News

There is no need to make your parent to make you a snack. There is a slot machine snack bar in the school. Surprisingly, the sentence is not instructing how to ruin children’s health, but a new strategy of dietitians experts. Yoghurts, buns with ham or cereal bars, accredited by nutritious therapist were put there, after the fashion of advanced countries. Children like this way of shopping, it is entertaining for them.

Children, who have a snack regularly concentrate much better, but according to data of Vyziva deti office, almost every fifth student misses his snack, and more than a half doesn’t have a breakfast. The snack machines put into Czech schools under the ‘hot’ name ‘Happy snack’ got inspired by those distributing chocolates, chips and sweet sodas, but they do not harm the young health they have.

He is a little over a month and does not make any big adventures yet. This little baby of Puma yagouaroundi in Prague Zoo is quite a rarity. “If we could raise him here, it would be only second time in the history of our zoo. The first and last time was in 2000” The speaker Vit Kahle rejoice at the possibility. The new pair of yagouaroundi was put together on probation last year.

Since 4th January, when the mother breed him the little yagouaroundi grown up nicely. “He is nice, big, he is well and examines his surroundings.” Kahle talks enthusiastically about the life of the little beast, which is still being carefully taken care of by his mother. Similarly, the Cape Ground Squirrel mother takes care of her long-expected baby since February.

The Guinness world record was made in Prague yesterday – the biggest cappuccino in the world. In the metropolis, eighty barmans made it into one huge cup within the Master of Coffee 2008 competition at Prague Exhibition ground on Saturday 7th August. The record-breaking drink contained 10 000 espresso coffees and 1709 litres of milk. The cup itself is two metres in diameter and it is 1,3m tall.

To prepare such a gigantic coffee took three hours and forty five minutes of fast, professional work and cost two hundred thousand czk. The idea was to make a coffee with 2009 litres of goodness, and to beat the record of Italians Ettore Diana and Luca Braguti made in 2002 with their cappuccino of 1250 litres. And who is going to drink it now? Well, pigs, if you want to know.

Prague city court annulled the decision of the Committee for Radio and Television Broadcasting, which delivered each member of the art group Ztohoven to pay a fine of 50 thousands for broadcasting the fictive atomic bomb explosion in the ČT Panorama show last year in June. The court decided it was an art expression and that it didn’t do harm to anyone.

This only supports the widespread opinion, that the Committee for Radio and Television Broadcasting changed from the group which was supposed to protect TV viewers into a group which tries to ban anything that is fun. The most favorite shows and original programmes which were on tv last year, like Vyvoleni, Soukrome Pasti or Kriminalka Adel got into troubles with this comitee, and were loved by viewers.

The luxurious quarter, which to be build starting this summer close to the Konopiste chateau, will get not one, but two jewels, shaped by the architect Kaplicky. The Club Volavka and Vila Kaplicky. How is the design of Jan Kaplicky going to look like? The Developer’s company Resort Living carefully hides the design, as well as its price. The developers say it won’t be relieved until it is finished, and only after it will be on sale. And they also admit people have been calling to buy it from the very beginning.

The heart of the whole area will be the Volavka (a heron) Club. “The club is going to be the heart of the whole quarter. The place, where people can meet. We want people from Prague and around to come there. It is not going to be any closed destination. “ said the director of the developing company.

In the heart of the club is gong to be a café with with an opened fireplace, wellness centre, winery and shops. If you are interested in living close to Prague, the price of the cheapest apartment in the resort is 2,5 mil czk.

The Czech metropolis attracts millions of visitors every year. There is a difference among them, though – those who come from abroad look especially for well known Gothic and baroque monuments, meanwhile those from Bohemia aim for Prague Exotic entertainment, for the famous gorilla group, tigers or lions.

Prague Castle
1 342 246
Prague Zoo
1 196 954
Old Town Square City hall
456 002
Petrin Observation Tower
307535
Petrin Maze
211 342
Old Town Bridge Tower
115 582

The numbers above speak about the number of sold tickets, which when count up make the Prague Castle the winner of visit rate in 2008. Beside tourists from abroad also because the Crown Jewels were displayed.

The original estimates spoken of more people, at the end about a thousand came to gather around the statue of Jan Hus at the Old Town Square. To support the National Library came also famous personalities like Aňa Geislerova, but also vip Karel Schwarzenberg, who is not only the Foreign Minister, but one of the few moral authorities among contemporary Czech politicians. He tried to explain Prague mustn’t be conservative and that it needs something new.

Most of the people who came were young, often students. Those were called together using the Internet portal Facebook; a community of the library supporters gradually gathered there, up to the present state of about 20 000 members. Which is unique – no demonstration has been called together this way so far here. The Prague City Hall forbid them to build a platform though, so they had to make it from an improvised one at statue of Jan Hus. But they say this is but the beginning.

The foundation ‘For the Library’ gained permission from the City Hall on Tuesday. The collection should finance construction of the National Library according to the deign of recently decedent architect Jiri Kaplicky. The collection, which is permitted from 9th February should end on 26th January 2012.

