News

Wolf becomes fourth Social Democrat MP to leave deputies group since 2006 elections

Petr Wolf has become the fourth Social Democrat MP to leave the party’s deputies group since the last elections in 2006. Mr Wolf quit the deputies group after receiving threats over his positive stance towards US plans to build a radar base in the Czech Republic, a project the opposition Social Democrats are firmly against.

MPs Miloš Melčák and Michal Pohanka were expelled from the Social Democrats for supporting the current Civic Democrat-led government, while Evžen Snítilý met a similar fate after voting for the Civic Democrats’ candidate for president, Václav Klaus.

Daily: Rice to sign radar treaty on July 8

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will come to Prague on July 8 to sign a treaty with the Czech Republic on the location of an American radar base in central Bohemia, Mladá fronta Dnes reported. The newspaper said the date had been confirmed by two members of the Czech government. Ms Rice had previously postponed a visit to Prague to sign the document, which has yet to be approved by the Czech Parliament. Negotiations on a second treaty on various technical aspects of the base have not yet been completed.

The US radar base would be part of a global anti-missile shield. Polls have consistently shown around two thirds of Czechs are opposed to the building of the base. Opponents have said they will hold protests during the secretary of state’s visit, the details of which are being kept under wraps.

Minister Svoboda slams judge over decision to hear child abuse case in open court

Minister Cyril Svoboda has criticised a decision not to hear a serious child abuse case behind closed doors. He told the daily Lidové noviny that the fact the Kuřim case was being reported on in such detail could threaten the health of the two boys whose mother and aunt are on trial. Minister Svoboda said Judge Pavel Goth was more concerned with becoming famous than protecting Jakub and Ondřej Mauer, who allegedly suffered appalling abuse at the hands of a number of adults.

Court proceedings have received a huge amount of attention since the hearing began last week. The story has also been picked up by the international media, though the facts have sometimes been distorted; the British tabloid the Sun for instance ran an article with the headline “Boy eaten by family”.

Central bank head to meet exporters over strong crown

The governor of the Czech National Bank, Zdeněk Tůma, is to discuss the strong crown with the Czech Association of Exporters next week, the group’s Jiří Grund told the news website aktualne.cz. Mr Grund said that exporters did not want to dictate to the central bank; nevertheless, he said, an interest rate rise had lead to speculation and a further strengthening of the crown. He said a quarter-point cut in interest rates would help Czech exporters. The crown again set new records against both the euro and the US dollar this week.

Body of woman found floating in container on Orlík Dam

The body of a woman has been found in the Orlík Dam near Prague, a fire service spokesperson said. The corpse was found in a plastic container, after fishermen alerted the authorities to a strange object floating on the dam. Doctors said the body had been in the water for at least three months. In the early 1990s the bodies of two businessmen and a policeman were found in barrels in the Orlík Dam. Two people received life sentences for those killings, while others – including a police officer – received lengthy jail terms.

New Visegrad culture centre to be built in Olomouc

The Visegrad Four countries are setting up a new cultural organisation in the Czech city of Olomouc. Representatives of Hungary, Poland, Slovakia and the Czech Republic have signed a document establishing the Central European Forum; it will focus on art, music, film and theatre in the post-WWII period from the Visegrad countries, as well as Germany and Austria. The new institution will be paid for by the European Union.

New production of Bartered Bride premieres at Smetana festival

A new production of the Bartered Bride received its premiere at the Smetana’s Litomyšl International Opera Festival on Friday night. The new version of Bedřich Smetana’s popular opera is by Prague’s National Theatre, where it will be staged following the annual festival in the composer’s home town. (Radio Prague wrongly reported last week that the new production of the Bartered Bride was opening the festival on Wednesday. Sorry.)

'Tull rock Locket

The rock group Jethro Tull are playing a special outdoor concert beneath the castle at Loket near Karlovy Vary in west Bohemia on Saturday evening. The show is part of the British band’s 40th anniversary celebrations and has been sold out for several months. Former Deep Purple member Ritchie Blackmore played a sold out show at the same venue in 2006.

Next month should be warm, say forecasters

The next month should be warm, though temperature extremes are unlikely, according to a long-term forecast released by the Czech Hydro-meteorological Institute. Highs of up to 30 degrees Celsius are expected next week, though temperatures highs should later fall to around 20 degrees Celsius.

Weather

In the next few days temperatures should range from 23 to 30 degrees Celsius. It will be quite sunny with the chance of storms.