News of Radio Prague
Slovak Prime Minister in Prague
During an official trip to Prague on Monday, the Slovak Prime Minister, Mikulas Dzurinda, met with his Czech counterpart, Milos Zeman, Czech President Vaclav Havel and Civic Democrat opposition leader Vaclav Klaus. Mr Dzurinda told reporters that, in the four years of co-operation with the current Czech government, 55 agreements were signed between the Czech Republic and Slovakia, which included the resolution of property claims that resulted from the split of Czechoslovakia in 1993, the issuing of dual-citizenship, as well as the creation of a joint Czech-Slovak-Polish army unit. Prime Minister Zeman pointed out that Poland and the Czech Republic would support Slovakia in its aspirations to join NATO and added that co-operation in the joint preparations for EU membership, especially in the agricultural sector, was important.
Laura Bush in Prague
Laura Bush, the First Lady of the United States, who is on a four day trip to the Czech Republic visited Prague Castle for a meeting with President Vaclav Havel and his wife Dagmar on Monday. The First Lady also met for talks with the Speaker of the Lower House Vaclav Klaus. According to the CTK news agency they discussed the upcoming elections in the Czech Republic and Czech-American relations. On Tuesday Mrs. Bush is expected to tour the Prague based headquarters of the US financed Radio Free Europe-Radio Liberty. A strong advocate for aid to war-ravaged Afghanistan, Mrs. Bush will deliver a radio address to the Afghan people. The US First Lady has toured France and Hungary on her own and is scheduled to join President Bush on Wednesday for official visits to Germany, Russia and Italy.
Environmentalists protest against hunting of whales
In light of the 54th meeting of the International Whaling Commission that got underway on Monday, Greenpeace activists gathered in the centre of Prague and proceeded to walk to the Japanese embassy, to protest against the country's role in commercial whaling. The activists submitted a declaration with 500 signatures to be forwarded to the Japanese Foreign Minister. It expressed deep dissatisfaction with Japan's continued support for the whaling industry. The chairman of the Czech branch of Greenpeace, Vaclav Vasek, said that the protest wanted to point to the fact that despite the international moratorium on commercial whaling, Japan is continuing to hunt whales for profit although claiming that it is for research.
Man suspected of drug dealing freed of charges
A Kosovo Albanian man who has been on trial for allegedly drug dealing, has been cleared of all charges by a district court in the North Bohemian town of Liberec. Mr Rexhep Sejdiu was accused of producing drugs and smuggling them from Turkey to the Czech Republic ten years ago but was freed due to a lack of evidence.
Conference on care for the elderly to take place on Tuesday
On Tuesday, medical experts are to meet in the spa town of Karlovy Vary to discuss the state of care for the elderly suffering from mental illnesses such as dementia and Alzheimer's. The conference, expected to have around a hundred participants, is to inform doctors, nurses, but also local government representatives of the latest methods of treatment and look into possible ways of improving the situation in the Czech Republic. An exhibition of the latest medical technology used for treatment will also be a part of the conference.
Weather
And finally a quick look at the weather forecast. Monday night is expected to have cloudy skies with occasional showers in the western parts of the country. Temperatures will range from 8 to 12 degrees Celsius. Tuesday will see scattered rain and overcast skies throughout the country with temperatures between 19 and 23 degrees Celsius.
