US editors more demanding, says NYC-based Czech journalist Iva Skochová Thu, 15 May 2008 15:37:45 +0200
The Czech journalist Iva Skochová has been based in New York for the lastseven years. She works freelance, writing in Czech for like the likes ofLidové noviny and Reflex, and in English for international publicationsand websites. When I spoke to Iva Skochová in Greenwich Village, I firstasked her to compare journalism in the Czech Republic and America.

Czechs see early exit at Ice Hockey World Championship Thu, 15 May 2008 15:37:45 +0200
Four minutes can be a long time in hockey, especially when guarding theslimmest of leads, the situation for the Czech Republic in its quarterfinalmatch against Sweden on Wednesday at the Ice Hockey World Championship. Inthe final minutes, the national team led Sweden 2-1 but failed to block anequaliser sending the game into overtime. Worse, in OT, the Swedes struckagain, making this the second year in a row the Czechs will finish outsidethe medals.

Czechs sign up for new medical service – predictive DNA testing Thu, 15 May 2008 15:37:44 +0200
DNA testing to trace your ancestry or your parentage is all the rage at themoment, but it’s mostly about looking into the past. Predictive genetictesting looks into the future – and can tell you how likely it is youwill develop the same health conditions as your parents or grandparents.There are now several commercial DNA clinics offering the service in theCzech Republic, and the field is expected to grow sharply in the future.

Exhibition revives Czechoslovak triumph at Expo 1958 Thu, 15 May 2008 14:26:56 +0200
It is exactly 50 years since Czechoslovakia’s great triumph at the worldExpo exhibition in Brussels, at which the country won the best pavilionaward and many Czech and Slovak artists received special prizes. To recallthe Czechoslovak success at Expo 1958, the City Gallery of Prague this weekopened an exhibition entitled “Brussels Dream”. It aims to recreate thefamous Czechoslovak exhibition with authentic objects from Expo 58. It alsoreflects the lifestyle of the early 1960s, marked by the rise of popularculture and affected by the so-called “Brussels style”.

News 5.14.2008 Wed, 14 May 2008 20:26:43 +0200
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Stalin survives village poll Wed, 14 May 2008 16:02:00 +0200
The inhabitants of Studenec, a small Moravian village near Brno, have votedto keep a bronze relief depicting Soviet dictator Josef Stalin on theircommunity’s monument to the victims of the First and Second World Wars.Just over a half of the village’s adult inhabitants turned up to casttheir ballots in the local referendum, while a majority of them said theywanted to keep the controversial portrait in its place.

Extreme right groups parody Czech charity website in anti-immigration drive Wed, 14 May 2008 16:01:59 +0200
A newly created internet page www.chceteje.cz, has attracted the attentionof Czech police for its xenophobic and potentially illegal content. Thewebsite, which roughly translates as "Do you want them?", andrefers to immigrants in the Czech Republic, attacks people from foreignbackgrounds through coarse stereotyping and racial slurs. Its creators haveclearly set it up as a counter-attack against, and a parody of, a websiterun by the Czech NGO People in Need as part of their ongoing campaign tohighlight and explain the problem of neo-Nazism. Jamie Brindley has thestory.

Anti-radar activist goes on hunger strike Wed, 14 May 2008 16:01:58 +0200
On Tuesday at 11am, anti-radar activist and chairman of the Czech HumanistParty Jan Tamáš began a hunger strike in protest at the CzechRepublic’s impending acceptance of a US missile-defence radar base in thecountry. Dominik Jůn met with Jan Tamáš at his base of operations - arented shop space in the centre of Prague, to discuss his motivations fortaking such a drastic step:

The Romany Holocaust commemoration service at Lety Wed, 14 May 2008 13:47:30 +0200
A bus of students and activists heads for Lety, South Bohemia, on May 13.They are driving to the site of a former concentration camp, set up by theNazis to wipe out the Bohemian protectorate’s Roma population during theSecond World War. Official sources say that 326 Roma perished in theconcentration camp at Lety, while many hundreds more were transported fromLety to Auschwitz, where they were taken to the gas chambers.

News 5.13.2008 Tue, 13 May 2008 20:19:19 +0200
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Some proselytising faith groups undeterred by Czech Republic’s atheistic reputation Tue, 13 May 2008 15:11:05 +0200
The Czech Republic is known as one of the most secular states in Europe,with almost half the population identifying themselves as atheists.However, that does not deter some faith groups, such as the Mormons, fromproselytising here. But what is it actually like trying to make converts insuch a non-religious country?

