Topical News English – Angličtina Youradio Talk

Russell Padmore: Fewer than one in three of Ireland's population smokes and according to several surveys the move to stop people puffing cigarettes in work places has prompted about a quarter of smokers to try to give up. Ireland has more than ten thousand bars and it's the pub industry that's worried that the ban will lead to a collapse in trade, as smokers are forced out into the street. The Irish Government has examined similar bans in America and it's convinced there are many benefits. The Department of Health claims smoking costs the country's economy about six million dollars every day in sick leave from work and lost productivity. It also costs the Government more than a billion dollars every year to provide health care for people suffering tobacco related illnesses. VOCABULARY to puff, puffing - kouřit (jako komín), hulit (bafat) to give up - přestat (se zlozvykem) ban - zákaz tobacco related illnesses - nemoci způsobené kouřením The Department of Health - ministerstvo zdravotnictví sick leave - pracovní neschopnost

Louisa Lim: The AIDS activist, Hu Jia, hasn't been seen since Saturday morning, when he was taken away for questioning by police. His family say he sent text messages to friends telling them he'd been detained. In an article written last month, he said the government should acknowledge that its killing of unarmed civilians in 1989 was a serious mistake. "That great weight on our hearts must be lifted", he wrote, "and justice must return". He laid out his plans to stage a vigil in Tiananmen Square on the night of June the 3rd to remember those who died. His detention comes a week after three female activists, who lost relatives in 1989, were held in custody for five days. It's a sign the authorities are moving early to head off trouble ahead of this sensitive anniversary. VOCABULARY to detain - zadržet to hold in custody - držet ve vazbě to acknowledge - přiznat, uznat, ocenit a huge success - obrovský úspěch to stage - zinscenovat, uspořádat to head something off - zabránit něčemu nepříjemnému (nepokoji)

Barbara Plett: China's state news agency says the seven men were abducted near Fallujah while travelling on the main road between Jordan and Baghdad. They're the latest foreigners to be kidnapped during a week of fierce fighting in Iraq. A British man has been released. But the fate of three Japanese hostages threatened with execution still hangs in the balance. Meanwhile, residents of Fallujah are burying their dead and trying to get out of the city during the lull in fighting. Local hospital officials say more than six hundred people have been killed, most of them civilians. The marines insist most of the dead are fighters. The Americans have failed to crush the insurgents despite the use of massive force. Mediators continue efforts for a negotiated solution. But the US military is reinforcing its troops to resume the offensive if talks fail. VOCABULARY to abduct, to kidnap - unést kidnapper - únosce hostage - rukojmí fate - osud to hang (lie) in the balance - být nejasné, nejisté lull - klid to insist - trvat na něčem to crush - rozdrtit resume the offensive - znovu zaútočit, obnovit boje

Jon Devitt: Agreeing to a referendum would mark a complete u-turn in government policy. Until now, ministers have been arguing that the constitution does not make the fundamental changes which would warrant a referendum and that it could simply be ratified by parliament. But opponents argue that the constitution by its very name is different. They say it's likely to compromise Britain's sovereignty. The strongest opposition has been from the Conservative party, although a significant group within the governing Labour party are sceptical too. There is, though, a broader coalition in favour of a referendum, including some who support the constitution. The third party, the Liberal Democrats, for example, believe a nationwide vote would be the best way to make the pro-European argument. The government will clearly have a struggle on its hands to win over an argument which has been dominated by a Euro-sceptic press and they wouldn't want to lose a referendum shortly before a general election which is expected in a year's time. VOCABULARY a complete u-turn - obrat o 180 stupňů (na obrtlíku), otáčení vozidel do protisměru to warrant a referendum - opodstatnit referendum in favour of - být pro a nationwide vote - referendum, všelidové hlasování struggle - zápas win over - přesvědčit o své pravdě, zvítězit

Helen Briggs: Sometimes known as Europe's tiger, the continent's only native wild cat once roamed Spain, Portugal and southern France. Now there are only two breeding populations left, and conservationists say the last few animals may die out in the next few years. The report says the EU's contributed to the lynx's decline by subsidising roads, dams and farming schemes that have killed wild cats and destroyed their habitat. The organisation that carried out the research, SOS Lynx, says there's little time left to save the species because it's so close to extinction. It's calling for a change in political policy to protect the animal's habitat and safeguard its future. If more isn't done, it says, Europe faces the terrible embarrassment of the first extinction of a big cat species since pre-historic times. VOCABULARY native wild cat - divoká kočka pocházející/původem z Evropy conservationists - ochránci životního prostředí to die out - vyhynout, vymřít habitat - přirozené prostředí extinction - vyhynutí

