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Country Fast Facts: Czech Republic
Following the First World War, the closely related Czechs and Slovaks of the former Austro-Hungarian Empire merged to form Czechoslovakia. During the interwar years, the new country's leaders were frequently preoccupied with meeting the demands of other ethnic minorities within the republic, most notably the Sudeten Germans and the Ruthenians (Ukrainians). After World War II, a truncated Czechoslovakia fell within the Soviet sphere of influence.
In 1968, an invasion by Warsaw Pact troops ended the efforts of the country's leaders to liberalize Communist party rule and create "socialism with a human face." Anti-Soviet demonstrations the following year ushered in a period of harsh repression. With the collapse of Soviet authority in 1989, Czechoslovakia regained its freedom through a peaceful "Velvet Revolution."
On 1 January 1993, the country underwent a "velvet divorce" into its two national components, the Czech Republic and Slovakia. The Czech Republic joined NATO in 1999 and the European Union in 2004. Following the First World War, the closely related Czechs and Slovaks of the former Austro-Hungarian Empire merged to form Czechoslova... more -
NASN to rebrand as ESPN America
ESPN has confirmed that the North American Sports Network (NASN) will become ESPN America, from Super Bowl Sunday, February 1, 2009. The network is promising to continue bringing the best of North American sports to fans in Europe and the Middle East.
Coverage of over 800 live and as-live sports events includes Major League Baseball (MLB), National Hockey League (NHL), National Football League (NFL) and NCAA American Football and Basketball. ESPN America also has the rights to the Super Bowl in a number of European territories including Germany, France, the Netherlands and Poland. Key ESPN studio programming is also included.
Mike McKibbin, ESPN Group Marketing Director for Europe, the Middle East and Africa said, “ESPN America’s new brand identity will combine the heroics and drama of American sports. It celebrates the virtues required to excel at these sports, and identifies the athletes’ status as heroes in the eyes of the fan. The channel will consistently deliver unrivalled quality in broadcasting coverage, strengthened by ESPN’s innovation, creativity and position as the worldwide leader in sports.
ESPN acquired NASN in 2007 and has subsequently grown the channel to 14 million households in 43 countries. ESPN has confirmed that the North American Sports Network (NASN) will become ESPN America, from Super Bowl Sunday, February 1, 2009. T... more -
"Cernej Pasajer"
Czech band Traband plays a whimsical fusion of pop, folk-rock, and Bohemian and Moravian folk influences. The band plays raucously, with the signature sound of Jana Modràckovà's trumpet at the fore. Czech band Traband plays a whimsical fusion of pop, folk-rock, and Bohemian and Moravian folk influences. The band plays raucously, wi... more
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The spa any man will go to
Cheers to your health: Czech beer spa offers sudsy soaks
Say what you will about the healing properties of mud baths, saunas or lavender-scented candles, but soaking in a stainless-steel tub filled with Czech beer put my body and soul at ease.
I was in the brick-lined cellar of Prave Pivni Lazni (original beer spa), run by the Chodovar brewery in the tiny Czech town of Chodova Plana, and I was about to slip naked into the first tub I'd ever seen with taps for hot water, cold water and bathing beer. Cheers to your health: Czech beer spa offers sudsy soaks ... more -
Several dead in Czech train crash
At least 10 people are reported to have died and some 100 have been injured after a train ran into a collapsed bridge in the Czech Republic.
A railway spokesperson said the accident, near the eastern town of Studenka was "a serious disaster". Firefighters are at the scene, helping remove the victims from the train, witnesses said. The high-speed express train was travelling from the Polish city of Krakow to the Czech capital, Prague. "An international train from Krakow to Prague ran into a collapsed bridge which fell on the rails in the area of the town Studenka," Radek Joklik, a spokesperson for Czech Railways, told local media. Czech Railways said the train probably hit part of a motorway bridge undergoing construction work which had fallen on to the track, derailing three passenger carriages and the locomotive. AFP reports that 16 fire brigade units with a total of 30 vehicles are at the crash site as well as ambulances and helicopters taking the injured to hospital.
An officer from the Czech fire service told Reuters that many people were injured in the crash. "There are some dead, but we do not have precise numbers, because our people are rather devoting time to rescue those still alive," David Pridal said. Czech Television said approximately 400 people were on board the train at the time of the accident, including many young people travelling to a music festival in Pardubice. A reader told the BBC news website that the accident might have claimed even more lives had it not happened during the holiday period. "I travel by this train once a week when I'm travelling to school and it's always so overcrowded that there isn't even a place for standing," said Vladimir, by email. At least 10 people are reported to have died and some 100 have been injured after a train ran into a collapsed bridge in the Czech Rep... more -
CNN: Planned Parenthood Slams McCain's Viagra Moment!!!
