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May 16th, 2008
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April 16th, 2008 | Current Issue

A monumental fight
Brno war memorial sparks a passionate clash over the legacy of Soviet symbols

Crash prompts safety probe
Ostrava trams collide in a fatal accident, investigation continues

Lisbon Treaty up for approval
Experts disagree on level of change accord seeks to achieve

Parking rules hurt locals
Prague residents, businesses attest to the problems caused by new restrictions

Schengen data share sees results
As rates of arrest increase, some complications still to be resolved in info system

Foreigners' Police changes fail to help
Despite improvements, lines and inefficient service continue

Crowning glory
Jewels unveiled to the public for first time in five years

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BRIEFS


ITALY After winning a decisive victory in a general election, Silvio Berlusconi will begin his third term as prime minister, the BBC reported April 15. The polls were held three years early, due to the collapse of the center-left coalition. Among Berlusconi’s immediate priorities will be reviving the ailing economy, settling the future of national airline Alitalia and alleviating the crisis of uncollected trash in Naples.

SPAIN A drought that is being called the worst in a century has brought Barcelona to the brink of a water crisis and rekindled a debate between regions over who should control the resource. Some reservoirs in Catalonia, where Barcelona is located, are at 20 percent capacity The International Herald Tribune reported April 13. Officials are considering importing water from as far as southern France.
BULGARIA Interior Minister Rumen Petkov resigned over shortcomings in a fight against organized crime that could threaten the government’s survival and cost the country millions in aid from the European Union, Reuters reported April 13. The decision came after gunmen killed two high-profile Bulgarians, and officials accused police of passing secrets to members of the criminal underworld.
SERBIA The government plans to hold elections in Kosovo in May despite UN objections, the Associated Press reported April 14. UN officials in Kosovo told Serbia it cannot hold a vote as it would breach the UN mandate for Kosovo. About three dozen countries, including the United States and many EU states, have so far recognized Kosovo’s independence, declared in February.
GERMANY When the Holocaust train, a mobile exhibit of letters and photos of young Nazi victims, reached Berlin, state-owned rail operator Deutsche Bahn refused to let it stop at Hauptbahnhof central station, offering the Ostbahnhof station instead. Under criticism, Deutsche Bahn heads cited potential traffic disruption as the reason for their decision, Reuters reported April 13. The train’s commemorative tour began in November and will end at Auschwitz May 8.
UK A suspect in the disappearance of Madeleine McCann, who went missing last May during a family trip to Portugal, plans to sue 11 leading British newspapers and one TV station for libel. Robert Murat, who lives near the resort where Madeleine disappeared, denies involvement in the crime, the BBC reported April 13. If his lawsuits succeed, Murat could receive a record total payout of more than £2 million.
FRANCE Agriculture Minister Michel Barnier was among French officials who urged EU countries to develop a global initiative on food security, after price increases for basic food stuffs led to violence in Haiti. Barnier also said the production of biofuels was a “crime against humanity,” the BBC reported April 14. France will assume the EU presidency this July.

DEFENSE The Defense Ministry has asked the United States for assistance in acquiring two C-130 Hercules aircrafts and has expressed interest in the Patriot missile-defense system as part of radar negotiations, Czech TV reported April 14. Previously, only Poland had expressed interest in military help from the United States as part of missile-defense negotiations.

INSULT Džamila Stehlíková, a Green Party minister who handles minority issues, offended the Roma community April 12 according to Lidové noviny. She said Roma have no respect for property because they are given things for free and don’t work because the state provides them with enough money to live on.
FOREIGNERS The number of foreign workers in the Czech Republic continues to grow, with more than 15,400 people coming to work in the country during the first quarter of 2008, the Czech News Agency (ČTK) reported April 14. That number from the same period last year was only 9,300. According to government reports, a total of 255,610 foreigners currently work in the Czech Republic.
ŠVEJNAR Unsuccessful presidential candidate Jan Švejnar is considering whether to run for the Senate, radio Frekvence 1 reported April 14. He says he has had offers from different parties but if he decides to run it would be as an independent candidate.
CORRUPTION Police detained one Prague civil servant who is thought to be responsible for the loss of 50 million Kč ($3.1 million), ČTK reported April 14. The money was sent from city funds to a wrong account due to a false invoice and then disappeared. To date, only 5.5 million Kč has been recovered.
JUSTICE Prague City Court will have to decide what to do about Qatari Prince Hamid bin Abdul Sani, who was found guilty of molesting underage girls in 2005 but was extradited to Qatar on the condition that his trial continue there. Because Qatari courts did not continue the process, the prince could face an international warrant issued by the Czech Republic soon, ČTK reported April 14.
SUICIDE A man suspected of shooting his girlfriend on the afternoon of April 14 in front of a shopping center in the Štěrboholy, part of Prague 10, shot himself at the military training grounds near Hradec Králové that night. He later died in a hospital, ČTK reported.

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