics Championships in Barcelona.

Current Affairs: Court decision leaves Budějovický Budvar winners in EU trademark battle

The Czech brewer Budějovický 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 Budějovický 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.

Current Affairs: Czech Republic to host part of new missile defence shield

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 Nečas 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.

Arts: Future of the Future exhibition at Prague's DOX seeks to go beyond established conceptions of past, present and future

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.

NEWS /www.nrcu.gov.ua/

Dear subscriber!

We offer you most recent news by this moment on air at National radio company of
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Sincerely yours, administrator.
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2010-07-30 15:40:00
Reduction in HIV/AIDS growth rates observed in Ukraine.
Growth of new cases of HIV infection in Ukraine fell from 15-18% in 2004 to 7%
in the previous year, and in H1 2010 this index made up 4%, Deputy Director of
the Ukrainian Center for AIDS Prevention and Control Alla Shcherbynska told a
briefing by results of Ukraine's participation in the International HIV/AIDS
2010Conference.
http://www.nrcu.gov.ua/index.php?id=148&listid=124549

2010-07-30 15:11:00
881 Lexus cars sold this year in Ukraine to date.
A total of 881 Lexus cars have been sold in the 1st half of 2010 in Ukraine.
http://www.nrcu.gov.ua/index.php?id=148&listid=124545

2010-07-30 15:00:00
Experts say no more than UAH 5-6 bln of IMF's loan to be used for central bank
reserves.
No more than USD 6.5 billion of the total amount of loan from the International
Monetary Fund (IMF) will be sent for replenishment of international reserves,
which would bring the National Bank of Ukraine's reserves up to USD 35 billion,
says leading analyst Stanislav Kartavykh with Sokrat InvestmentGroup.
http://www.nrcu.gov.ua/index.php?id=148&listid=124541

2010-07-30 14:44:00
Raiffeisen Bank Aval, Ukrsotsbank expelled from AUB.
The Council of the Association of Ukrainian Banks (AUB) at its regular meeting
withdrew Association membership from Raiffeisen Bank Aval and Ukrsotsbank
according to their statements, the press office of the Associationreported.
http://www.nrcu.gov.ua/index.php?id=148&listid=124534

2010-07-30 14:31:00
Ukraine plans to sign international treaties worth USD 3.9bln in 2010.
In 2010 Ukraine has the opportunity to hold formal talks and sign international
treaties in the amount of USD 3.9 billion, First Deputy Minister of Economy
Anatoliy Maksiuta told reporters on Thursday.
http://www.nrcu.gov.ua/index.php?id=148&listid=124530

2010-07-30 14:19:00
Naftogaz to launch reconstruction of Urengoy-Pomary-Uzhgorod pipeline.
Fuel and Energy Ministry has instructed Naftogaz of Ukraine to start the
procedure for initiation of the investment project for reconstruction of linear
structures of the Urengoy-Pomary-Uzhgorod pipeline (1st turn), with the support
of credit resources of international financialinstitutions.
http://www.nrcu.gov.ua/index.php?id=148&listid=124529

2010-07-30 13:35:00
Central bank ups euro.
The National Bank of Ukraine has set the official exchange rates of the hryvnia
to foreign currencies for July 30, 2010 at: 100USD - 789.3200 UAH (=); 100EUR -
1031.5623 UAH (+6.0778); 10RUB - 2.6121 UAH(-0.001).
http://www.nrcu.gov.ua/index.php?id=148&listid=124551

2010-07-30 13:07:00
S&P upgrades Ukraine's credit rating.
Standard&Poor's has upgraded long-term ratings of Ukraine in foreign currency
from B to B+, in national currency from B+ to BB-, and the national-scale rating
to uaAA- from uaA+, the rating agency's press releasesays.
http://www.nrcu.gov.ua/index.php?id=148&listid=124544

2010-07-30 12:55:00
Kyiv to host International Valeriy Lobanovskiy Memorial in August.
Kyiv City State Administration (KCSA) has supported an initiative of the
Football Federation of Ukraine (FFU) to hold in Kyiv the traditional
International Valeriy Lobanovskiy Memorial, information from the
KCSApress-service.
http://www.nrcu.gov.ua/index.php?id=148&listid=124538

2010-07-30 12:38:00
IMF loan will promote hryvnia stability.
In consequence of the IMF loan of $ 15.15 billion, the first tranche of which
amounted to $1.89 billion, the exchange rate of hryvnia will be stable for
several years, according to Oleg Ustenko, executive director of the
BleyzerFoundation.
http://www.nrcu.gov.ua/index.php?id=148&listid=124533

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RCI Cyberjournal

Canadian opposition wants compromise in census tussle

Court cracks down on sex tourist

Almost 500 auto workers to lose jobs

OTTAWA: OPPOSITION SEEKS COMPROMISE IN CENSUS BROUHAHA

A Canadian opposition party leader is offering to find a compromise that would end a fierce debate over the government's new census form. Jack Layton of the New Democratic Party is offering to discuss the controversy with Prime Minister Stephen Harper. The controversy erupted this month after the government announced that it wanted to shorten the census form. But many groups including municipal governments and native peoples criticized the decision, saying that the new form eliminated useful information needed to plan policies. Industry Minister Tony Clement says the government might consider only minor compromises.

OTTAWA: CANADIAN STUCK IN CUBA COULD SOON RETURN

The Canadian minister responsible for the Americas, Peter Kent, says a Canadian man detained in Cuba might return home soon. Mr. Kent met with a Cuban official in the federal capital Ottawa Wednesday to discuss Canadians detained in the Caribbean nation. Nineteen-year-old Cody LeCompte has been unable to leave Cuba since a car accident in late April. Mr. LeCompte was driving a car that was hit by a truck but was told he could not leave Cuba until a court decided whether he would be charged. Mr. Kent warned Cuba it could lose Canadian tourists because of the situation. Canada is the biggest source of tourists for Cuba.

