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MagazineMagazine
Fighting over a roof that's in no man's land. Why do so many young Czechs
over twenty live with mum and dad. And, the risks of using a portable
toilet in freezing temperatures. Find out more in Magazine with Daniela
Lazarova.
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Current AffairsMilitary buffs fear for the future of the Czech 'Maginot Line'
The prospect of going to war with Germany came as no surprise to the
Czechoslovak government of the 1930s. Prague had, in fact, been preparing
for war seriously for years: by some estimates, over half of all
government spending from 1936 to 1938 was for military purposes. Much of
this went towards the construction of an elaborate system of bunkers and
other defences in the Sudetenland, the border region shared with Germany.
The Czech Army today is cutting costs and plans to sell these
fortifications to regional governments and private bidders. As Brian
Kenety has been finding out, some Czech military history buffs are up in
arms over the move. More
Current AffairsKillings on Czechoslovak border during Communist era examined in new report
During the four decades Czechoslovakia was behind the Iron Curtain,
hundreds if not thousands of people tried to make their way to freedom
across the country's heavily guarded borders. Many died in the process,
with 282 definite cases and up to 40 more probable killings. Of the
certified cases, 145 people were shot trying to cross the border, and
almost 100 were electrocuted, with the others dying in a variety of ways,
such as drowning. Those figures come from a report out this week by Martin
Pulec from the Office for the Documentation and Investigation of the Crimes
of Communism. I spoke to Mr Pulec earlier, and he first told me something
about the people who guarded the Czechoslovak border.
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Talking PointThe Czech Republic on the road to Schengen
Even though the Czech Republic became a member of the European Union on May
1, border restrictions will remain for another three years. Entry into the
Schengen system, which was originally planned for 2006, had been delayed
until October 2007.
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Business NewsA weekly round-up of business news, interviews and comments from leading economic experts
Welcome to Economics Report. Coming up later in the programme, we'll
examine whether the Czech lion can - or should even try - to roar like a
Celtic tiger. But first, here's Daniela Lazarova with the latest economic
news.
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Current AffairsCzech forwarding firms launch border protest
Czech forwarding firms and customs agents on Friday stopped clearing goods
at eight of the county's busiest border crossings. The move comes in
protest of the government's reluctance to discuss compensation for
companies that will have to sack up to 1,500 employees after Czech
accession to the EU.
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