Planned Parenthood Action Fund is launching a new ad Wednesday in crucial battleground states set to highlight a campaign trail moment John McCain would rather soon forget.
The 30-second spot aimed at women voters shows McCain's apparent unease when a reporter asked him last week whether it was unfair that some insurance plans covered Viagra and not birth control.
"Ever use birth control? Than you'll want to hear this," the ad's narrator states before a flustered McCain is shown saying, "I don't know enough about it to give you an informed answer." Planned Parenthood Action Fund is launching a new ad Wednesday in crucial battleground states set to highlight a campaign trail moment... more -
Newsweek: A Spanish-language McCain radio ad gets nearly all its facts wrong.
McCain's new radio ad, in Spanish, aims to show Florida would benefit from the Colombia Free Trade Agreement, which he supports. But every number in the ad is wrong, except one, a prediction of job gains taken from a group favoring the trade deal. And even that number is rounded upward so generously as to flunk third-grade arithmetic.
Hmmm....Just like Bush distorted the facts in Iraq to influence public opinion of the war???
It's the McSame Sh*t McCain's new radio ad, in Spanish, aims to show Florida would benefit from the Colombia Free Trade Agreement, which he supports. ... more -
CNN: McCain again cites current events in ‘Czechoslovakia’
He did it yesterday, and he's back at it. Just a friendly reminder: This country split up in 1993. His campaign is censoring the transcripts and putting in "Czech Republic"
Damn that dementia...always seems to kick in at the wrong time! He did it yesterday, and he's back at it. Just a friendly reminder: This country split up in 1993. His campaign is censoring the ... more -
Rubik's Cube world record set by Teenager
Erik Akkersdijk, 18, broke the world record for solving a standard 3x3x3 Rubik's Cube, with a time of 7.08 seconds at the Czech Open at the weekend.
Australia's quickest Rubik's Cube solver Jasmine Lee, who completed the puzzle in 20.37 seconds at the UK Open in 2006, said Akkersdijk's new mark would be hard for anyone to beat.
"That new record is pretty amazing - over 1.5 seconds faster than the previous record. That's a big margin at the top levels of competitive cubing," she said.
Akkersdijk had held the record before with a time of 9.77 seconds, set during the Dutch Open in 2007.
For full story
http://www.worldamazingrecords.com Erik Akkersdijk, 18, broke the world record for solving a standard 3x3x3 Rubik's Cube, with a time of 7.08 seconds at the Czech O... more -
Czechs Suspect a Retaliatory Oil Squeeze
Three days after the Czech Republic signed an agreement with the United States to host a tracking radar for an antiballistic missile system that Russia vehemently opposes, the authorities in Prague said the flow of Russian oil to their country was beginning to dwindle.
In a statement on Friday, Czech officials declined to link the reduced supply to the deal signed Tuesday in Prague. Still, though the flow of oil can vary for technical reasons, it was clear that the Czechs suspected a connection and intended to ask the Russians to explain the decline.
Russia maintains that the missiles meant to shoot down other missiles pose a threat to its own nuclear deterrence. The Bush administration says they are intended instead to counter a threat from Iran, which launched nine missiles on Wednesday.
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Apart from the fact that it is ridiculous to place antiballistic missile systems in the Czech Republic to counter threats from Iran (which would be like installing mosquito nets in Antartica to counter threats of malaria from Africa), what else could the Czechs expect from accepting the installation of these American antiballistic missile systems on their land right next to Russia? Serves them right. Three days after the Czech Republic signed an agreement with the United States to host a tracking radar for an antiballistic missile s... more -
And you thought the Cold War was over ...
Russia will be forced into a military response if the US pushes ahead with constructing a missile defence system in the Czech Republic, the Russian foreign ministry warned tonight.
The statement came within hours of US and Czech officials reaching initial agreement on putting a radar system in the eastern European country.
Russian officials have said a missile shield would severely undermine European security balances by weakening Russia's missile capacity.
If the agreement is ratified "we will be forced to react not with diplomatic but with military-technical methods", the ministry said, without giving specifics. Russia will be forced into a military response if the US pushes ahead with constructing a missile defence system in the Czech Republic... more -
Russia will use "military methods" over US-Czech missile shield
Russia's foreign ministry has said it will be forced to react with military means if the US and Czech Republic go ahead with plans for a missile shield.
It said Russia would respond "not with diplomatic, but with military-technical methods" if the system was deployed.
The statement comes hours after the US signed an initial deal to base part of Washington's controversial missile defence system in the Czech Republic.
Moscow says siting the system near its borders could weaken its own defenses. It has previously threatened to aim its own missiles at any eventual base in Poland or the Czech Republic.