SURREY: SEX TOURIST GETS STIFF SENTENCE

A Canadian court has delivered the toughest sentence ever imposed under Canada's rarely-used sex-tourism law. Ken Klassen of the province of British Columbia was given 11 years in prison for having sex with girls as young as eight years old in Cambodia and Colombia. The 59-year-old father of three children pleaded guilty to 14 sex-related offences. Along with the prison term, Klassen is also banned for life from going to parks, playgrounds and schools and must provide a DNA sample.

TORONTO: DISGRACED IMMIGRATION JUDGE SENTENCED

A former immigration judge has been given an 18-month jail term for having tried to blackmail a Korean refugee claimant into having sex with him. A court in Toronto found 50-year-old Steve Ellis guilty of breach of trust and bribery in April. A meeting between the Korean woman and Ellis was recorded by the woman, who complained to the police. At the sentencing hearing, the judge told Ellis that his actions had undermined the public's confidence in the immigration system.

DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO

At least 140 people drowned Wednesday in a lake in the Democratic Republic of Congo after their passenger boat capsized. The only known survivors are two children. The accident occurred on a tributary of the Congo River, the Kasai. Scores of Congolese are killed each year in boating disasters, usually as a result of overcrowding or poor equipment.

AFGHANISTAN

Afghanistan's president says that the United States must extend its attacks on Taliban militant strongholds beyond Afghanistan into neighbouring Pakistan. Hamid Karzai was reacting to information in thousands of U.S. military documents that were leaked this week on the Internet. The documents imply that Pakistan's government is aiding Afghan Taliban militants. The documents appear to support Mr. Karzai's long-standing accusations against Pakistan. Pakistan has consistently denied the charge. But Mr. Karzai says that the war against terrorism extends to sanctuaries and training centres outside Afghanistan.

BRAZIL

Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has launched a diplomatic initiative to resolve a crisis between Colombia and Venezuela. He will visit both countries on Aug. 6 to speak with their leaders. Colombia claimed earlier this month that Venezuela shelters 1,500 Colombian rebels. Venezuela responded by cutting diplomatic relations its neighbour. Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez also accused Colombia of plotting to attack his country with help from the United States. Washington denied the accusation.

UNITED STATES

The government of the U.S. state of Arizona is going to appeal a court ruling on Wednesday that suspended most clauses of the state's new immigration law. The legislation came into effect on Thursday. The federal government won a temporary injunction that delayed implementation of its most contentious features. The provisions would have obliged police officers to question people's immigration status, required immigrants to carry their immigration papers and forbidden illegal immigrants to seek employment in public places. Arizona has more than 400,000 undocumented residents, most of them from Latin America.

TORONTO: BARRICK BULLISH ON GOLD PRICES

The world's biggest gold company, Barrick Gold Corp., says it's confident that continuing global economic uncertainty will keep gold prices high. Barrick CFO Jamie Sokalsky told investors that in such an environment, demand for gold has continued to be very strong. Barrick announced a record quarterly profit of US$783 million, compared with a profit of US$492 million a year earlier. The company also raised its dividend by 20 per cent to 12 cents.

WINDSOR: FORD TO LAY OFF 489

Ford Canada is going to close down one shift at its Windsor Engine Annex starting on Nov. 1, putting 489 employees out of work. The company had announced in January it would close one shift at the plant but it was unknown until Thursday how many workers would be laid off. About 150 of them will be offered work at Ford's plant in Essex, ON. The news came just one day after General Motors Corp. closed its 90-year-old plant in Windsor, with the loss of 500 jobs.

MARKETS

TSX on Thursday: 11,724, up 27. Canadian dollar: US96. Euro: $1.35. Oil: US$78.23, up $1.24.

SWIMMING

Family and friends of the first Nova Scotian to swim across the English Channel greeted her with flowers and stuffed animals in Toronto on Thursday afternoon.
Kristin Roe, 29, completed her swim last week. The Halifax woman swam a gruelling 17 hours in water as cold as 16 C.

Weather

British Columbia on Friday: mix sun cloud, high C23 Vancouver. Yukon: sun. Northwest Territories: mix sun cloud. Nunavut: rain. Whitehorse 24, Yellowknife 25, Iqaluit 5. Alberta: rain north, sun south. Saskatchewan, Manitoba: rain. Edmonton 27, Regina 30, Winnipeg 24. Ontario: sun south, rain north. Quebec: sun. Toronto, Montreal 24, Ottawa 23. New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador: rain. Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island: mix sun cloud. Fredericton, St. John's 23, Halifax 24, Charlottetown 21.

Thursday, July 29, 2010

News 7.29.2010

------------------------------------------------------------------------
Copyright (c) 2010 Radio Prague (Cesky Rozhlas 7 - Radio Praha)

News Thursday, July 29th, 2010

By: Jan Velinger

* A Swiss official have said that the extradition of fugitive Czech
businessman Tomas Pitr could take up to one year.

* The justice minister has revealed that he will dismiss the head of
the Czech prison service.

* Prague's place on UNESCO's list of World Heritage sites is reportedly
not at risk.

========================================================================
Pitr extradition could take up to one year
------------------------------------------------------------------------

A Swiss official has said that the extradition of a fugitive Czech
businessman, Tomas Pitr, sentenced to five years for tax fraud and
mismanagement of property in the Czech Republic, could take up to a
year. A spokesman for the Swiss Justice Ministry made the statement on
Thursday, a day after the Czech was taken into custody in St Moritz. Mr
Pitr had been in hiding since 2007, when he failed to begin his jail
sentence. Earlier this year, the 39-year-old received an additional
six-year sentence in absentia for fraud and mismanagement of property
that caused damage exceeding 700 million crowns to a number of
state-controlled companies. Switzerland has called on Czech authorities
to provide an official request for Pitr's extradition and the Czech
Justice Ministry is expected to do so on Thursday. Justice Minister
Jiri Pospisil, meanwhile, said he believed there was a fifty/fifty
chance extradition would be successful.