Should Czechs worry about prices of food skyrocketing? Tue, 13 May 2008 15:11:04 +0200
Prices of some basic foodstuffs in the Czech Republic have gone up by 20 to30 percent since the beginning of the year due to the government’s fiscalreform, as well as the global food crisis and record-breaking costs offuel. But Czech consumers may have to reach even deeper in their pockets inthe near future to pay their grocery bills.

Remembrance in Lety Tue, 13 May 2008 15:11:03 +0200
Memorial services have been taking place at the site of a formerconcentration camp in the town of Lety. This is the 13th yearthe Czech Republic has marked the Romany Holocaust. But the site in Lety,still borders a pig farm despite repeated calls by various groups for ittobe closed down. Radio Prague’s Rosie Johnston joins us from Lety.

Out of Home highlights problems of children’s homes, integration in Czech Republic Tue, 13 May 2008 14:10:32 +0200
Last year saw the first inception of the Out of Home sports & musicfestival aimed at helping kids from Czech children’s homes. This week thefestival returns – a chance for those who otherwise wouldn’t be able toget to the Czech capital to not only to compete in sports events at SpartaPrague, but also to see bands like Gipsy.cz or Britain’s Fun-da-mental atPrague’s Štvanice Island. Proceeds will go towards continuing socialprogrammes and activities but also towards a new café which will providesome leaving homes with their first jobs.

News 5.12.2008 Mon, 12 May 2008 21:04:27 +0200
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Prague Spring international music festival gets underway Mon, 12 May 2008 16:40:28 +0200
As every year, on May 12th the sound of Má vlast or My Country by BedřichSmetana will launch the Prague Spring international music festival - arenowned festival of classical music and one of the biggest events of itskind in Europe, bringing together top orchestras, ensembles and soloistsfrom around the world. I caught up with the festival’s director RomanBělor to ask what is on the menu of Prague Spring’s 63rd year:

Education minister unveils plans to overhaul the country’s universities Mon, 12 May 2008 16:40:27 +0200
Czech universities can expect big changes. On Monday, Education Minister Ondřej Liška presented a ‘bílá kniha’ (‘white paper’), which proposes sweeping reforms of the country’s higher education system. His proposals include a complete restructuring of the way Czech universities are funded - which could eventually lead to tuition fees - as well as calls for universities to cooperate more with the private sector. The plans are now up for public discussion until the autumn, when new laws will be drafted. Earlier today, I spoke to Education Minister Ondřej Liška and asked him what he thought the problems were with the Czech higher education system today:

Czech government, aid groups join Burma relief effort Mon, 12 May 2008 16:40:26 +0200
Time is running out for hundreds of thousands of people stranded withoutfood, drinking water and medical supplies on Burma’s Irrawaddy Delta, inthe wake of the devastating typhoon that hit the region nine days ago. Anumber of Czech humanitarian aid organisations have joined the reliefeffort – raising money and trying to assess the priorities for aid.

Sports News 5.12.2008 Mon, 12 May 2008 15:12:34 +0200
In Sports News: Sparta Prague collapse and Slavia Prague go two pointsahead with one game remaining in the Czech football league; Sparta’s bossannounces his decision to quit at the end of the season – and is promptlysacked; the Czechs are beaten by Sweden at the Ice Hockey WorldChampionships; Patrik Eliáš is hurt by a TV camera in that game, butshould be fit for Wednesday’s quarter-finals game; ŠtěpánkaHilgertová, 40, wins her second European slalom title; and Kenya’sKenneth Mungara wins the Prague International Marathon.

Thomas M. Messer – former Guggenheim director, 88, recalls youth in Czechoslovakia, and much more Mon, 12 May 2008 13:28:47 +0200
Thomas M. Messer was born in Bratislava in 1919 but moved to Prague at theage of four, when his father got a job teaching German Studies at CharlesUniversity. After moving to the US at the start of World War II, he wentonto work at a number of art institutions, including New York’s GuggenheimMuseum, where he was director for 27 years. Mr Messer, today an urbanegentleman of 88, grew up in Czechoslovakia’s inter-war period FirstRepublic, regarded by many as the country’s golden era. Would he sharethat view?