News – 10-10-2011 20:45 – Radio Prague
Former Czech president Václav Havel has received the Order of St. George,Georgia’s highest state honour. he was decorated by visiting GeorgianPresident Mikheil Saakashvili on Monday, who cited mr Havel’s influenceand contribution in the democratisation process of post-Communistcountries. the honour was awarded at the Georgian Embassy in Prague; afterthe ceremony Václav Havel expressed the hope that Georgia would see itshistoric borders restored, reference to the 2008 armed conflict betweenGeorgia and Russia and the separatist republics of South Ossetia andAbkhazia. mr Saakashvili is in Prague to take part in the 15th Forum 2000conference.
Burmese dissident Aung San Suu Kyi asked Forum 2000 participants tosupport the Burmese opposition, in a pre-recorded greeting a few minutesinlength that former Czech president and human rights supporter VáclavHavelpresented at the start of the conference on Monday. Aung San Suu Kyi saidshe is cautiously optimistic about possible changes in Burma, but stressedthat the situation in her country is far from satisfactory. the NobelPeacePrize winner was released from house arrest last November, shortly afterthe isolated Burmese regime staged the first elections in 20 years. Theprevious elections in 1990 were won by the National League for Democracyheaded by Suu Kyi. the junta, however, refused to hand over power and shespent 15 years under house arrest. she said in her greeting to Forum 2000that people in Burma suffer from the absence of the rule of law.
Mr Havel is a vocal supporter of the opposition in states that theinternational community has criticised for the violation of human rightsand lack of democracy, including Belarus and Cuba. This year´s 15th Forum2000 conference focuses on the theme of democracy and law.
In related news, Kosovo President Atifete Jahjaga at the Forum 2000conference told reporters in Prague on Monday that the Serbian minority inthe north of Kosovo cannot reckon with special status for their area.neither the division of the country nor transfers of its inhabitants couldbe taken into consideration, she stressed. the president did say Kosovowould follow the plan of the former Finnish president and UN Special Envoyfor Kosovo, Martti Ahtisaari, adding that dialogue was “the onlyinstrument to reach the goal of the region’s integration with theEuroatlantic structures”. Kosovo unilaterally declared independence fromSerbia in February 2008.
The Czech government recognised independent Kosovo in May of the sameyear. But Czech President Václav Klaus still opposes the diplomatic stepand, according to ?TK, will not meet Mrs Jahjaga during her stay inPrague. the Serbian minority living in the north of Kosovo refuses torecognise Kosovo´s sovereignty.
A Czech soldier died on Sunday, succumbing to serious injuries sustainedduring a mission in Afghanistan. Sergeant Adrian Werner of the 2ndOperational Mentor Liaison Team was shot on in a July 6 attack on a Czechadvance post in the Taliban-controlled Wardak province. It was the31-year-old’s third mission abroad; previously he had served as aninstructor for Afghan army soldiers and did two tours of duty in Kosovo.Sergeant Werner was the fifth Czech soldier to lose their life in the ISAFmission, in which more than 7,000 Czechs have served over the last 10years.
Due to overcrowding in Czech prisons, the country’s Justice Ministrywould like judges to impose alternative sentences including house arrests,the daily Mladá fronta Dnes reported on Monday. Deputy Justice MinisterDaniel Volák told the paper there was little space to accommodateconvicts. the capacity of Czech jails of 26,000 prisoners is now exceededby 3,000; another 5,500 convicts are yet to start serving their sentences.the ministry admits that its plan to build two new prisons is not viableunder the government’s austerity measures. But some judges warned thattheir capacity to impose house arrests was limited and said there mightnotbe enough officials to oversee alternative sentences.
The unemployment rate in September dropped from 8.2 to 8.0 percent inSeptember, according to new statistics released on Monday, amounting to475,115 jobless. the news was released by the Ministry for Labour andSocial Affairs. according to the numbers, almost 40,000 jobs in differentsectors are available. the unemployment figures show a higher jobless rateamong recent graduates than last year: in September 2010 they ranked35,313strong; this year the number is more than 7,000 higher. Forty-three ruraldistricts around the country suffer higher unemployment rates than thenational average, among them most (15.7 percent), Bruntál (14.2), andD??ín (13.2 procent).
Czech police have arrested a 16-year-old boy from Brno for allegedlyhacking a webhosting company’s website, after breaking through security,and raising tariffs for regular customers. he then contacted the companyand threatened he would only stop if he received 100,000 crowns. the crimetook place last spring when the minor – who has apparently had otherrun-ins with the law – was on a visit to his mother’s. Policeinvestigating electronic data were able to pick-up the suspect’s trail.
Prague City Hall is considering siting Alphonse Mucha’s Slavic Epiccycle in the historic Fanta building at Prague’s Main Station – a planreportedly backed by the late painter’s grandson John Mucha. the newswasrevealed by the spokeswoman for the Mucha Foundation on Monday. the ArtNouveau building – formerly a booking hall and now a cafe – was putforward as a location in a study commissioned by Prague Mayor BohuslavSvoboda. the idea is also reportedly being backed by the firm responsiblefor the renovation of Prague’s Main Station, Grand Stazioni. Thecompany’s spokesman called the plan an interesting one, suggesting thatif it went ahead, the famous paintings could be housed in their new homeinearly 2014 – soon after renovations of the historic site are completed.
A photograph by Stanislav Krupa? capturing racial unrest in NorthernBohemia has won the 2011 Czech Press Photo competition. the jury calledthewinning work a strong example of photojournalism that brought attention toa serious, contemporary social problem not confined to the Czech Republic.in addition to the Crystal Eye Award, the winner of the Czech Press Photoreceives a 120,000 crown prize. a year-long grant, meanwhile, awarded byPrague City Hall for capturing the transformation of the Czech capital wasgiven to veteran photographer Alena Dvo?áková and her partner ViktorFischer. the jury in this year’s 17th competition viewed more than 3,700photographs from 288 Czech and Slovak photographers.
Czech national football team goalkeeper Petr ?ech has the Czech squadwill have to try and dictate the tempo and play against Lithuania onTuesday if the team is to keep alive hopes of reaching the playoff stagetotry and qualify for Euro 2012. the Czech team has not missed the EuropeanChampionship since 1992 but qualification for next year’s tournament inPoland and Ukraine is far from a done deal: a win on Tuesday in thesquad’s final qualification match would put the team on firmer ground. AScotland win over Spain would dash the Czechs’ last chance and a repeatloss to Lithuania by the Czech squad would be equally disastrous.
The current spell of rainy weather will continue into the week, withmostly overcast skies, frequent rain showers and daytime highs between 11and 15 degrees Celsius.
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