Press Review

neni

Baghdad, Photo: CTK

Friday's papers finally carry more optimistic pictures from Iraq. "Bush: The nightmare is over," reads the main headline in Mlada fronta Dnes. Beneath it is a snapshot of a small boy clutching his share of food rations distributed by US troops.

Pravo and Lidove noviny carry snapshots of smiling Kurdish fighters in Kirkuk, and even a photo of an Iraqi kissing the hand of a US soldier as a show of gratitude. There is plenty of speculation as to the fate of Saddam Hussein and his Republican Guard, and Lidove noviny says that people in the Arab world are somewhat shocked by the ease with which Baghdad was taken.

The worst is over and Iraq is on the brink of a new era, says commentator Petr Pravda in Mlada fronta Dnes. There may still be some tough battles ahead, but none of them can compare to the challenge that faces the Iraqi people. In their present enthusiasm they are looting Sadam's palaces and destroying his statues and billboards, but it will not be long before they realize that the real Saddam is not on the billboards - the real Saddam is the Saddam within them and that Saddam will prove much harder to eradicate.

Baghdad, photo: CTK

On a lighter note - the first since the start of the war - Lidove noviny carries a report about the ten towns of Baghdad that can be found on US territory. "The streets are deserted, the hotels are closed. That is Baghdad. Baghdad, California," the story reads. By some strange coincidence, none of the ten Baghdads in the USA are flourishing, the paper says. Most of them are sleepy, out of the way places. "Please do not associate our town with Iraq. The identical name is a pure coincidence," says a message on the web pages of one American Baghdad.

On the domestic front, the papers report that the referendum on the country's accession to the European Union is most likely to take place on June 13th and 14th. According to the law, it should take place on a Friday and Saturday, and Lidove noviny jokes that, if President Klaus picks the mid-June date, which is seen as the most favorable, the referendum will inevitably take place on Friday 13th.

Mlada fronta Dnes says "what a dilemma for Czech citizens: a weekend at their country cottage or EU membership?" The paper refers to the fact that the bigger cities in the Czech Republic are deserted on weekends, since most Czechs like to spend their free time at their country cottages. Many an election has suffered as a result of this national pastime, and the government did its best to push through a Monday referendum term instead, the paper says.

On a different topic, the paper reports on the outcome of a survey focusing on what Czechs like to do in their spare time. It seems that we are a nation of couch potatoes, and people's favorite pastime is watching TV and reading magazines. The TV has become a family member, the paper jokes, and in most households it is permanently on, whether anyone happens to be watching or not. Three out of four Czechs like relaxing at home; the fourth either heads out for an evening with friends or to see a movie.

According to the survey, the most popular film is The Lord of the Rings; the best-selling book is Harry Potter; the best selling album is by the Russian girls group T.A.T.U.; and the most frequently rented movie is Bridget Jones' Diary. Fewer people are listening to classical music these days, and fewer people are reading books.