News of Radio Prague
EU enlargement commissioner calls on Prague and Budapest to put differences behind them.
The European Union enlargment commissioner Guenter Verheugen has called on Hungary and the Czech Republic to put recent disagreements behind them. A dispute recently arose between the two countries over the post World War II Benes decrees. As well as sanctioning the expulsion of ethnic Germans from Czechoslovakia, the decrees allowed for the confiscation of property belonging to ethnic Hungarians. The Hungarian prime minister, Viktor Orban, said the decrees were incompatible with EU membership and should be revoked. Mr Verhuegen said on Friday the decrees should not be an issue of the Europe of today. He was speaking after talks in Brussels with the Czech foreign minister, Jan Kavan.
Senate rejects bill on non-means tested child benefits
The Senate has rejected a government-sponsored bill on uniform, non-means tested child benefits. The bill now returns to the Lower House, where it was passed once before due to the absence of several right-wing deputies. It is not expected to be approved in the Lower House again.
Fourth shooting in six weeks in north Bohemian town
One man was killed and two were seriously injured in a shooting incident in the north Bohemian town of Teplice in the early hours of Friday morning, police said. The shooting took place at a casino in the town, which is near the German border. The idnes news website reported that the victims were from Yugoslavia and the perpetrators were also foreigners. It was the fourth shooting incident in Teplice this year and the third killing.
Armed gang robs hostel
A fifteen-member gang armed with machine guns and pistols held up and robbed a hostel for foreign workers in Prague on Thursday night, a police spokesperson said on Friday. The gang - believed to be from Russia or Ukraine - stole money and goods amounting to 130,000 crowns from the workers, who were mostly from Ukraine.
Falling rocks lead to evacution, road closure in north Bohemian town
Some 60 people were evacuated from the north Bohemian town of Hrensko on Friday due to the threat of falling rocks. A section of the road in the town has been closed. Falling rocks are a frequent problem in Hrensko. Police are guarding evacuated homes.
Over one hundred people in Jesenik infected with salmonella
Over one hundred people, almost all of them children, have been infected with salmonella in the north Moravian town of Jesenik. Many of the children are now in hospital. The salmonella was contracted at a primary school and a kindergarten, and school cooks are among those affected. A local hygiene officer said there was no connection between the two outbreaks.
Weather
And finally a look at the weather forecast. Saturday should be cloudy with bright spells and rain in places and temperatures between three and seven degrees Celsius. Sunday's weather should be the similar but slightly colder with temperatures from two to six Celsius.
