Daily news summary

ČNB warns of counterfeit banknotes circulating in Moravia

The Czech National Bank (ČNB) has warned a large amount of counterfeit 500 crown and 1,000 crown banknotes have appeared in several Moravian cities, including Brno, Ostrava and Olomouc.

The central bank said the counterfeits are of poor quality, having been printed using inkjet technology, and the colours are off. In addition, the fake bills lack basic security features such as watermarks.

In previous years, the bill most often copied was the 2,000 crown note.

Czechs, Germans lobby for Krušné hory mine sites to get UNESCO listing

After 16 years, the Czech Republic could have a new addition to the UNESCO World Heritage List.

A national delegation is heading to Baku, Azerbaijan on Monday to lobby for including the mining region of Krušnohoří, a uniquely preserved landscape formed by centuries of ore mining, in the listing.

The Czech Republic and the German state of Saxony submitted a joint nomination for Ore Mountain mining monuments. They include five places on the Czech side and 17 on the German side of the shared border.

Palestinian foreign minister to visit Prague to discuss aide, trade

The foreign minister of the Palestinian Authority is due to pay a working visit to the Czech Republic next Monday. Riyad Al-Maliki will be received in particular by his Czech counterpart, Tomáš Petříček.

The foreign ministers are expected to discuss the Czech Republic’s humanitarian and development assistance to the Palestinian Authority, opportunities for bilateral trade and the Middle East peace process in general. While in Prague, Riyad Al-Maliki is also scheduled to meet the ambassadors of the Arab League countries.

Last year Palestine withdrew its ambassador from Prague after Czech politicians expressed support for the opening of a US embassy in Jerusalem. Moving the Czech embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, supported by Czech president Miloš Zeman, would be considered a violation of international law, Palestine says.

Traffic fatalities reach 58 in June, a third were motorcyclists

Of the 58 people who died in accidents on Czech roads in June, 17 were motorcyclists, according to traffic police.

In total, there were 11 more traffic fatalities for the month than a year ago. The number of victims since January stands at 235.

Traffic police say heat waves could have been a contributing factor, as they can reduce drivers’ vigilance.

Poll: Less than half of Czechs plan summer holiday abroad

Nearly every other Czech spends their summer holidays in this country while more than a third prefer to head to the sea, according to a June survey by NMS Market Research.

Top domestic destinations include weekend cottages, historic castles and chateaux, and the mountains. Fewer take city trips.

Just over half of Czechs polled say they want to simply relax on holiday, while 11 percent prefer taking part in leisure time activities.

Prague transformer fire affects Palmova, Náměstí Míru metro stations

A transformer station fire on Sunday evening caused a power outage complicating operations at the Prague metro. The Palmovka and Náměstí Míru stations experienced service delays of up to half an hour between 9 p.m. and 10:30 p.m.

The cause of the power failure was a fire at the insulator in the Teplárenská street transformer station. After disconnecting the current, firefighters extinguished the flames using foam.

Czech PMI at near 10-year low of 45.9 points in June

The Czech leading purchasing managers’ index or PMI fell to a near 10-year low in June due to a faster-than-expected decrease in production and a fall in new business, Markit said on Monday.

Czech PMI, at 45.9 points in June, has now contracted for six months in a row. As in previous months, the development was fairly consistent with relevant PMIs from abroad, mainly Germany.

The rate of contraction quickened to the fastest since December 2012. The decline was linked to weaker foreign and domestic client demand, Markit said.

Czech government debt up CZK 4.7 billion in 1Q

The Czech Republic's government debt rose by CZK 4.7 billion year on year in the first quarter of 2019. The debt now stands at CZK 1.837 trillion, according to Czech Statistical Office data.

Compared to the fourth quarter of 2018, debt increased by CZK 101.9 billion, and the debt ratio increased by 1.43 percentage points. The debt ratio is now 33.99 percent of GDP, down 1.8 percentage points in annual terms.

The Czech Republic has among the lowest debt to GDP ratio in the European Union. Only Estonia, Luxembourg and Bulgaria surpass it.

Liberty House takes over Ostrava steelworks from ArcelorMittal

ArcelorMittal of India, the world’s largest steelmaker, has completed the sale of its Czech unit in Ostrava to Liberty House.

The steelworks’ new owner, Indian billionaire Sanjeev Gupta, has pledged not to cut production or close down the plant, which employs more than 7,200 people in a region with high unemployment.

Czech union leaders had claimed that Liberty House’s plans for the developing the steelworks were unsustainable and inconsistent with EU requirements.

The union OS KOVO argues Liberty House has failed to meet EU criteria in several key requirements, among them that the buyer be independent and unconnected to the vendor and have the money and know-how to ensure the business remains viable.

Beats for Love fest to draw over 40,000 dance music fans

The organizers of the Beats for Love dance music festival say they expect over 40,000 visitors this year. The event starts on Wednesday in Dolní Vítkovice, outside of Ostrava on.

This year the festival will feature over 400 artists from around the world, performing on 13 stages. Among the acts are German DJ and producer Robin Schulz and the Dutch duo Chocolate Puma.

Sunday hottest day recorded at Prague’s Klementinum station in 244 years

Sunday was the warmest day ever recorded at Prague's Klementinum, the oldest Czech monitoring station. The temperature reached 37.9 degrees Celsius, the highest since measurements began in 1775.

The temperature exceeded highs recorded at the monitoring station in July 1983 and July 2013 by a tenth of a degree.

The previous record for the 30th of June at Klementinum was 35.7 degrees, set in 1950. The previous record for June was 37.5 degrees, set last Wednesday.

Weather outlook

Tuesday should be sunny and warm throughout the country, with light cloud cover in south Bohemia, and in Moravia. Daytime highs are expected to range between 23 to 27 degrees Celsius.