updates: news & travel posts

Vaclav Havel The Czech Rep Greatest President Dies

Dec 18th Vaclav Havel, playright , human rights campaigner and the Czech Republic's first president following the country's 1989 peacefeul ' Velvet Revolution' which toppled communist rule, has died at his home north of Prague aged f 75.

Vaclav Havel first gained international fame as a dissident playwriter during the 1970s and his founding work as a co-foundner of the human rights manifesto Charter 77. The Charter criticized the Czechoslovaian Government for its failure to implement several international agreements which it had signed including the 1960 Constitution of Czechoslovakia,the 1975 Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe Act and various United Nations covenants on civil cuttural ecoconomic and political rights. The Charter was constructed as a document for discussion by the Czechoslovak Federal Assembly rather than a manifesto of an opposition manifesto as parties oppsed to the comunist state were illegal. . It was seized by the Czech authorities and it became a crime to circulate copies og it within Czechoslovakia. The Charter which as widely published in western media was interpreted by many political commentators as an indication of the Czechoslovakian struggle for freedom. As a cosequence Vaclav Havel and others associated were arrested and imprisoned.

In 1989 when the Czechoslavakians turned out in thousands in Wenceslas Square Prague peacefully demanding that they ne given the same freedom that had weeks early been bestowed upon the East Germans the demonstrators chanted 'Havel to the Castle' which was a reference to the official home of Czech rulers. When the comminism collasped and the pro comunist president resigned two weeks Vaclav Havel became the Czechoslovaka;s first democaratic president.. He went on to oversee the country's transition to democracy and a free-market economy.In 1993 he was instruemental in the peaceful split of the country into the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

'When his death was announced tributes to his life credited him with being the inspiration and driving force for many people struggling to overthrow the f communist rule in eastern Europe. German Chancellor Angela Merkel described him as a "great European" in a letter of condolence to the present Czech President Vaclav Klaus. Chancellor Merkel, who grew up under communist rule in East Germany said "his fight for freedom and democracy was as unforgettable as his great humanity," She added ' wWe Germans in particular have much for which we are grateful to him. We mourn this loss of a great European with you," The Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt said "Vaclav Havel was one of the greatest Europeans of our age. His voice for freedom paved way for a Europe whole and free."

Thomas Cook Secures Second Emergency Loan

November 26th The struggling package holiday company Thomas Cook has reached agreement with its bankersfor a second £100m loan to provide to tie it over through it's present cash flow crisis which is a result of a unprecedented combination of factors over and above the alreadydifficult trading position in the UK. .

These have included particularly poor in France and Belgium, where bookings are down 20% compared with last year because normally their most popular winter destination was Tunisia to which holidaymakers have bypassed this year because of the Tunisia's polictical situation. It has seen bookings fall by 20% in France and Belgium compared with the same period last year. At the same time bookings in Thomas Cook's Russian outlets were also severely depressed as winter travellers from Russia where not going to Egypt for siniliar reasons and they were also not goiing to Thailand because of the floods

Thomas Cookers bankerswho include Barclays, HSBC, RBS & UniCredit, have agreed to provide the company with a new £200m credit facility until 30 April 2013 which will replace the £100m short-term credit agreement announced in October 2011. Announcing the new agreement Thonas Cook CEO Sam Weihag said ''"I am absolutely delighted that we have reached agreement and I would like to thank the banks for acting so swiftly," . He continued "We will go on with what we said we were going to do some time ago, we are going to strengthen our balance sheet making sure that we will be a much stronger financial company."

Mr Weihagen said that he would be reviewing the entire business which, whilst strong in Germany and Scandinavia was suffering from "profitability problems" in the UK. "We are working on, and actually have really started on a turnaround programme for the UK which will make it a much more efficient and much more profitable company,"

Thomas Cook will issue its preliminary financial results, for the 12 months ending on 30 September 2011 in mid Decemmber. The results had been delayed ubtil the present cash flow situation was resolved.

Editorial Note For Holidaymakers: Holidaymakers who have or may book a package holiday with Thomas Cook are or will be covered under the Air Travel Organisers' Licensing (Atol) scheme, which is funded by contributions from travel companies. However this scheme does not cover flight only bookings with the compamy's airline. Passengers witth 'Flight Only' bookings should consider taking out on a personal basis appropriate insurance.

 

Heathrow Introduces Fast Track Pod Service Between T5 & The Business Car Parks

. Vid courtsey lkstrknb Youtube A new laser ;aser controlled fully automatic pod service between Heathrows state of arc Terminal 5 and the airports business car parks us thought to be cutting journey times for passengers between these points by 60%.

The computer controlled pods which require no drives can carry up to four passengers at once The driverless can carry up to four people between the car park and the main building ((2,5m) without any pollution emissions and are expected to remove the need for around 50, 000 bus journey annually.. The battery powered pods auromatically recharge when stationary.

rThe concept was originally tdevised in France over 20 years ago but lacked the technology to be reliable. The present pods were a prohect developed by Nristol University wjich started in 1995. The £30m system became fully operational in September 2011 after undergoing a year trial