Postavme se ke knihovne celem! (face up to the library!) under this motto the civil initiative Democracy builds calls together a demonstration on the Old Town Square. The gathering will bring, according to the organizers, at least 3000 people, including many known personalities.

The Democracy builds initiative have more than 22 700 members on their facebook profile. We also have to count with the massive support the building has among the general public. They want to react on the recent quote of Pavel Bem, that “Prague has made the definitive full top after the library” with the new quote “It is time to start a new sentence.”

The vaccination, which make a tick starve to death. That is the perspective that might be true if the newest discovery of Czech parasitologists proves to work.

A tick sucks blood only three times in its life. As a larvae, a nymph and finally only a female does need it for resources for eggs creation. In order the parasite gets enough, it must stay leeched for quite a long time. Enough time for transmitting viruses which are one of the most dangerous on our planet.

Ondrej Hajdusek and his colleagues from the naturalist faculty of Jihoceska Univerzita in Ceske Budejovice found out, how the parasite deals with too much toxic iron, which it swallows with blood of the host. They could essentially intervene with the digestive tract of these almost insects.

When the scientists blocked the specific protein, the blood accumulated in intestines of the tick, which died of hunger. If the vaccination development will be successful, the parasites could lose their appetite.

The reconstruction has been underway for more than a year now, and we can already see shops that has been opened, but that is only a beginning; the new shopping zone is about to take 3 thousand square metres. It should be opened in April. The building, by which tens of thousands pass every day is getting new function, significant for our age. It gets a lot more dignity every hour.

So what should open in April? New restaurants, drugstores, bank affiliates, florists or new toilets. The glass facade has been replaced, as well as the roofs, new nets and and lights. At the same time there will be a new customers centre of Czech Railways; with ticket shop, left-luggage office and information office.

The entry hall reconstruction should be finished in spring 2010. After, the revitalisation of the terminal building will be finished. The other step is Fantova Kavarna – secession café with beautiful interior, which will take three years. Still, one should expect there will still be restrictions.

So here it is – one of the things CSSD won the regional elections with was they offered people the end of regulation charges in symbolic height, the system which helped many doctors from redundant patients, on the contrary the regional hospitals and polyclinics haven’t seen a change, but at least it brought money to the health budget. How much? About 700 mil czk.

The policy of country marshalls brought critique of economists and the Ministry of Finance. Specialists see repaying the charges at the time o the crisis as ineffective spending. “That this take place at the time of crisis underlines the absurdity.” said the finance minister Kalousek. Not even an economist Jiri Rusnok, who is a member of CSSD who put the idea through don’t think it is wise. “It is a product of a political decision.”

Prague City Hall have introduced, how the future of drivers might look like in Prague. From the Main Train Station to the Wenceslas Square they could choose – either to go into the tunnel or use the new roundabout in front of the State Opera building. So the hated speedway among the National Museum Building and Wenceslas Square should disappear.

What you can see here is a computer study of Satra company, which was designed for the Prague City Hall. If everything goes according to plans of the city, the first digging should start in 2011 and the construction wort 10 billions czk would last for three years. Where the tunnel is going to start and where it ends is not clear yet.

The last goodbye to the famous Czech architect Jan Kaplicky came to express about hundreds of people yesterday. About half an hour before the ceremony begun, the former church of st. Anna had whole crowds standing in front of it, with flowers. Famous personalities took part in the ceremony; Jiri Paroubek with his wife, senator Jiri Dinsbier, Architect Eva Jiricna, actor Bolek Polivka, documentalist Olga Sprotakova, composer Varhan Bauer, singer Krystov Michal, or close friend of Kaplicky, singer Pavel Bobek.

A very sad moment of the ceremony was, when Dagmar Havlova came out to read a letter, the former president Vaclav Havel wrote for Johanka Kaplicky to her future 12th birthday. He mentions he got into hospital the same day with serious health trouble. “.. I don’t know why In the end he got priority to enter the gate of heaven, but when I found out about it it was clear for me I have to honour his legacy and work on its realization. The building of the National Library at the place of the dictator’s statue is an expression of culture and humanity, the expression of human respect to to the nature. I wish you (Kaplicky’s daughter) won’t have to face human smallness more than necessary.

Cyclist should be able to go by Rokytka river on the new Bikeline going from Podvinni, through Vysocany, up to the upper pond in Hrdlorezy. Also, there are projects for support of various sportfields by the bikeline.

Prosek
The City Hall of Prague 9 want to finish at least some parts of the ‘Friendship Park’ which would serve as a new relax zone of Prague. That should offer, beside new green areas or cascade ponds and fountains also a big children playground.

Vysocany
This year, the project Green Island, counts with large green areas, but also with building the biggest business centre in Prague 9, close to O2 Arena.

Prague slowly builds new bikelines, even though most of them, like this one, serve for sport, not for regular travelling in the city, like in the other European cities.