========================================================================
Justice Minister announces dismissal of head of prison service...
------------------------------------------------------------------------

In related news, the justice minister has told reporters he will
dismiss the head of the Czech Prison Service, Ludek Kula, as well as
introduce a comprehensive audit and reform the Czech prison system. He
made the comments on Thursday also saying that 40 percent of employees
in the Prison Service's General Directorate would be let go. The
current head Ludek Kula, will be replaced by Jiri Tregler, the director
of a prison in Pardubice, east Bohemia, in the interim.

========================================================================
...and says he will cancel tender on prisoner surveillance system
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Also on Thursday, the new justice minister revealed that he was
cancelling a tender on an electronic surveillance system monitoring
prisoners under house arrest. The minister indicated problems in the
current tender (above all that it would allow a data bank on prisoners'
information to be owned and held by a private company) were
unacceptable; he said only the state should have access to such
details. A new tender on the surveillance system could now be called by
the end of September.

========================================================================
Czech Radio: Prague's place on World Heritage list not at risk
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Prague's place on UNESCO's list of World Heritage sites will not be
threatened despite questions hanging over the city's handling of
renovations to the historic Charles Bridge or over the construction and
impact of the new Blanka tunnel, Czech Radio reported. UNESCO
representatives visited the Czech capital back in January to look at
projects underway and to meet with local officials. A report based on
their findings, the spokesman for the Culture Ministry said,
recommended that Prague adopt clear rules overseeing the construction
of new high-rise buildings; inspectors in the report also expressed
regret that proper documentation and studies weren't conducted in
advance of renovation of the landmark Charles Bridge. However, Czech
Radio reported, there is no danger of Prague being struck off the list
of World Heritage sites. The World Heritage Committee has been meeting
in Brasilia since Sunday to review the status of current members as
well as to present new additions.

========================================================================
Environment Ministry to earmark four billion crowns to improve air
quality in Moravia-Silesia
------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Environment Ministry will earmark four billion crowns from the EU
subsidies for the improvement of air quality in the Moravian-Silesian
region, the Environment Minister Pavel Drobil said in Ostrava on
Thursday. Mr Drobil also said he and the Ostrava officials would like
to negotiate with major local polluters, namely local steel works and
others. The city of Ostrava has also proposed possible solutions -
measures, which would cost some 28 billion crowns which would tackle
all three sources of pollution: large companies, transport and heating
facilities. One of the largest polluters in the region, ArcelorMittal
Ostrava steel works, has already cooperated with the Environment
Ministry representatives, its CEO said, stressing that this year the
company has taken steps to lowering emissions. The industrial and
coal-mining area around Ostrava and Karvina is one of the most polluted
areas not only in the Czech Republic but also in Central Europe.

========================================================================
Pravo: Kajinek case reopened
------------------------------------------------------------------------

The daily newspaper Pravo reports that police have reopened the case of
Jiri Kajinek, who was sentenced to life imprisonment in 1998 for
murder. According to the paper, the police have already spent several
months investigating whether the 1993 murder of a businessman and his
bodyguard, for which Mr Kajinek was controversially sentenced, may have
been committed by police officers. The investigation is apparently
based on recorded conversations of the individual accused of actually
ordering the killings, which allegedly say nothing about Mr Kajinek but
rather attest to police involvement. Jiri Kajinek has always maintained
his innocence and gained a great deal of media attention when he
escaped from prison on two occasions.

========================================================================
More than 300 Czech tourists left stranded at Brno, Burgas airports
------------------------------------------------------------------------

More than 300 Czech tourists were left stranded at airports in Brno and
Burgas, Bulgaria, when a return charter flight from the Czech Republic
failed to depart on Wednesday due to a technical fault. Around 100
spent the night at Burgas airport while others transferred to a hotel,
the spokesman for the Association of Czech Tour Operators and Agencies
Tomio Okamura said. Central Charter Airlines, the company in question,
commissioned two extra planes to deal with the situation. According to
EU regulations individual airlines - and not tour operators - carry
responsibility for flight delays and flight cancelation, Mr Okamura
said.

========================================================================
Prague 32nd most expensive in rental of prime retail space
------------------------------------------------------------------------

The commercial real estate advisor CB Richard Ellis has revealed that
rented commercial or retail space in the Czech capital is the 32nd
highest in the world but still seven times cheaper, for example, than
in Manhattan. Boutique stores at prime locations in the city pay an
average of two thousand and forty euros per square metre per year (the
equivalent of around 50,000 crowns or 2,600 US dollars). By comparison,
the figure in New York is 13,744 euros. The most expensive streets to
rent on in the Czech capital include Na Prikope, Parizska and the lower
half of Wenceslas Square, CB Richard Ellis real estate expert Tomas
Beranek said. On the list of world rankings, New York, which finished
top, is followed by Sydney and Hong Kong. London ranked fourth.

========================================================================
Pravo: Former foreign minister to return to politics
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Former foreign minister and member of European Parliament Josef
Zieleniec is reportedly planning a return to politics, the Czech
newspaper Pravo has claimed, although Mr Zieleniec himself has so far
denied any such move. According to the daily, Mr Zieleniec - who was
foreign minister from 1992 to 1997 and euro MP until last year - will
reportedly run for newcomers Public Affairs. Zieleniec is a former
member of the Civic Democratic Party who later ran for the European
Democrats in the country's first election to European Parliament after
the Czech Republic joined the EU in 2004. Public Affairs, meanwhile,
have not commented the story other than saying they will release new
information next week.

========================================================================
Duo sentenced for murder of elderly woman
------------------------------------------------------------------------

The court in Usti nad Labem has sentenced two men to eight and
eight-and-a-half years behind bars for the murder of an elderly woman
last November. The duo - aged 18 and 17 - killed the 80-year-old woman
in her backyard as she brandished a machete to try and get them to
depart. She was hit and fatally wounded by one of the two who was
carrying a metal rod. Inside her home, the two stole 70 crowns (the
equivalent of around four US dollars), clothes pins, a bag, a knife
sharpener and a padlock. The two men can still appeal the court's
decision.

