Daily news summary
ANO leadership officially backs policy program and coalition deal
The leadership of ANO on Friday officially backed the policy programme and coalition deal reached with the Social Democrats on a planned minority government.
The Social Democrat top leadership is expected to do the same. The latter is also holding an inner-party referendum on whether the party should join the coalition.
The details of both the program and coalition deal were agreed upon by negotiators earlier this week and are due to be published.
On Saturday, the documents will be assessed by the Communist Party, whose backing will be required by the new government in a confidence vote and on key legislation, as the coalition lacks a majority in the 200-member Chamber of Deputies.
Vobořil to step down as head of National Anti-Drug Agency
Jindřich Vobořil is stepping down as head of the National Anti-Drug Agency after eight years on the job, Czech daily Mladá fronta Dnes reported on Friday.
According to the newspaper, Vobořil will leave the post at the end of July.
The paper reported he had cited personal reasons for leaving, including his family and having to commute regularly to the capital from Brno.
Before he steps down, he is to present the bureau’s strategy in the fight against addiction for the next nine-year bloc.
Prime Minister in resignation Andrej Babiš confirmed the decision was strictly the official’s own.
Czech police shelve investigation into hacker attack on election site
Czech police say they have shelved an investigation into a hacking attack on the website of the national statistical office as it updated results from parliamentary elections last October.
The attack caused the website of the Czech Statistical Office to collapse. The office said the results of counting for elections to the lower house of parliament were not affected.
Police, according to the news website of Czech Radio, were not able to identify where the attack originated. The statistical office said that it had stepped up its security measures following the attack.
Gott to release new studio album
Famous Czech singer Karel Gott will release a new studio album at the start of June - his first new album since he overcame serious health problems in 2016.
Then, the singer was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin lymphoma but later made a full recovery after undergoing chemotherapy and other treatment.
The record, named Ta pravá, will be a mix of both domestic and international pop classics including material by famous country singer Garth Brooks, according to reports.
When he was diagnosed and undergoing treatment, Mr Gott had put his musical career on hold indefinitely. He said now he had not really expected to record again, making his return “all the happier”.
Football legend Pavel Nedvěd to appear in match for hometown club
Retired Czech football legend Pavel Nedvěd will join the ranks of small hometown club Skalná 1.B in a match which could see up to 2,500 visitors, far more than the 115 people who saw the team’s last outing (8:1 against Hazlov), news site idnes.cz reported Friday.
Nedvěd was European Footballer of the Year in 2003 and is the former captain of the Czech national squad and most famously played for Juventus and Lazio before that.
He was also part of the Czech squad that finished second at Euro ’96, losing in the final to Germany.
FK Skalná head Miroslav Balej confirmed that Nedvěd had registered with the team. Also registered with the club is the player’s son, Pavel Nedvěd, jr. The match, against Královský Poříčí B, takes place on June 2.
Czechs win 4:3 in extra time thriller against Russia
In ice hockey, the Czechs won 4:3 in extra time against Russia in the world championship group game. David Pastrňák clinched the winning goal with Boston teammate David Krejčí another of the Czech stars on the night.
The Czechs trailed at the start of the first period after conceding an early goal but they scored twice to pull ahead 2:1 by the break. Russia scored twice and the Czechs once to level by the end of the second period. The third period was scoreless.
The win still leaves the Czechs in fifth place in the eight team group with six points but they still have to play lower ranked teams France, Austria, and Belarus.
Weather
Stormy weather is expected on Saturday. Daytime temperatures should reach highs of around 25 degrees Celsius.
