In the News 4.8.08

Written by Naďa Straková
Aktuálně.cz CzechNews

Prague – FROM RUSSIA WITH BOMBS – that is the latest news from Russiaabout their plan to retaliate for the US missile defense base to be stationed on Czech soil.

At first, Russia has significantly reduced the oil supply to the Czech Republic. The oil cuts came after the treaty on the US missile defense systemwas signed in Prague. But apparently, the drop in supply happened only for “technical reasons”, claims Moscow.

That is what also Ivan Ottis, a Unipetrol leading representative, says. Ottis talked to Aktuálně.czabout the reasons why Russia, Czechs´ major oil supplier, has been rather unreliable in the past few weeks.

Later on, a number of Russian officials have proposed to deploy bombers in Cuba in response to the US radar base planned in the Czech Republic, which Russia views as a security threat. Ottis has been in the oil industry business for over 28 years and among other says, Russian oil is easily replaceable.

But the craftiest retaliationof them all is the boycott of Czech beer, as proposed by one of Russian think-tanks.

For Alexander Pikayev, an analyst at the Institute of World Economy and International Relations, it´s clearly the beer:

FREEDOM OF SPEECH IN CHINA. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) should allow free speechduring the Olympic Games in Beijing, says an open letter addressed to the IOC and signed by former Czech president Václav Havel and a few Czech top politicians.

Athletes should then use this freedom of speechby pointing out violations of human rightsin China.

“We call on all participants of the summer Olympic Games in Beijing to use this liberty to support those whose freedoms, even at the time of the Olympics, are denied by the Chinese government.”

HISTORY MAKING ON TRAIN. You won’t object to the saying that history can be made any time any place. But what about on a train?

A small town Čierna nad Tisou´s freight train stationhas always been a busy place where trains come, download and load and go again.

One day this little town of 4,000 at the Czechoslovak-Soviet bordersaw a breathtaking scenethat has changed the course of Czechoslovakia’s politics.

In 29 July 1968, Soviet political representatives arrived in Čierna nad Tisou to meet their Czechoslovak counterparts to speak truly serious stuff – the future of the Communist Party in Czechoslovakia. You can easily predict what happened shortly after that. But see what preceded it here.  

IN THE SERVICE OF SECRET POLICE. Closing some chapters in history proves somewhat impossible and it seems from time to time the communist past comes to haunt some, even including high-ranking politicians. Members of Czech Parliament Walter Bartoš, Juraj Raninec, Tomáš Hasil and

Pavel Ploc were accused of having cooperate with the Communist Military Counter-intelligence before the Velvet Revolution. They all naturally deny the accusationof cooperating with secret police. And the case is not really that black and white, as it could seem.

OUT AND BACK. One day he is out, the next day he is back on track.

It was a major event in the Austrian football summer, even though the main role is played by a Czech. Former Czech Republic’s national  football team coach Karel Brückner is set to take over the Austrian national team, replacing Austrian Josef Hickersberger.

Brückner’s appointment as the new Austrian coachwas a surprise for many who predicted the career of the 68-year-old self-confessed “football junkie” to be all but over after the EURO 2008 debacle. Well-known sport journalist and commentator Jaromír Bosák is said to have nearly crashed his car after he learned the news on the radio.

NOMURA NO MORE. Since now on you will not hear the name Nomura again.

At least not in relation to the Czech state owing billions crownsto the Japan-based bank. The deal is finally settled and Nomura is richer with CZK 3.6 billion in its bank account. To find out why the Czech government had to pay, just click here.

THE AWARD GOES TO.. And a little guess for you at the end – Which Czech politicians are successful in self-promotion and communication with the public and which are not?

A team of experts sat down and analyzed the public appearance of 10 Czech high-ranking politicians. The winner is not that surprising but the rest is somewhat unexpected. 

You can choose out of these: President Václav Klaus, PM Mirek Topolánek, Ministers Ivan Langer, Miroslav Kalousek, Tomáš Julínek, Martin Bursík, Jiří Čunek, Prague Mayor Pavel Bém, head of the Social Democratic Party Jiří Paroubek and shadow Health Minister David Rath.

And you can see the winner and the loser here.

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