========================================================================
Weather
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Conditions over the coming days are expected to be partly cloudy to
cloudy with scattered showers and daytime temperatures of around 20o
Celsius.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Articles posted on www.radio.cz today
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Panorama
Respected research institute to get major make-over, focus on brave new
projects
------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Research Institute of Fish Culture and Hydrobiology in Vodnany,
South Bohemia (a centre with a long and respected history and part of
the University of South Bohemia's Faculty of Fisheries and Protection
of Waters) will soon get a major make-over to the tune of 370 million
crowns. Roughly two-thirds - allowing the centre to renovate two
buildings and complete a new one - will come from European funds. Once
reconstruction is completed, the institute will be able to focus
vigorously on a series of important new research projects - including
rearing of the rare sterlet sturgeon.

http://www.radio.cz/en/article/130274

Current Affairs
Czech pavilion at Shanghai expo getting record attendance
------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Czech Republic's pavilion at the Expo2010 fair in Shanghai is
proving an enormous success. Attendance figures have surpassed
expectations and on Tuesday the pavilion welcomed its 4 millionth
visitor. Radio Prague asked the Czech pavilion's spokeman Jiri F.
Potuznik for the latest news from Shanghai.

http://www.radio.cz/en/article/130262

Current Affairs
'Kajinek' - gripping story of convicted killer who maintains his
innocence
------------------------------------------------------------------------

A new film hits the cinema screens next week about the Czech Republic's
most notorious prisoner - Jiri Kajinek. In 1998, Kajinek was sentenced
to life in prison for the gangland killings of a Plzen businessman and
one of his bodyguards, a crime he's always denied committing. His
daring escapes from several of the country's high security prisons -
and persistent doubts about the conviction - have made him something of
a popular hero among Czechs.

http://www.radio.cz/en/article/130261

Current Affairs
Fugitive Czech businessman Tomas Pitr arrested in Switzerland
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Swiss police have arrested the fugitive Czech businessman Tomas Pitr,
who in the Czech Republic faces 11 years in prison for tax evasion and
embezzlement. The multi-billionaire was on the run for more than three
years. Czech authorities believe that if extradited to the Czech
Republic, he could provide crucial information about the infiltration
by organized crime into state structures.

http://www.radio.cz/en/article/130252

Radio Prague Today 7.29.2010

Radio Prague Today

Articles posted on www.radio.cz today

News

A Swiss official have said that the extradition of fugitive Czech businessman Tomáš Pitr could take up to one year.

The justice minister has revealed that he will dismiss the head of the Czech prison service.

Prague's place on UNESCO's list of World Heritage sites is reportedly not at risk.

Panorama: Respected research institute to get major make-over, focus on brave new projects

The Research Institute of Fish Culture and Hydrobiology in Vodňany, South Bohemia (a centre with a long and respected history and part of the University of South Bohemia's Faculty of Fisheries and Protection of Waters) will soon get a major make-over to the tune of 370 million crowns. Roughly two-thirds – allowing the centre to renovate two buildings and complete a new one – will come from European funds. Once reconstruction is completed, the institute will be able to focus vigorously on a series of important new research projects – including rearing of the rare sterlet sturgeon.

Current Affairs: Czech pavilion at Shanghai expo getting record attendance

The Czech Republic's pavilion at the Expo2010 fair in Shanghai is proving an enormous success. Attendance figures have surpassed expectations and on Tuesday the pavilion welcomed its 4 millionth visitor. Radio Prague asked the Czech pavilion's spokeman Jiři F. Potužník for the latest news from Shanghai.

Current Affairs: 'Kajínek' – gripping story of convicted killer who maintains his innocence

A new film hits the cinema screens next week about the Czech Republic's most notorious prisoner - Jiří Kajínek. In 1998, Kajínek was sentenced to life in prison for the gangland killings of a Plzeň businessman and one of his bodyguards, a crime he's always denied committing. His daring escapes from several of the country's high security prisons – and persistent doubts about the conviction – have made him something of a popular hero among Czechs.

Current Affairs: Fugitive Czech businessman Tomáš Pitr arrested in Switzerland

Swiss police have arrested the fugitive Czech businessman Tomáš Pitr, who in the Czech Republic faces 11 years in prison for tax evasion and embezzlement. The multi-billionaire was on the run for more than three years. Czech authorities believe that if extradited to the Czech Republic, he could provide crucial information about the infiltration by organized crime into state structures.

NEWS /www.nrcu.gov.ua/

Dear subscriber!

We offer you most recent news by this moment on air at National radio company of
Ukraine. To read these news items in full, please, refer to our site
www.nrcu.gov.ua.

Sincerely yours, administrator.
webadm@nrcu.gov.ua
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
2010-07-29 17:11:00
Premier Azarov: IMF loan to bolster structural reforms in Ukraine.
The decision of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to approve a USD 15.15
billion Stand-By Arrangement (SBA) for Ukraine will enable the authorities to
implement structural reforms in economic and social areas, Prime Minister Mykola
Azarov has said onWednesday.
http://www.nrcu.gov.ua/index.php?id=148&listid=124469

2010-07-29 17:06:00
Tihipko: IMF loan speaks for support of reforms internationally.
The International Monetary Fund's new Stand-By Arrangement (SBA) for Ukraine
will contribute to improving Ukraine's international sovereign rating and
foreign investment growth, Deputy Prime Minister Serhiy Tihipko hassaid.
http://www.nrcu.gov.ua/index.php?id=148&listid=124467

2010-07-29 16:38:00
Trading on interbank closes at 7.8915-7.8940 UAH/USD, 10.3250-10.3310 UAH/EUR.
Trading on the interbank currency market completed at 7.8915-7.8940 UAH/USD.
According to InterBusinessConsulting Company, trading in the euro ended at
10.3250-10.3310 UAH/EUR, trading in the ruble - 0.2613-0.2617UAH/RUB.
http://www.nrcu.gov.ua/index.php?id=148&listid=124456

