News of Radio Prague
Doctor charged with spreading a dangerous disease after TB death
Police have charged a doctor from Prague's Vinohradska hospital with spreading a dangerous disease. The doctor is accused of failing to ensure that a Slovak man she diagnosed in December as having tuberculosis be hospitalised. The TB victim's Slovak flatmate has also been charged with spreading the disease - he said he would take the victim to another hospital but failed to do so. The TB victim, who was 36, later died.
Senate passes bill restricting tobacco advertising
The Senate has approved a bill restricting the advertising of tobacco products. The Christian Democrats failed to bring about a total ban on tobacco advertising and the version of the bill passed in the Senate on Friday was the same as that passed by the lower house. Under the bill, which has to be signed by the president, billboards advertising tobacco products within 300 metres of schools would be banned and health warnings saying "smoking causes cancer" would take up 20 percent of cigarette packets.
President Havel expressed disquiet over conduct of elections in Zimbabwe
President Vaclav Havel has expressed his deep disquiet over the conduct of last weekend's presidential election in Zimbabwe, in which Robert Mugabe was re-elected president. Mr Havel said that the history of Central and Eastern Europe showed that elections conducted in an atmosphere of violence and intimidation could not be regarded as free and fair.
Dukovany nuclear power plant to replace most of its Soviet technology
The Dukovany nuclear power station in south Moravia is planning to replace two-thirds of its Soviet-produced technical equipment by 2009. Twenty-percent of the equipment at the plant is Soviet made. Dukovany was the Czech Republic's first nuclear power station and is the largest producer of electricty in the country.
Armed man holds girl hostage at young offenders' home
An armed masked man held a 15-year-old girl hostage for over three hours in the town of Kouty nad Desnou on Thursday evening, police said on Friday. The man, who was 25 and certified insane, arrived at the young offenders' home where the girl was an inmate, demanding to see her. When he was refused entry he broke in and took the girl hostage. Nobody was hurt during the incident, which ended when the police talked the man into giving himself up. No motive has been given for the hostage-taking.
Man gives himself up after beating partner's child to death
A 31-year-old man in the east Bohemian town of Pardubice has been taken into custody on charges of killing his partner's 14-month-old son. The man turned himself into the police after beating the child to death on Monday night, apparently because it was crying and screaming.
Blair visit planned for March 26 cancelled
A visit the British Prime Minister Tony Blair was to make to Prague on March 25 has been cancelled, the Czech government spokesman Libor Roucek said on Friday. No reason has been given for the cancellation of the visit.
Weather
And finally a look at the weather forecast. Saturday should be partially cloudy in Bohemia but cloudy and wet in Moravia - temperatures should range from six to ten degrees Celsius. Sunday is expected to be partially cloudy throughout the country with temperatures of up to 15 degrees Celsius.
