News
Klaus to serve second five-year term as Czech president
Václav Klaus has been re-elected Czech president. On Friday Mr Klaus (66) received 141 votes in the third round of what was the second attempt in a week to elect a new president. The incumbent received the backing of his own Civic Democrats, most Christian Democrat legislators and some others. US-based academic Jan Švejnar, mainly supported by the Social Democrats and the Greens, received 111 votes. Mr Klaus, a right of centre Euro-sceptic, will be sworn in at the beginning of next month, when his current five-year term ends.
Czech Television: record audience watched election live
Czech Television said a record 1.37 million people had watched the presidential election live on Friday afternoon. The public broadcaster’s digital channel CT24 also saw high audience figures: 3.1 percent of the TV audience watched its broadcasts, which were the same as on the terrestrial station CT1. Czech Television has won plaudits for its comprehensive and uninterrupted coverage of both elections.
Demonstration held against transportation of snow for ski event
Around 100 people have demonstrated against the transporting of snow to Vesec near Liberec for a stage of the Cross-Country Skiing World Cup. Organisers of the meeting built a 1.9-kilometre track at Vesec with snow taken from the Jizera Mountains; they face possible sanctions for damaging a protected area. Those protesting at the World Cup event at Vesec on Saturday also expressed their disagreement with plans to hold the Nordic World Ski Championships there next year.
Bauer comes second in Vesec, increasing overall lead
Meanwhile, the Czech skier Lukáš Bauer finished second in an 11.4-kilometre race at Vesec on Saturday, just 12 seconds behind the winner Jean Marc Gaillard of France. That result means Bauer’s overall lead in this season’s World Cup again increased; it would now take a real upset for the 30-year-old from Ostrov nad Ohří not to win the title. But Bauer will have to finish the season on new skis – the ones he was wearing on Saturday were destroyed by stones on the frozen course in Vesec.
Jane Birkin appearing at Prague theatre
The France-based English singer and actress Jane Birkin is playing a concert at Prague’s Archa theatre on Saturday night. Birkin is perhaps best known for her collaboration with her second husband Serge Gainsbourg, with whom she recorded several albums and the hit single Je t’aime…moi non plus. The singer, who is 61, is due to perform songs from her most recent albums.
Czech football league resumes after winter break
The Czech football league gets underway again this weekend after the winter break. Leaders Slavia Prague ended the first half of the season five points clear of their city rivals Sparta. The final, thirty-second round of the league will take place on May 15.
Forecasters warn of minus 20 centigrade
Sunday morning is set to see the lowest temperatures so far this winter – forecasters say it could get as low as minus 20 degrees Celsius in mountain valleys. Elsewhere in the Czech Republic we can expect temperatures of between minus 8 and minus 12 centigrade early on Sunday.
Weather
It is expected to get warmer over the next few days, with temperatures set to reach up to 8 degrees Celsius. It should be quite sunny with occasional rain or snow.