2010-07-29 16:23:00
Export of rolled products 27% down.
In June compared to May, Ukraine reduced the export of rolled products by 27.1%
to 390.25 thousand tons.
http://www.nrcu.gov.ua/index.php?id=148&listid=124452

2010-07-29 16:13:00
President signs budget code.
President Viktor Yanukovych signed the Budget Code of Ukraine, according to the
presidential press service.
http://www.nrcu.gov.ua/index.php?id=148&listid=124449

2010-07-29 15:41:00
Import of semi-finished products drops 12.7% in June.
In June, import of steel semi-finished products fell by 12.7% or by 4, 080 tons
against May to 28, 030 tons.
http://www.nrcu.gov.ua/index.php?id=148&listid=124457

2010-07-29 15:24:00
Boryspil airport gets UAH 73mln from JBIC.
Boryspil International Airport has received UAH 72.79 million (USD 1 - UAH 7.90)
from Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC), according to the Delo
newspaper (Business).
http://www.nrcu.gov.ua/index.php?id=148&listid=124453

2010-07-29 14:57:00
Ukrtelecom wins million of internet subscribers.
The number of internet subscribers of open joint stock company Ukrtelecom as of
mid-July amounted to 1 million, the press office of the company reported.
http://www.nrcu.gov.ua/index.php?id=148&listid=124459

2010-07-29 14:19:00
President urges to solve Zaporizhzhia church blast immediately.
President Viktor Yanukovych has demanded that law enforcement agencies
immediately respond to and solve a deadly crime committed in the Ukrainian
southern city of Zaporizhzhia after the blast hit an Orthodox church killing one
woman and injuring nine onWednesday.
http://www.nrcu.gov.ua/index.php?id=148&listid=124451

2010-07-29 14:02:00
Power blackout hits 381 settlements.
In the early hours of 29 July, due to bad weather (rain, squally gusts) and
activation of automatic systems for the protection of power lines, 381 populated
localities were de-energized in four regions, the press service of the Ministry
of Emergency Situationsreported.
http://www.nrcu.gov.ua/index.php?id=148&listid=124461

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Ö1 Newsletter - KW 3=?UTF-8?Q?0?=/10

Liebe Abonnentinnen, liebe Abonnenten,
sie sind inzwischen zum Markenzeichen geworden - die Radioporträts der Ö1
Talentebörse. Bereits zum dritten Mal präsentiert Ö1 heuer wieder 25
Nachwuchs-Künstler/innen in Kurzporträts von 2. August bis 3. September.
Den Auftakt macht diesmal die Linzer Foto-Künstlerin Helga Traxler.
http://oe1.orf.at/artikel/249759
Ö1 gehört gehört.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

VERANSTALTUNGEN

FESTIVAL
SCHWANEN XONG
Musik- und Kulturfestival im Dreiländereck Graubünden - Vinschgau -
Nordtirol.
Bis Samstag 31. Juli 2010.
Informationen auch im Ö1 Kalender:
http://oe1.orf.at/kalender/95225

OPER
DIE VERKAUFTE BRAUT
Bedrich Smetanas komische Oper steht im Mittelpunkt des Jennersdorfer
Festivalsommer.
Neuhaus am Klausenbach, Schloss Tabor, von Donnerstag 5. bis Sonntag 15.
August 2010, 20:00 Uhr.
Informationen auch im Ö1 Kalender:
http://oe1.orf.at/kalender/69300

OPERETTE
WIENER BLUT
Unter der künstlerischen Leitung von Rudolf Berger verspricht die
Inszenierung ein Operettenerlebnis voll mitreißender Walzer-Melodien.
Kufstein, Festung Kufstein-Josefsburg, Freitag 30. Juli bis Samstag 14.
August 2010, 20:30 Uhr.
Informationen auch im Ö1 Kalender:
http://oe1.orf.at/kalender/68963

FESTIVAL
DONAUFESTWOCHEN IM STRUDENGAU: ORFEUS
Das L'Orfeo Barockorchester unter der Leitung von Michi Gaigg, Regie:
Manuela Kloibmüller.
Grein, Arkadenhof Schloss Greinburg, Samstag 7. bis Sonntag 15. August
2010, 18:00 Uhr.
Informationen auch im Ö1 Kalender:
http://oe1.orf.at/kalender/91177

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

HÖHEPUNKTE DER PROGRAMMWOCHE

GESELLSCHAFT
MARKUS HINTERHÄUSER
"Ich kann mein Dasein nicht damit begründen, dass ich Konzerte als
Party-Service anbiete." Michael Kerbler spricht mit Markus Hinterhäuser,
Konzertdirektor der Salzburger Festspiele.
Im Gespräch, Donnerstag 29. Juli 2010, 21:00 Uhr.
Lesen Sie mehr:
http://oe1.orf.at/programm/245564

FESTSPIELSENDER 2010
FESTIVAL GLATT & VERKEHRT
"Ritmos de Colombia" - traditionelle und zeitgenössische Musik aus
Kolumbien. Mitschnitte und Live-Einstiege aus der Sandgrube in Krems.
Freitag 30. Juli 2010, 23:03 Uhr.
Lesen Sie mehr:
http://oe1.orf.at/festspielsender2010

WISSEN
DAS RÄTSEL UM NOREIA
Noreia - ein sagenumwogener antiker Ort, der noch nicht gefunden wurde. Er
soll sich in Kärnten oder in der Steiermark befunden haben.
Dimensionen - Die Welt der Wissenschaft, Montag 2. August 2010, 19:06 Uhr.
Lesen Sie mehr:
http://oe1.orf.at/programm/246846

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

CD / JAZZ, BLUES
NICOLAS SIMION GROUP LIVE IN BAD ISCHL
Live-Mitschnitt vom 07. August 2008 im Lehar-Theater Bad Ischl.
http://oe1.orf.at/shop/5037
Mitglieder des Ö1 Clubs erhalten zehn Prozent Rabatt.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

DAS Ö1 KULTURJOURNAL LIVE AUS SALZBURG
Das Ö1 Kulturjournal sendet mit Ausnahme von heute, Donnerstag 29. Juli,
live und vor Publikum aus dem Jeanne Kahn-Foyer der Uni Salzburg.
Morgen Freitag, den 30. Juli ist die Schauspielerin Senta Berger zu Gast im
Studio. Sendungsbeginn: 17:09 Uhr.
http://oe1.orf.at/kulturjournal

Dieses E-Mail wurde verschickt an elninochina@yahoo.com.cn.