The financial crisis reflects in all spheres of public life, public transport is just another influenced subject. Travellers should prepare for it.

The reason are low donation for 2009, which the transport company got. The city of Prague released about 7,1 billion from their budget, which is about 1,9 billions less than would be needed, even though the Prague Public Transport company reduced their expenses radically.

Where do the money go? The biggest consumption of year 09 is definitely the Blanka tunnel, which is a part of the by-pass that the traffic desperately need. Prague Public Company needs to build as well, though – new stations.

So we can expect money-saving actions. Off-peak tramways are going to have only one cart, there will be less connections, and also – graffiti is going to stay where it is, because removing it costs a fortune. And probably – a ticket will cost more.

Farewell to Jan Kaplicky, which is going to take place today in the former church of st. Anna on Anenske Namesti today, will take 6 hours. The space was not chosen accidentally- it was reconstructed by the Kaplicky’s former life and professional partner Eva Jiricna. Now it serves under the name Prague Crossroad as a cultural space.

The last goodbye will be initiated at 12:45 by performance of dixieland band in front of the entrance. Petr Hapka and Krystof Michal are going to sing, the architect Eva Jiricna and Pavel Bobek and other Kaplicky’s colleagues and friends from all around the world.

The last farewell to the man whom Prague citizens will have always connected to the yet not realized project of National Library, so called Blob. It is probable it will attract many of those, who found Kaplicky’s ideas to be revolutionary and important.

The most extensive work of Prague 1 is this year unique concept of free time use. The quite simple intention has a well-considered conception.

Strelecky ostrov
Makeover of the roads and and play components for kids, a new lift from Legie bridge and a ‘stay meadow’ intended for rest; on a blanket for instance.

Slovansky ostrov
Restoration of children railway and paving at Zofin, repair of mole, repair of roads, green, benches and bins.

Kampa
Reconstruction of the complete Kampa park area, adjustment of Certovka bed and repair of riverside walls among Sovovy Mlyny and Lichenstejnsky palace. Newly, the re is going to be a bikeline established

Prague have found out that for these investments it is possible to get money from the European Union funds. In some cases, EU funds are going to cover 85% of the costs.

Reconstructions start this summer, possibly later because of the EU Chairmanship. We are going to inform about further development.

The capital have successfully avoided paying those 4 millions fine, which it should for the criticized repairs of the Charles Bridge. It was expected; the fine was decided by the Prague Heritage Institute, which fall within the city cognizance. And the City Hall has informed about that it is not going to penalise itself anyway a month ago.

That the reconstruction wasn’t kosher was decided by the Ministry of culture inspection. According to it the City Hall has broken the law of the national monuments, when at the time of preparations haven’t delivered necessary documentation for railing repairs and didn’t have construction-historic survey updated.

According to Ondrej Sevcu from the National Heritage Institute the problem of insufficient or late documentation to projects of sights repairs comes from the contemporary practice. The documentation is often made later, according to of the state of the object.

It happened on Sunday 19th October 2008. In the morning, the Etymologist Emil Kucera left his room in Darjeeling hotel Sailung. He packed, took his backpack and left for Nepal. He escaped around the famous 8000m mountain Kanchenjunga and was successful – in a week, he already talked to his friends in Tabor. The escape was probably the only possibility, how not to be imprisoned for collecting of beetles. His colleague, who was freed of charges, got back 3 weeks later than him, you can imagine how long it would take until Kucera would get back.

MF Dnes published an article, stating that they have an information from high intelligence service officer, stating “We helped him. It is logical, we help a Czech, who gets in such trouble abroad.” MF state they consider his information as credible, but they also say is is not possible to 100% verify the information; the secret police can’t comment those cases which could harm interests of the Czech Republic in the world.

Some parts of the case still weren’t satisfactory explained. Like: How could he get to the border without anyone noticing him, when his face was medially known? How that no one patrols the border? How about the second passport? How it was possible he got it so fast to Darjeeling? To whom it was sent? Was it really sent by his girlfriend? Those questions evoke many conspiring theories, but the case is over. Even when India can think different – the court still haven’t decided whether he is guilty at the last action in court. If he didn’t escape, he would have still have been imprisoned.

The famous writer of Czech origin living in France, Milan Kundera, is in the end not going to litigate Respekt magazine. Originally, he was going to do it because of an article, stating that Kundera allegedly in 1950 informed against an Czechoslovak agent Miroslav Dvoracek to the secret police. Dvoracek was later sentenced to many years of prison. Dilia agency, which represents the introvert writer, announced the information.

Milan Kundera originally demanded an apology. Respect magazine has not yet apologized, though. Dilia continues: “Mr. Kundera is not going to sue Respekt. Why not is his personal decision. It doesn’t mean though, he would accept anything from what Respect wrote about him.” The article aroused various emotions on both sides, but many renowned people, including Vaclav Havel, stood by him. It is still not clear what happened back then.