Daily news summary
Czech motorist believed to have caused fatal head-on collision dies in hospital
A Czech motorist, alleged to have caused a fatal head-on collision near Nelahozeves near Mělník, has died in hospital. The accident took place on Tuesday evening, when the driver, at the wheel of a Škoda Superb, ignored a solid line and moved into the oncoming lane to pass a slower vehicle.
A 31-year-old mother of two in the other carwas killed instantly; her children suffered serious injuries and are in hospital.
Dvůr Králové announces birth of rare black rhino
The Dvůr Králové Zoo on Wednesday announced the birth of a rare black rhino, a species which is on the brink of extinction.
It is the 45th rhino to be born in the zoo, which has been running a successful breeding programme for nearly 40 years. At the moment, there are only several hundred black rhinos living in the wild.
District court hears testimony from sexologist Weiss
The district court in Pelhřimov on Wednesday heard testimony from expert witnesses and defendant Petr Weiss, charged with causing the deaths of two people and seriously injuring a third person in a car crash in 2016.
The prosecution is seeking almost 20 million crowns in damages on the behalf of the bereaved.
The defendant told the court he had no recollection of the accident; if found guilty, the well-known sexologist and public figure could face up to six years behind bars.
ČTK: Those charged in Stork’s Nest affair will have little choice but to accept summons
Individuals charged in connection with the Stork’s Nest affair and suspected subsidy fraud worth 50 million crowns, will be unable to ignore summons, being sent out in the coming days, according to the Czech News Agency.
Two of those expected to receive them are the country’s former finance minister, MP and head of ANO, Andrej Babiš, and fellow MP Jaroslav Faltýnek. Parliamentary immunity has been waived for both.
According to the agency, recipients have 10 days to pick up the summons, before the police can send repeat notification.
Czechs picked more than five billion crowns worth of forest fruits and mushrooms
In 2016, Czechs picked more than five billion crowns worth of fruits and mushrooms in the country’s forests. In all, people picked 33,800 tons, which is less than the long-term average of 39,300.
The news was confirmed by a new report for the government on the state of Czech forests and forestry on Wednesday.
In monetary terms, Czechs picked 800 million crowns’ worth less year-on-year. A single household picked 8.14 kilograms.
Tennis: Karolína Plíšková to be coached by Australian Rennae Stubbs
Czech tennis player Karolína Plíšková will finish the season with Rennae Stubbs as her coach, her manager announced on Tuesday.
The multiple-Grand Slam doubles winner will coach Plíšková at the World Tour Finals in Singapore. The former World No. 1 unexpectedly split with her coach David Kotyza after losing her top WTA singles ranking to Garbine Muguruza in September.
Under Kotyza, she won three titles in Brisbane, Doha and Eastbourne and reached the French open semi-finals and quarterfinals of the US Open.
Weather
Thursday is expected to be cloudy with showers and daytime temperatures should reach highs of around 16 degrees Celsius.