Der Bezug des Newsletters ist kostenlos. Sie können das Abonnement
über http://oe1.ORF.at/newsletter an- und abmelden.

RCI Cyberjournal

Canadian gets crucial UN position

Canadian firm in latest pipeline leak

Ottawa takes ax to another survey

UN: CANADIAN NAMED TO OVERSIGHT POST

The UN General Assembly has endorsed Carman Lapointe-Young of Canada as the new head of the world body's internal oversight unit. Mrs. Lapointe will serve a five-year term. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon welcomed the assembly's endorsement, saying that she has the depth of experience and expertise required for the demanding job as head of the Office of Internal Oversight Services. Mrs. Lapointe-Young served as auditor general at the World Bank from 2004 to 2009. She replaces Inga-Britt Ahlenius of Sweden. Mrs. Ahlenius quit after writing a 50-page memo in which she accused Mr. Ban of undercutting her efforts to make the UN more accountable.

CALGARY: ENBRIDGE SUFFERS PIPELINE LEAK

An American affiliate of Canadian energy shipping firm Enbridge Inc. has suffered a major pipeline leak in the U.S. state of Michigan. About 200 workers are trying to contain three million litres of oil that have spilled into the Kalamazoo River with booms and skimmers. The waterway flows into Lake Michigan but Enbridge says it doesn't expect the oil to reach that far. So far, the slick has spread 26 kilometres downstream. The ruptured line, one of several parts of Enbridge's massive Canada-to-U.S. system, normally carries as much as 190,000 barrels a day of light, medium, heavy and synthetic oil.

OTTAWA: TORIES AXES A SECOND SURVEY

Canada's Conservative Party government has again cancelled a survey, this one for its own employees. Statistics Canada informed federal civil servants in a message on June 2 that the Treasury Board had withdrawn funding for the Public Service Employee Survey. Treasury Board President Stockwell Day was unavailable to comment. The government solicits feedback from civil servants every three years on such subjects as employees' demographics, skills, career expectations and concerns. The last inquiry led to thousands of complaints of harassment and discrimination. Twenty-seven-thousand workers, or 16 per cent of respondents, claimed they had been harassed either by co-workers or managers. Another 30,000 claimed discrimination based upon gender, age or ethnic origin. The government is already under fire for having cancelled the long-form national census.

TORONTO: ACTOR DIES

Well-known Canadian actor Maury Chaykin has died at the age of 61. He won a number of awards for his performances in films, television and stage plays. Some of Mr. Chaykin's performances included the films Whale Music and Dances with Wolves.

PAKISTAN

All 152 people aboard a passenger plane were killed Wednesday when the aircraft crashed in a forest near Islamabad. The plane went down in a heavy rain storm as it was trying to land. The cause of the crash has not yet been determined. Canada's foreign affairs department has no reports of any Canadians on the flight.

UNITED STATES

BP says it may shut the oil well that has been spewing into the Gulf of Mexico since April 20 permanently on Monday or Tuesday. Incoming BP CEO Bob Dudley says there's no guarantee but that he believes the end of the oil flow is nigh. He also says the company will remain involved in the cleanup process long after the well is plugged. Meanwhile, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder says there will be both a criminal and a civil investigation of the worst oil spill in U.S. history. Mr. Holder says the government will establish whether BP and other companies misled regulators and investors. The spill has closed 150,000 square kilometres of the Gulf to fishing and damaged 950 kilometres of coastline in four states.

UNITED STATES

A federal judge has blocked the most controversial sections of Arizona's new immigration law. The state law will still take effect Thursday, but without many of the provisions that angered opponents, including the one that required police to query the immigration status of people stopped for a legitimate reason whom they suspected were in the U.S. illegally. The judge has also put on hold a part of the law that required immigrants to carry their papers at all times, and made it illegal for undocumented workers to solicit employment in public places. The controversial sections will remain on hold until the courts resolve the issues. Opponents say the law will lead to racial profiling of Hispanics. A majority of the illegal migrants that make their way into the U.S. from Latin America enter through Arizona.

SOMALIA

At least 17 civilians have been killed in the latest fighting in Somalia's capital Mogadishu between government troops and Islamist rebels. The head of the city's ambulance service has told the Agence France Presse news agency that 46 others were injured, as mortar shells fired by both sides fell onto houses. The fighting followed a decision on Tuesday by the African Union to send 4,000 more troops to help the government fend off insurgent attacks.

CHINA

Floods caused by heavy rains in northeastern China have left tens of thousands of residents without power. About 30,000 residents were trapped in Kouqian town in Jilin province after water began flooding the town when the nearby Xingshan Reservoir and the Wende and Songhua rivers overflowed. The worst flooding in 10 years has hit most areas of China. So far this year, the floods have killed at least 823 people with 437 missing.

UKRAINE

A bomb exploded at a Russian Orthodox church in southern Ukraine killing an 80-year-old woman. Nine people were injured, including one seriously. Officials say the bomb was a homemade device which was detonated near the entrance to the church in the city of Zaporozhye. Nationalist groups in Ukraine have protested against the visit of Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kiril, who was on the second-to-last day of an eight-day visit to Zaporozhye.

