News of Radio Prague
Czech farmers to block border crossings Thursday in protest of EU accession terms
A key farm lobby has announced that Czech farmers who are dissatisfied over the terms of the Czech Republic's entry into the EU in 2004, are planning to block border crossings with Germany and Austria on Thursday. The Czech Agriculture Chamber said on Wednesday that farmers would go on a two-hour strike to block truck lines at four border crossings to the neighbouring countries, after the Czech government by-and-large agreed to EU proposals on farm aid, backing down from an earlier demand on increases to production limits for dairy and breeding cattle, as well as sugar exports. Thursday's blockade will follow a demonstration last week that saw thousands of angry Czech farmers descend on the Czech capital Prague to protest accession terms.
Gross for TV Nova: anti-corruption unit investigating possibility of foul play in pardons
The Czech Republic's private TV station TV Nova has reported that police from the anti-corruption team are investigating suspicious circumstances concerning the granting of presidential pardons. Citing Interior Minister Stanislav Gross on Tuesday the station said that investigations were related to the possible distortion of key documents, possibly by employees of the Office of the President. Interior Minister Stanislav Gross told TV Nova that police were checking evidence that had prompted suspicion, saying it was now up to the investigators to either refute or confirm foul play. Meanwhile, the station was careful to point out the affair did not relate directly to President Vaclav Havel. Mr Havel's spokesman Ladislav Spacek has downplayed the story, calling it "nonsense"; and on Wednesday Mr Havel called the interior minister personally to express his surprise at not having been informed about the case.
Arnika: majority of incineration plants will not meet new standards on dioxin release
Jindrich Petrlik of the Arnika environmental association stated at a press conference Wednesday that only seven out of around sixty Czech waste incineration plants will be ready to meet new standards limiting the release of dioxins into the air that will come into effect January 1st. Incineration plants unable to meet the new norms will avoid sanctions only if they put forward plans on reducing carcinogenic dioxin release within the next two years, but said Mr Petrlik Wednesday, most have not yet done so. He added that in line with the law such plants should be shut down at the beginning of the year, but said he did not believe state authorities would follow through. The problem concerns communal waste incineration plants in Prague, north Bohemia, and Brno in Moravia, as well as waste incineration plants in numerous hospitals.
Austrian anti-nuclear activists to block border Wednesday evening
Austrian opponents of the Temelin nuclear power station in south Bohemia have said they will hold a one-hour border blockade on Wednesday evening. Anti-nuclear activists have held numerous protests against Temelin since it went on-line in the year 2000. They say it is unsafe, because it combines Soviet design and western technology.
Ceska Sporitelna expected to earn 5.5 billion crowns in profits this year
One of the Czech Republic's largest banks Ceska Sporitelna has indicated it expects to earn 5.5 billion crowns in gains in 2002. At a press conference on Wednesday the bank's general manager Jack Stack said he expected the growth in profits to continue next year with as much as a 15 to 20 percent increase. The expected increase is largely the result of a rise in loans being taken, namely mortgages and consumer loans. A growth is also expected in loans to towns and small mid-sized companies. Ceska Sporitelna's general manager also said on Wednesday he did not expect a new wave in employee lay-offs similar to lay-offs that came to a head earlier this year.
Truck driver killed after vehicle knocked off bridge
A fifty-six year-old truck driver was killed Wednesday morning after his vehicle carrying several tons of coal plummeted from a bridge in the north Bohemian region of Most. Responsible was a 43-year-old car driver who attempted to pass the truck in his vehicle, but swerved back because of on-coming traffic, his car colliding with the truck, forcing it off the overpass. Police say the truck driver was killed instantly.
Weather
The Czech Republic has seen record-breaking cold in the last few days: Thursday will be another cold day with partly clear skies and daytime temperatures hovering between -2 and -6 degrees Celsius.
