Headlines of the past month
Pakistan paid last respects to the late Czech ambassador to Islamabad Ivo Ždárek before a special Czech military flight transported a coffin with his body to Prague.
Žďárek was among the victims of the recent terrorist attack on the Mariott Hotel in Islamabad. Žďárek assumed his duties in summer and was staying temporarily in the hotel as the Czech embassy was being reconstructed in order to reach better security.
Czech President Václav Klaus was present at the Ruzyně Airport. So was Aktuálně.cz´s photographer Tomáš Adamec who documented betting the farewell to the ambassador for you, readers.
**
GERMANS FIGHTING NAZIS ALONG WITH CZECHS. The general call-to-arms order issued by the Czechoslovak government on 23 September 1938 was aimed against an imminent threat posed by Nazi Germany. Ironically, the order included tens of thousands of Czechoslovak citizens of German nationality.
Germans too were expected to join Czech and Slovak ranks to face Hitler's claim on Czechoslovakia´s Sudetenland regions bordering with Germany and Austria, inhabited by the majority of German-speaking people.
But Czechoslovaks did not like that idea and their loyalty to the Czechoslovak state was, of course, was disputed.
"In some formations, more than sixty percent of Germans dodged the order," Zdenko Maršálek from the Institute of Contemporary History said to Aktuálně.cz.
That becomes interesting when considering the latest report from a three-year government project concerning the fate of Sudeten Germans, which says a good number of the Germans actively resisted Hitler's regime.
**
PARDON FOR COMMUNIST PROSECUTOR. It was attorney Renata Vesecká who wanted to reopen the case of the former communist prosecutor Ludmila Brožová-Polednová.
Brožová-Polednová has been sentenced to six years in prison for sending pro-democratic politician Milada Horáková to the gallows in 1951. Originally, the Supreme Court suspended the proceeding on the grounds that the crime is already time barred, that´s is why Vesecká asked to reopen the case.
Now she asked President Václav Klaus to pardon the communist prosecutor. But President Václav Klaus rejected the pardon request.
Vesecká backed her plea on humanitarian reasons. "I don't want contemporary justice to behave in the same way as that in the 1950s and imprison an elderly person," Vesecká reasoned her plea.
**
ONE LESS REASON TO SMILE. The popularity of ever-smiling and ever-suntanned Pavel Bém, mayor of Prague seemed to be unshakeable. For years he has been leading popularity surveys.
But now he has one reason to smile (it is not the blob, do not worry) - he ended up as "only" the second in the latest chart of popularity.
His rival now is Bohuslav Sobotka, young Social Democrat, not that smiling and definitely not that suntanned but very trustworthy, according to the 38 percent of the survey respondents.
**
OBESITY BEHIND FEMALE INFERTILITY. Women unable to conceive often seek artificial insemination. But a study by a Czech fertility treatment clinic has shown that for up to 30 percent of Czech women a mere change of diet would suffice to solve their problem.
The study, exploring the role nutrition plays in female fertility, was conducted by the Center of Assisted Reproduction (CAR) in Brno. The researchers have discovered that nutrition disorders, especially overweight and obesity, are among the most common causes of infertility in the Czech Republic
**
CLEAN AIR FOR SALE. Environment Minister Martin Bursík signed a memorandum of understanding with Hideaki Kumazawou, Japanese Ambassador to the Czech Republic. That enables the Czech Republic to start trading with its "clean air" and earn dozens of billions of crowns.
How is that possible? The Czech Republic does not have any difficulties to fulfill the Kyoto Protocol in which developed countries committed to decrease their greenhouse gas emissions.
The Czech Republic even exceeds its commitment. Countries that have a similar reserve can sell their saved exhaustion to countries that have been unable to fulfill their commitment.
**
SUE THOSE GERMANS. Czech arm producers are drafting an international lawsuit against Germany.
The charge will be following: Germany, as an important transitory country, blocks Czech companies in exporting arms and other military equipment, which results in great losses for the Czech companies.
It is because German legislature sets a rule that all transfers of military material across its territory needs to be officially approved by German authorities. And Czech firms often wait endlessly, if not uselessly for this approval.
**
MOST POPULAR BEER. What do Rebel and Janáček have in common? They scored the highest among the most popular draft dark beers in the country.
Research Institute of Brewing and Malting organized the competition in which 64 brands competed in all categories.
Kozel Medium, pale lager from Velké Popovice, has been ranked the best beer of the year, while among draft beer, Zubr, Holba and Patriot were appreciated as the best.
You have never heard of them? Time to experiment a bit. And pay no heed to the journalists - according to the competition, they enjoy Pilsner Urquell and Gambrinus the most. Boring.