NEW DELHI: BLACKBERRY MAKER WARNED

The Indian government has warned the Canadian high-technology firm Research in Motion that it will shut down its operations unless the government's security concerns are addressed. The government has told RIM that the encrypted email and other data services available on the Blackberry smartphone must be made readable by India's security services. India has nearly one million Blackberry users. India's home ministry says RIM has responded to the security worries of several other countries including the U.S. and so there's no reason not to respond to India's.

CALGARY: SHAW TAKE STEP TO ACQUIRE CANWEST ASSETS

Ontario Superior Court have given the green light to Shaw Communications Inc.'s move to acquire the television assets of bankrupt Canwest Global Communications Corp. Shaw will bring its proposed $2-billion offer for Canwest's Global TV and speciality channels before the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission at a hearing on Sept. 20. Shaw also needs the approval of the federal Competition Bureau. Canwest filed for creditor protection last fall. The company was forced to sell its TV and newspaper assets in separate transactions.

MARKETS

TSX on Wednesday: 11,685, down 31. Canadian dollar: US96. Euro: $1.34. Oil: US$76.82, down 68.

WATER POLO

Alex Farnell, who helped the Dollard Devils win the Canadian men's club water polo championship in May, was issued a four-year ban for a repeat anti-doping violation.
The Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport (CCES) said Farnell's violation was found during a urine test taken on May 30 after he helped Dollard-des-Ormeaux defeat the Camo Roadrunners 11-7 in the championship match at Montreal.

SKIING

Decorated Canadian freestyle skier Steve Omischl is retiring. The 31-year-old aerialist will focus on his new career as a youth coach and advocate for the sport. The native of North Bay, ON, has won 40 World Cup medals.

Weather

British Columbia on Thursday: sun, high C23 Vancouver. Yukon, Northwest Territories: sun. Nunavut: rain. Whitehorse 24, Yellowknife 27, Iqaluit 11. Prairies: sun. Edmonton 32, Regina 30, Winnipeg 28. Ontario, Quebec: sun. Toronto, Montreal 25, Ottawa 23. Maritimes: rain. Newfoundland and Labrador: mix sun cloud. Fredericton 29, Halifax 21, Charlottetown, St. John's 23.

Wednesday, July 28, 2010

News 7.28.2010

------------------------------------------------------------------------
Copyright (c) 2010 Radio Prague (Cesky Rozhlas 7 - Radio Praha)

News Wednesday, July 28th, 2010

By: Christian Falvey

* Police in Switzerland have arrested fugitive Czech businessman Tomas
Pitr

* The daily Mlada fronta Dnes says it has uncovered the details of a
case of Russian espionage that may have resulted in the resignation of
three Czech generals.

* The government has unanimously approved a measure to freeze the
expenses of each of the ministries at 10.2 billion crowns.

========================================================================
Fugitive businessman Tomas Pitr arrested in Switzerland
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Police in Switzerland have arrested fugitive Czech businessman Tomas
Pitr, the organised crime department of the Czech police has reported.
Mr Pitr has been on the run since 2007 when he failed to report to
prison after being convicted of tax offences. An international warrant
was issued and Czech detectives learned of his whereabouts on Monday;
Swiss police however were unable to definitively reveal his identity
until Wednesday afternoon. Earlier this year, the 39-year-old received
another six-year sentence in absentia for fraud and mismanagement of
property that caused damage exceeding 700 million crowns to a number of
state-controlled companies.

========================================================================
Mf Dnes: Russian espionage case led to resignation of three Czech
generals
------------------------------------------------------------------------

The daily Mlada fronta Dnes says it has uncovered the details of a case
of Russian espionage that may have resulted in the resignation of three
Czech generals. Citing anonymous sources, the paper says that a
psychologist employed by the Czech prison service was in fact a Russian
agent, and used his acquaintance with a female major in the Czech Army
to acquire information about three army generals whose office she ran.
The paper based its investigation on this year's Military Intelligence
report, which states that Czech counter espionage had identified and
eliminated an infiltration of the army command by Russian military
intelligence the year before, as it attempted to gather sensitive
information. The paper notes that the three Czech generals in question
resigned within six months of the alleged agent leaving his own his
position, in September of last year, and surmises that a recent
break-in at the offices of the army General Staff may have been related.

========================================================================
Government unanimously approves freeze on ministries' expenses
------------------------------------------------------------------------

The government has approved a measure to freeze the expenses of each of
the ministries at 10.2 billion crowns, Prime Minister Petr Necas told
reporters after the cabinet's meeting on Wednesday. Another 1.8 billion
will go towards the General Cash Administration, which manages state
debt. The measure, which was proposed by Finance Minister Miroslav
Kalousek, was passed unanimously in spite of earlier opposition from
the Public Affairs party, whose chairman said Tuesday that the measures
unfairly burdened the party's four ministries. That statement, which
was made publically, was met angrily by the prime minister, who said
all ministries were being asked to make cuts and any minister who
couldn't shoulder the burden had no place in government. The aim of the
measure is to maintain the public finances deficit at 5.3 percent of
GDP.

========================================================================
Klaus: Prague doesn't need Slav Epic
------------------------------------------------------------------------

President Vaclav Klaus has weighed in on the debate over moving the
Alfonse Mucha's Slav Epic to Prague. The mayor of the town of Moravsky
Krumlov, which has hosted the Czech masterpiece for over 50 years, says
the president telephoned him unexpectedly on Wednesday to lend his
support to the towns effort to keep the cycle of paintings where they
are. Mayor Jaroslav Mokry said that the president had told him that
Prague has enough extraordinary artefacts and does not need the work.
Mayor Mokry said that the president's support was encouraging and
proves that the town's efforts to keep the cherished artwork have not
been in vain. A ban on moving the Slav Epic will remain in place until
uncertainties surrounding a 1913 contract granting it to the city of
Prague have been cleared up. Alfonse Mucha donated the 20-painting
collection to Prague on the condition that the authorities built a
dedicated home for his late masterpiece, a condition that remains
unfulfilled. On Sunday around 1,000 people demonstrated against it
being moved from Moravsky Krumlov, where it is the biggest tourist
attraction.

