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09/01/2009
An historical train left Prague on Tuesday on a four-day journey marking the 70th anniversary of the Winton transports, which brought hundreds of predominantly Jewish children to safety in London at the outset of WWII. On board were a number of the original passengers themselves and their families, and the daughter of Sir Nicholas Winton, who organised and funded the 1939 rescue transport. Sir Winton himself will be meeting the train upon its arrival in London on September 4. The departure ceremony also included an unveiling of a statue of Winton at Prague’s Main Station. Descendants of the 669 children rescued by Nicholas Winton number over 5,000.
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09/01/2009
The 2009/2010 school year began on Tuesday, with 1.3 million students, including 93,000 first-year pupils, in attendance. As is customary, President Václav Klaus and the minister of education, Miroslava Kopicová, visited two primary schools, greeting the students and awarding medallions. The number of students declined this year overall, with only a slight increase of 0.5% among first-year pupils.
New teaching methods intended to promote independent thinking are to be implemented this year for many age groups. Also reforms allowing teachers to create their own curricula will take effect in secondary schools this year.
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09/01/2009
The Czech government outlined on Monday a series of cost-cutting measures to curb what looks set to be the biggest deficit in the country’s history. PM Jan Fischer told reporters that the cabinet will debate these bills at its next session on September 9. Mr Fischer said that if these proposals are not approved by the lower house of the Czech Parliament, the government will draft a 2010 budget with a deficit of 230 billion crowns, or nearly 13 billion US dollars.
While the prime minister said the caretaker government felt responsible for curbing the looming record deficit, leaders of the two strongest parties, Social Democrats and Civic Democrats, said earlier their parties would not support the planned measures in the lower house.
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09/01/2009
Russian spies in the Czech Republic use methods that were employed by the Soviet intelligence in Western Europe in the 1980s, according to the annual report of the Czech Intelligence Service BIS released on Monday. The report said that last year Russian espionage activities in the country were on the rise, and specifically focused on US plans to build part of an American anti-missile defence shield in the Czech Republic. The Czech secret service said that Russian exponents contacted Czech politicians, particularly MPs, their assistants and the staff of Czech political parties. The report also notes that Russian spies, who are covered as diplomatic staff at Russian embassy and consulates, employ methods used by Soviet espionage in Western Europe in the last decade of the Cold War to influence the peace movement of the time.
Earlier this month the Czech Republic expelled two Russian diplomats for alleged spying. Russia then retaliated by expelling two Czech diplomats from the Czech mission in Moscow.
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09/01/2009
Former presidential candidate Jan Švejnar has definitively rejected a nomination by the Christian Democrats to become the new Czech EU commissioner, party leader Cyril Svoboda told reporters on Monday. Although Mr Švejnar originally accepted the nomination, he later changed his mind realizing the controversy that is likely to break out over the post, which must be approved by all parties.
The new Czech EU commissioner, who will replace Vladimír Špidla, will most likely be appointed after the elections. According to some diplomats, this will narrow the negotiation options about the commissioner’s portfolio.
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08/31/2009
The Czech government outlined on Monday a series of cost-cutting measures to curb what looks set to be the biggest deficit in the country’s history. PM Jan Fischer told reporters that the cabinet will debate these bills at its next session on September 9. Mr Fischer said that if these proposals are not approved by the lower house of the Czech Parliament, the government will draft a 2010 budget with a deficit of 230 billion crowns, or nearly 13 billion US dollars.
While the prime minister said the caretaker government felt responsible for curbing the looming record deficit, leaders of the two strongest parties, Social Democrats and Civic Democrats, said earlier their parties would not support the planned measures in the lower house.
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08/31/2009
In related news, the State Fund for Transport Infrastructure is set to work with a record budget of 96 billion crowns, or nearly 5.5 billion US dollars next year, Transport Minister Gustáv Slamečka told reporters on Monday. The government approved the increase as many Czech motorways and other types of roads are under construction. The authorities also hope the increased budget will keep the unemployment rate lower.
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08/31/2009
Russian spies in the Czech Republic use methods that were employed by the Soviet intelligence in Western Europe in the 1980s, according to the annual report of the Czech Intelligence Service BIS released on Monday. The report said that last year Russian espionage activities in the country were on the rise, and specifically focused on US plans to build part of an American anti-missile defence shield in the Czech Republic. The Czech secret service said that Russian exponents contacted Czech politicians, particularly MPs, their assistants and the staff of Czech political parties. The report also notes that Russian spies, who are covered as diplomatic staff at Russian embassy and consulates, employ methods used by Soviet espionage in Western Europe in the last decade of the Cold War to influence the peace movement of the time.
Earlier this month the Czech Republic expelled two Russian diplomats for alleged spying. Russia then retaliated by expelling two Czech diplomats from the Czech mission in Moscow.
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08/31/2009
In related news, the annual report of the Czech secret service for 2008 says that individuals and companies from Iran, Syria and North Korea were interested in obtaining chemicals, machinery and technologies that could be used in producing weapons of mass destruction and their carriers. The Czech intelligence confirmed “a steady interest” by Iran in purchasing Czech machinery, and found out that in 2007, a Czech firm collaborated with an Iranian company that had been sanctioned for taking part in Iran’s nuclear programme.
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08/31/2009
Starting on Tuesday, Prague’s Ruzyně Airport will no longer dispatch flights by the low-cost carrier SkyEurope due to unsettled payments, a spokeswoman for the airport said on Monday. If cash is delivered on Tuesday, the airport is ready to resume servicing the airline, the spokeswoman said.
The Slovak low-cost airline SkyEurope is the second largest airline at Prague Airport, after the national carrier Czech Airlines. SkyEurope has had problems at several airports around Europe, including Paris and Vienna. In June, it was granted protection from creditors by a court in Bratislava.
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