The deal, signed by US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice in Prague on Tuesday, allows a tracking radar base to be set up on Czech territory. The Pentagon says the shield is designed to counter a threat from the Middle East, not Russia. Russia's foreign ministry has said it will be forced to react with military means if the US and Czech Republic go ahead with plan... more -
'Cannibal relatives ate boy alive'
"A seven-year-old boy was kept chained in a closet as relatives hacked off pieces of his flesh to eat, a court has heard. In a case with echoes of the Fritzl family horror in Austria, Ondrej Mauerova was partially skinned in the closet in a cellar at his home in Kurim near Brno, in the Czech Republic, according to reports.
The abuse – involving members of a religious cult – was uncovered by chance last May when a neighbour's television baby monitor picked up graphic pictures of what was happening next door.
Ondrej and his nine-year-old brother Jakub were locked and chained in the cellar for months by their mother Klara, 31 – a member of a group called the Grail Movement.
He was caged, beaten and gagged to stop him screaming, according to reports.
Mauerova had the monitor installed so that she could watch the abuse from her kitchen but the images were picked up by a neighbour who used an identical system to monitor a newborn baby, the regional court in Brno has heard.
Police were called and the two boys as well as what appeared to be a 13-year-old girl were freed. But the girl later turned out to have been one of the alleged abusers, 34-year-old Barbora Skrlova. She subsequently fled to Norway before being brought back to the Czech Republic earlier this year.
Mauerova has admitted abusing her children but she said she had been manipulated by Skrlova and her own sister Katerina. The accused are Klara Mauerova, her sister Katerina, 34; Barbora Skrlova, 33; her brother Jan Skrla and a friend Jan Turek."
By John Bingham "A seven-year-old boy was kept chained in a closet as relatives hacked off pieces of his flesh to eat, a court has heard. In a c... more -
Sacrifice For My Sons
John from Secondhand Serenade has been deeply impacted by the love and sacrifice of his father. MySpace.com/SecondhandSerenade
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Arsenal's Rosicky ruled out of Euro 2008
Arsenal star, and Czech Republic team captain, Tomas Rosicky has been ruled out of Euro 2008 due to injury.
The latest word is that a surgery can no longer be avoided despite earlier reports that injuries sustained against Newcastle had improved.
"He is progressing well but he is definitely out of the European Championship."
Rumor has it that Czech soccer legend Pavel Nedved may be called out of retirement to fill the spot... Arsenal star, and Czech Republic team captain, Tomas Rosicky has been ruled out of Euro 2008 due to injury. ... more -
What Europeans think of each other
This is a basic backgrounder for Americans, primarily, who might think Europeans do nothing all day but bitch about Americans. Don’t get me wrong—they do love bitching about Americans. But they also like bitching about each other, as well. Bordering countries, especially, have complex caricatures of each other, even when an outsider might think they’re more or less the same. This is a basic backgrounder for Americans, primarily, who might think Europeans do nothing all day but bitch about Americans. Don’t g... more
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Czech couple tried to dupe Swiss bank with international airline plan
A Czech couple who pretended they wanted to launch an international airline were stopped by the police before convincing a Swiss bank to lend them around 3.5 billion dollars (2.39 billion euros).
Czech police said Thursday in a statement that they had launched criminal proceedings for loan fraud against the 54-year-old husband and his 43-year-old wife.
The attempted fraud, based on false papers from a non-existent US financial institution, was stopped just before the signature of a preliminary agreement with the the "renowned" Swiss bank for the 3.5 billion dollar bank guarantee, police said. A Czech couple who pretended they wanted to launch an international airline were stopped by the police before convincing a Swiss bank ... more -
Girls offered for rent to undercover reporter
ITN's Chris Rogers investigates the disturbing underworld of illegal sex trafficking in the Czech Republic.
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Czech children in care homes still kept in cages
The BBC has uncovered the continued use of cage-like beds in children's social care homes in the Czech Republic regardless of a ban last year. Youngsters with severe mental and physical disabilities are kept in these cage beds, and not just for nap time. According to this report, the undercover team found one teenager who had been living in a cage bed for 12 years.
"He was sitting upright with his head bowed. He barely moved. Around him were just blank walls and the iron bars of his cage. There was nothing to stimulate his mind, no colourful pictures or posters. The cage was his world."
This is shocking to me. Here's a video from the undercover BBC team (WARNING some may find this report disturbing):
http://news.bbc.co.uk/player/nol/newsid_7190000/newsid_...# The BBC has uncovered the continued use of cage-like beds in children's social care homes in the Czech Republic regardless of a b... more -
Crash Bike, Learn English; The Czechs Tell All
Czech Motorcycle Rider "Matej Kus was out cold for 45 minutes after the crash, but when he woke up he conversed fluidly in English with paramedics, even speaking in an English accent."Take that Rosetta Stone! Czech Motorcycle Rider "Matej Kus was out cold for 45 minutes after the crash, but when he woke up he conversed fluidly in Englis... more
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Czech Republic
