News of Radio Prague
Ostrava Romanies planning to apply for asylum in Britain
A group of around 30 Romanies from the north Moravian city of Ostrava have left the Czech Republic for Great Britain, where they intend to apply for political asylum. They say they do not feel safe and are subject to constant discrimination. The British government is currently being taken to court on behalf of a group of Romanies who British officials refused to allow to fly to the UK from Prague airport. The airport controls have been carried out over the last year in an attempt to stop Czech Romanies from applying for asylum in Britain.
Temelin second reactor will start this year, says Minister Rusnok
The second reactor at the Temelin nuclear power station in south Bohemia will go into operation this year, the Trade and Industry Minister, Jiri Rusnok, said on Friday. Also on Friday, several Austrian anti-nuclear groups criticised statements made in a press interview by the Czech Environment Minister, Libor Ambrozek; Mr Ambrozek said Temelin was safe and should be put into operation. The plant has been forced to shut down several times since the launch of the first reactor began in October 2000. Critics say it is unsafe as it combines Soviet design and western technology.
Gross discusses border security at Salzburg conference
The Czech Interior Minister, Stanislav Gross, has been discussing illegal migration and cross-border crime with counterparts from five other Central and Eastern European countries in the Austrian city of Salzburg. Mr Gross said after the meeting on Friday that abuse of asylum procedures should be prevented, and readmission agreements should be amended so that refugees could be returned to their country of origin.
Students from 32 countries study Czech at Summer School
Almost 150 students from 32 countries are to learn Czech at the annual Summer School of Slavonic Studies, which gets underway in the Moravian capital of Brno on Saturday. As well as students from Europe, the school will welcome people interested in studying Czech language and culture from as far afield as Sri Lanka and Afghanistan.
Several snow owls snatched in Pilsen zoo swoop
Officials at the zoo in the west Bohemian city of Pilsen are offering a reward of 5,000 Czech crowns for the return of five missing snow owls. The owls were evidently stolen on Tuesday night, a spokesperson for the zoo said on Friday. It is not the first time Pilsen zoo has been robbed - last year over 30 turtles were taken, though most of them were returned anonymously a day later.
Weekend weather
Saturday should be cloudy with temperatures of up to 26 degrees Celsius. Sunday is expected to be quite sunny, with temperatures reaching 29 degrees Celsius.