Adrian Brown: When Margaret Thatcher came to power in May nineteen seventy nine, Britain was a very different place to today. The trades unions were a political force to be reckoned with, government was involved in everything from generating power to making cars and many people looked to the state to provide their every need. Much of that changed during her eleven years in power. She neutered the labour movement, oversaw the privatisation of large swathes of the economy, and encouraged people to take more responsibility for their own lives. Much of this was fiercely resisted but is now political orthodoxy in Britain. But she didn't win all the arguments. The National Health Service has been spared from comprehensive privatisation and a policy of ever-smaller government and lower taxes has been abandoned by her Conservative party. One thing that hasn't changed however is the argument over Britain's place in Europe. It still divides the Conservatives and could yet be the undoing of Britain's current Prime Minister Tony Blair. VOCABULARY trade unions - odbory to neuter - zneutralizovat; vykastrovat fiercely resisted - bouřlivě odmítat the undoing of Tony Blair - přivodit pád Tonyho Blaira

Carolyn Quinn: The investigations continue into allegations that British solders were involved in abuse of prisoners in Iraq. Nothing's yet been proven but in Paris last night, the Prime Minister, when asked, issued this apology: "We apologise deeply to anyone who's been mistreated by any of our soldiers. That is absolutely and totally unacceptable. Those who are responsible for this, if they've behaved in this appalling way, they will be punished according to the army discipline and rule." No.10 insists that such an apology doesn't amount to an admission that the allegations are true. But pressure is building on the government to reveal when it first became aware of the claims, particularly after Amnesty International last night joined the International Committee of the Red Cross in saying it had warned of allegations of abuse up to a year ago. VOCABULARY allegation - obvinění abuse - zneužití he issued this apology - omluvil se to mistreat - špatně zacházet totally unacceptable - naprosto nepřijatelné appalling - otřesný No.10, number ten - číslo deset (Downing Street); sídlo britského premiéra

Alan Johnston: Where the bulldozers have done their work the destruction has been total. Where houses stood a few days ago, now there's just mounds of earth. There's barely a wall standing and Rafah is braced for more of the same. I talked to a man named Hossam. He poured all his savings, ten thousand dollars, into his flat. Now he may lose it. He believes his home could be one of the hundreds in Rafah that Israel has marked for destruction. Hossam's flat has already been hit by a tank shell. As we looked at the gaping hole torn in the side of his guest room, he pulled a piece of shrapnel from the wall. Hossam's wife is pregnant and they have nowhere to go. He says he won't leave until the last moment. But he has moved out almost everything he owns. The television, clothes, carpets and furniture - it's all been stored with friends and relatives in different parts of town. In bare and echoing rooms, Hossam and his wife are waiting for the return of the bulldozers. The Israelis would say that people like Hossam wouldn't have these problems if Palestinian fighters didn't repeatedly launch attacks on the army from houses on Rafah's fringes. But many ordinary people here regard the demolitions as a kind of collective punishment. VOCABULARY barely - sotva, stěží Rafah is braced - město Rafah se duševně připravuje he poured his savings into his flat - vrazil své úspory do nového bytu marked - označený gaping hole - zející díra shrapnel - granát, střela, střepiny pregnant - těhotná collective punishment - kolektivní trest

Steven Evans: Finance ministers from the industrial countries are turning up the political pressure on OPEC, calling on the cartel to raise production to bring prices down, when it holds a formal meeting in just under two weeks. At that meeting in Beirut it will decide whether to go along with Saudi Arabia's intention of raising output. Much turns on the decision. Oil prices are not as high in real terms now as they were after the Yom Kippur war thirty years ago, all the same, finance ministers in the oil consuming countries say the recent rise in oil prices has caused difficulty. Britain has suffered protests by motorists in the past. Americans are complaining about gas at the pumps above two dollars a gallon. VOCABULARY OPEC - Organizace zemí vyvážejících ropu to turn up, to raise - zvýšit to bring prices down - snížit ceny go along with someone - souhlasit s někým, připojit se k nim much turns on the decision - na tomto rozhodnutí velice záležíoil prices in real terms - reálné ceny ropy gas at the pumps - benzín u čerpacích stanic

Steve Rosenberg: Among the crowd were Mr Khodorkovsky's parents, but together with the media they were barred from the courtroom. The former head of the oil giant Yukos faces trial on seven counts, including fraud, embezzlement and tax evasion. If convicted, he could face up to ten years in prison. This preliminary hearing had been expected to set a date for the trial, but it was adjourned until June the 8th after the tax inspectorate had requested more time to study the case. The businessman's supporters maintained the case against him is politically motivated. They accuse the Kremlin of trying to punish Mr Khodorkovsky for playing politics. VOCABULARY fraud - podvod embezzlement - zpronevěra, defraudace tax evasion - daňový únik they were barred from court - měli zakázaný vstup do soudní síně former head - bývalý šéf on seven counts - obviněn ze sedmi trestných činů he faces up to ten years - hrozí mu až 10 let vězení to face difficulties - čelit těžkostem preliminary hearing - předběžné přelíčení/slyšení to adjourn - odročit