Daily news summary
Interior minister deeply concerned by leaks from ongoing police investigations
Interior Minister Milan Chovanec, who was questioned by a parliamentary committee on Tuesday in connection with leaks from ongoing police investigations, said he was deeply concerned by this phenomenon, calling it a “cancer” in the system. He said it was evident that some media had insight into such cases which was totally unacceptable and could hurt innocent people. He said that while he respected the right of journalists to protect their sources the matter should be investigated by the secret services and measures taken to prevent such leaks. A parliamentary committee was set up to investigate the matter after leaked telephone recordings revealed that a journalist had consulted ANO leader Andrej Babiš about the possibility of using information from an ongoing investigation so as to damage his political rivals.
Ban on entry to high-risk areas with African swine fever
Zlín governor Jiří Čunek has issued further measures in connection with the incidence of African swine fever in the region. The measures include a ban prohibiting people from entering fields and wooded areas where infected wild boar may be present. These areas will only be accessible to hunters and veterinary officials who are working to contain the spread of the disease by gradually eliminating all the wild boar in the region. There are believed to be some 400 animals in the given area. A 45km long electric fence has been put up to prevent them migrating.
ČEZ to decide on its future in Bulgaria by September
The energy group ČEZ expects to decide on its future in Bulgaria by September of this year, the company’s CEO Daniel Beneš told the ctk news agency. ČEZ has been mapping investor interest in its Bulgarian assets since January, but has not as yet made a final decision as to whether to remain in the country. Last year the company decided to launch an international arbitration against Bulgaria after a number of interventions by the Bulgarian authorities that ČEZ claims harmed its business activities in the country. In May 2015, for example, ČEZ was fined 17.1 million crowns for abuse of dominant market position. Among those who have submitted an offer for ČEZ‘s Bulgarian assets is the Czech power group Energo-Pro.
WWII veteran and war hero Brigadier General Jaroslav Klemeš dies at 95
WWII veteran and war hero Brigadier General Jaroslav Klemeš, the last surviving paratrooper to parachute into occupied territory that was the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia (in Operation Platinum-Pewter in 1945) died on Monday at the age of 95. The news was confirmed on twitter by Defence Minister Martin Stropnický. During the war, Klemeš fought in France and for Great Britain; later, he was parachuted in near Chrudim in February of 1945. He was a radio operator tasked with reporting conditions on the ground back to Great Britain. He took part in the Prague Uprising in May 1945 - the final days of the war. For his service and sacrifice, Klemeš was persecuted by the communist regime after 1948 and was only fully rehabilitated in 1990. He received the country's highest honour, The Order of the White Lion, last year.
Brigadier General Jaroslav Klemeš will be buried with military honours at Štrasnice crematorium in Prague on Monday.The funeral ceremony will be open to the public.
Plaque to be unveiled in Prague to composer Jaromír Weinberger
A plaque will be unveiled in Prague to the Czech composer Jaromir Weinberger on the fiftieth anniversary of his death on August 8, 1967. Jaromir Weinberger is best known for his opera Švanda Dudák (Shvanda the Bagpiper). It premiered in Prague in 1929 and made him famous overnight. Švanda Dudák was the first Czech opera since Bedřich Smetana’s The Bartered Bride to be widely performed internationally. It was performed at the Metropolitan Opera in New York in 1931 and the Polka and Fugue from the opera soon became a popular concert piece. Besides operas his works include orchestral and chamber music. Weinberger fled to the US in 1939 where he spent the rest of his life.
Construction of new church in Guty to start next year
The construction of a new wooden church in Třinec- Guty, to replace the historic 16th century church that was ravaged by fire last week, is to begin next year, officials of the Czech Catholic Church confirmed on Tuesday. The bishopric has already commissioned a construction project for the church which, like the one from 1563, will be made of oak and pine-wood. The new house of prayer is estimated to cost around 20 million crowns. The money for it will come from insurance, donations from the Culture Ministry and the Catholic Church and a public collection. Work on the new church should be concluded by the spring of 2019.
Weather forecast
Wednesday should bring partly cloudy skies with day temperatures between 24 and 28 degrees Celsius.
