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Press ReviewPress Review
One topic shared by most Czech dailies on Tuesday is the continuing heat
wave. LIDOVE NOVINY carries a story about a north Bohemian village whose
water sources have dried out for the first time in history. According to
the paper, a total of twenty-four villages in the region have problems
with water distribution. Drinking water has to be carried to the villages
in cisterns and fire-fighters fetch service water for watering gardens and
house work.
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Business NewsBusiness News
Czech government faces another arbitration. New calls for privatisation of
remaining state assets. Parliament passes law to speed up energy market
liberalisation. Pilsner Urquell brewery found guilty of
compeititon-blocking practices. Government would like mobile operators to
pay for UMTS licences as soon as possible. Central Bank intercepts an
increasing number of forged euros. Consumer confidence has been on the
rise. Czech foreign debt decreases.
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Current AffairsNew EU rules: the times - and the toilets - are a changin'
Czechs are a nation of beer-lovers, and rare is the street which doesn't
boast at least one pub. These vary enormously - on one end of the scale
the swanky, upmarket bars that cater for tourists and the more discerning
locals, and on the other, the traditional, old-fashioned Czech boozer. But
that second variety - the simple Czech pub - could be under threat, as
new, strict hygiene rules come into force. Rob Cameron has this report.
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Current AffairsCash-desperate government may sell precious Budvar brewery
The famous Czech Brewery Budweiser Budvar may be up for sale. Although the
company has long been labelled as the so-called "family silver",
making it exempt from privatisation after 1989, its sale now could bring
billions of crowns to the state budget. Observers warn, however, that if
the government does decide to privatise Budvar, the company could fall
prey to US-based giant Anheuser-Busch, which has been engaged in a fierce
trademark war with Budvar, a worldwide battle that has continued for over
a century.
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Czechs in HistoryA visit to Prague's famous U Fleku Brewery and Pub
Today's edition of Czechs in History is dedicated to beer lovers. Historically Bohemia has a long tradition of brewing beer, and one hundred years ago there were dozens of small brewing houses throughout the country, the majority of which no longer exist. But there's one that continues even today, a renowned pub and brewery called U Fleku, where you can get a taste
of days gone by. In existence since 1499, it is safe to say this
pub is a must for any visitor to the Czech capital, and for any beer
drinker worth his salt. And if brewing beer for more than 500 years seems incredible to you, and it should - keep listening. We'll
be taking a tour of the pub's famous premises and sharing a pint with U
Fleku's maltster, a master brewer who'll tell you a thing or two about the
delicious dark lager he watches over. Perhaps even you will find yourself
thirsting for a glass by the end of today's programme.
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SpotlightEnjoying a Czech beer in London
The TV in the corner at the Czech and Slovak Club in the north London
suburb of West Hampstead carries a Czech TV broadcast of an Extraliga ice
hockey game. A few young men, Czechs and Slovaks, keep one eye on the
early evening hockey game, have a chat and enjoy a pint of quality Czech
beer.
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MagazineCzech brewers want "more people to drink less beer"
Czechs are the worlds biggest beer drinkers and breweries are doing good
business - so why should they try to change anything? The answer is
"ethics" says Ivan Sima secretary of the association of Prague
breweries. Czech brewers want more people to drink their beer "in
moderation", and they have worked hard to present the golden brew as
something more than a pub drink. In this week's Magazine DL talks to Mr.
Sima about a new code of ethics which the country's leading brewers have
adopted, Czechs drinking habits, why most Czech pubs sell only one brand
of beer and whether beer from a can can possibly taste as good as beer
from a bottle.
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Current AffairsTop brewers adopt new code of ethics
The country's five leading brewers are setting a new trend in the business
- they have drafted and adopted a strict new code of ethics that goes
beyond the regulations set by the law on advertising. Commitment to this
new code of ethics is voluntary and the smaller brewers in the country -
of which there are many - have so far failed to respond to an appeal to
support the initiative. Its advocates claim that although sales and profit
margins are important there are certain boundaries that should not be
crossed. Czechs are the world leaders in beer consumption per head - which
is fine as far as brewers are concerned - but they are less happy with the
fact that many teenagers are regular beer drinkers and some children start
drinking it even before they are in their teens. Although it may prove
difficult for them to influence consumer habits the country's leading
brewers are determined to give it a try. Ivan Sima is secretary of the
association of Prague breweries:
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Current AffairsDo the Czechs have a drinking problem?
New Year's Eve always reminds you that a lot of us like a good drink. As I
walked through Prague's Old Town Square this New Year's, the popping of
corks and the crackle of broken glass mixed with cheers in Czech, English,
German and Italian. Prague's historic centre was filled with revellers
from all over Europe, so it was not only the Czechs who were drinking. But
do the Czechs in particular have a problem with alcohol consumption, as
statistics suggest?
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Current AffairsThe battle over the Budweiser name continues...
Drinkers of Czech Budweiser beer in Great Britain have nothing to fear as
the brewery gets the go ahead from a British court to continue selling the
famous Czech lager. The Budweiser Budvar brewery in South Bohemia, has
been locked in a lengthy battle with Anheuser-Busch, the world's largest
brewer, over the well-established Budweiser name. The trademark dispute
has been going on for almost a hundred years and continues to be fought in
courtrooms throughout the world.
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