========================================================================
Masin brothers will not attend Milan Paumer funeral
------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Masin brothers will not be attending the funeral of their partner
Milan Paumer, who participated in their violent escape from communist
Czechoslovakia in 1953. Ctirad Masin told the daily Mlada fronta Dnes
that neither he nor his brother would return to their homeland as long
as they risked a negative reception. Though honoured as heroes by the
Czech prime minister in 2008, the three anti-communist partisans are
still considered criminals by many, as they killed six people during
their flight to West Berlin. Neither the Czech president Vaclav Klaus
nor his predecessor Vaclav Havel will be attending the funeral. Prime
Minister Petr Necas however said that he would be in attendance if work
allowed, and called Milan Paumer a brave man and a symbol of the
communist resistance. Milan Paumer died last Thursday at the age of 79.

========================================================================
Poll: 32% have positive perception of makeup of cabinet
------------------------------------------------------------------------

A new poll by the agency Focus suggests that a third of Czechs are
satisfied with the composition of the coalition government. According
to the poll, 32% of respondents have a positive perception of the
government's personnel makeup while 21% have a negative perception.
Respondents were also asked about their expectations of the new
government, to which a majority said they expect reductions of the
state debt and unemployment rates, as well as a less misuse of social
welfare. More than half of those asked said they believed the
government would be capable of pushing through important measures. The
new centre-right cabinet was appointed two weeks ago and consists of
six ministers from the Civic Democratic Party, five from TOP 09 and
four from the Public Affairs party.

========================================================================
Municipal bus catches fire in Brno
------------------------------------------------------------------------

A municipal bus carrying 30 people caught fire on Tuesday in Brno;
everyone inside was able to flee the vehicle in time and no one was
injured. The driver apparently heard a loud noise from the back of the
articulated bus and flames and thick smoke began to spread quickly
before he stopped and helped evacuate the passengers, which included
one invalid. The fire completely destroyed the bus, which cost roughly
two million crowns. The South Moravian fire department said that the
fire had evidently been caused by a fuel leak.

========================================================================
Second policewoman reported to have committed suicide
------------------------------------------------------------------------

The body of a woman who the police identified as one of their own
officers was found on Wednesday morning in the town of Ostrava. The
22-year-old woman had apparently shot herself in a wooded area and was
discovered by a passerby the next day. The report comes only one day
after the announcement that another female police officer had shot and
killed herself in her office at Prague police headquarters several
weeks before. The woman in the latter case had left a letter in which
she said she was being mobbed and humiliated by her superiors. Police
in north Moravia said there was nothing to indicate that the Ostrava
officer's suicide was related to her work.

========================================================================
High number of new companies established in first half of 2010
------------------------------------------------------------------------

New companies established in the Czech Republic topped 12.600 in the
first half of the year, showing year-on-year growth of 10%. Nearly a
half of the new businesses were founded in Prague and more than 60%
trade in wholesaling, real estate, services or construction. The CEKIA
information agency which released the results told the Czech Press
Agency that 2010 could break records if the tempo continues for the
rest of the year. The vast majority of the new entities (95.4%) were
limited liability companies, while only 581 were joint-stock companies.

========================================================================
Champions League: Sparta Prague edge Lech Poznan
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Football's Sparta Prague edged Lech Poznan 1:0 on Tuesday evening in
first-leg of their Champions League third-round qualifier. The win
gives them a slender advantage when they face their opponents in the
second-leg in Poland. Sparta's Erich Brabec scored the game's lone goal
with 12 minutes remaining after Libor Sionko set up a cross leading to
the strike. Ahead of the match, security was heightened to prevent any
clashes between Sparta fans and visiting Polish rowdies; there were
only a few minor incidents.

========================================================================
Weather
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Conditions over the coming days are expected to be partly cloudy to
cloudy with scattered showers and daytime temperatures of around 20o
Celsius.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Articles posted on www.radio.cz today
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Spotlight
Summer Czech language courses in Dobruska
------------------------------------------------------------------------

For many Czechs, the eastern Bohemian town of Dobruska evokes the Czech
National Revival, a time when the Czech language was on the verge of
extinction. A local merchant, immortalized in the novel F. L. Vek by
the Czech writer Alois Jirasek, worked tirelessly in and around
Dobruska to promote the Czech language and literature. Today, a
different kind of Czech revival is taking place in the town. For the
last 20 years, Prague's Charles University has been organizing summer
language courses for expats at this particular venue.

http://www.radio.cz/en/article/130239

Current Affairs
Fashion Expert: Ministry of Environment's new dress code merely demands
reasonable business attire from employees
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Long-sleeved dress shirts and slacks for men, knee-length skirts and
long-sleeved blouses for women, no open-toe shoes or sandals: This is
the dress code that newly appointed Minister of the Environment Pavel
Drobil is asking employees of his ministry to abide by in the future.
In addition, shirts proclaiming affinity or membership of environmental
or political groups will also be taboo. Some current employees feel
that the dress code Mr Drobil is calling for goes too far. Rachel
Kanarowski, the Czech InStyle magazine's editor-in-chief, speaks about
what work attire should look like and whether the new dress code is
reasonable.

http://www.radio.cz/en/article/130234

Current Affairs
Authorities okay moving Brno's main train station out of city centre
------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Moravian city of Brno might soon see its main train station move
out of city centre. Brno's central district recently issued a planning
permit for the controversial multi-billion project. But opponents of
the plan believe the process can still be stopped.

http://www.radio.cz/en/article/130224

Current Affairs
Mystery surrounds alleged Russian infiltration of Czech army command
------------------------------------------------------------------------

A Czech newspaper has claimed three generals were forced to leave the
army in 2009 after the security services found their offices had been
infiltrated by a Russian spy. The daily Mlada Fronta Dnes claimed in a
front-page exclusive on Wednesday that a female major working for all
three men had been befriended by the spy, although her role in the
affair remains unclear.

http://www.radio.cz/en/article/130223