Daily news summary
Turkey slams Czech Republic for recognizing Armenian genocide
Turkey has slammed a resolution adopted by the lower house of the Czech parliament recognizing the Armenian genocide. The Chamber of Deputies on Tuesday unanimously approved a resolution condemning the Armenian Genocide as well as the genocide of other religious and national minorities in the Ottoman Empire during WWI. The Turkish Foreign Ministry on Thursday also criticised President Miloš Zeman for his letter addressed to the Armenian diaspora in this country with regard to the events of 1915, claiming that the letter included serious inconsistencies.
Kroměříž Proclamation set to form new political platform
Representatives of the Kroměříž Proclamation, a group including a number of prominent former politicians opposed to President Miloš Zeman, say they may form a new political platform named Justice and Innovation. The group aim to encourage existing political parties to adopt their vision and say they would become actively involved in October’s general elections if they felt mass popular support. Those involved in the Kroměříž Proclamation – including ex-ministers Jan Kalvoda and Hana Marvanova – called in May last year for the selection of a candidate who could defeat Mr. Zeman in next year’s presidential election.
Environment ministry launches programme to encourage water saving
The Ministry of Environment has announced a new programme of grants to encourage households to save water. The ministry has earmarked 100 million crowns for the programme, which takes off on May 29. The grants will be used for example to buy containers for rain water, to build ponds, or for water efficient equipment. The programme, called Dešťovka, is part of the government’s strategy to deal with increased likeliness of drought.
Director Miloš Forman to receive honorary citizenship of Prague
The renowned Czech-born US film director Miloš Forman will be awarded the title of honorary citizen of Prague, the city council decided on Thursday. Forman, who was a leading personality of the Czech New Film Wave of the 1960s, has won two Oscars and three Golden Globe awards. Among his best known US films are One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Amadeus, Hair and Valmont. The City of Prague Silver Medal will be awarded to conductor and choir master Jiří Chvála, who is heading the Kuhn children’s choir. Honorary citizenships of Prague have been awarded since 1920.
Czech Republic’s last uranium mine officially closes
The Czech Republic’s last uranium mine in Rožná located about 50 kilometres northwest of Brno, officially closed on Thursday with a ceremony marking 60 years of uranium mining in the location. The Rožná mine, which is also the last uranium mine in Europe, went into operation in 1957 and has produced around 17 million tonnes of uranium since then. The Radioactive Waste Repository Authority has turned one part of the mine - beneath the village of Bukov into a special laboratory for tests that will help it build a final repository for spent nuclear fuel from the Temelín and Dukovany plants.
Exhibition to map Karel Gott’s career
An exhibition mapping the 60-year-long career of Czech pop idol Karel Gott will be on display on Prague’s embankment during the summer. The show, entitled “Gott, My Life” will be launched on June 8 a on a boat moored near the railway bridge at Rašínovo nábřeží. Co-organised by the National Museum, the exhibition will run until the end of September.
Weather
Friday is expected to be mostly cloudy with daytime temperatures ranging between 4 and 8 degrees Celsius.
