Daily news summary
Prague Pride LGBT festival kicks off
The seventh annual Prague Pride Festival of LGBT culture kicked off in the Czech capital on Monday. The week-long series of events includes debates, film screenings and concerts. It will culminate with the traditional march through the city centre on Saturday. This year the organisers of Prague Pride say they will place a special emphasis on the human rights of LGBT people in repressive provinces or states such as Chechnya and Armenia.
Over 2,600 same-sex registered partnerships since law came into force
Over 2,600 same-sex couples have entered into registered partnerships in the Czech Republic since the law was enacted eleven years ago, Jan Fiala, from the Equality, Recognition and Diversity Platform told journalists on Monday. The law on registered partnerships came into effect on July 1, 2006. Registered partnerships have a much lower divorce rate than regular marriages. Since the law came into effect only 14.5 percent of registered partnerships have been divorced, while in the case of regular marriages, the rate is about 50 percent. The law on registered partnerships provides for the right to information on the health condition of the registered partners and the right to inherit property just as in regular marriage.
AGPI accepts offered price for controversial pig farm
The firm AGPI has accepted the government’s price for the buyout of a controversial pig farm in South Bohemia, which stands partly on the site of a former concentration camp where Roma citizens suffered and died during WWII. The agreed price has not been revealed and will reportedly only be made public after the deal is ratified. The deputy chairman of AGPI’s board of directors Jan Čech said that the expectations of the company over the price had been considerably higher. The process to buy the farm to allow for a proper memorial to honour those held at the former camp lasted some 20 years; several previous governments had pledged to remove the farm and failed.
Four Czechs to be released from hospital in Italy
Four Czech tourists who have been in hospital since last Friday when a bus they were travelling on crashed near Bolzano, Italy, are due to be released, the Czech News Agency confirmed. On Monday, they are being transferred home to the Czech Republic. An additional eight people remain in hospital and 22 who were aboard the bus who were not injured, returned on Sunday. In the accident, the bus unexpectedly swerved off the road and crashed in a field. The driver was killed on impact. Preliminary reports suggest the vehicle’s brakes may have failed.
Youths suspected of arson which destroyed wooden church file complaint
Two youths, accused of having intentionally set an historic wooden church in Třinec-Guty ablaze, have a filed a complaint over their being remanded in custody. The state prosecutor had sought the court order over fears one of them could try and avoid justice (up to 15 years in jail) or repeat the crime at another site. A third person has also been charged in the case but did not have to remain behind bars.
Heavy metal fest Brutal Assault sells out
Brutal Assault, a four-day heavy metal festival held annually at an hisotric fortress complex known as Josefov in the area of Náchod, has sold out. Organisers made the announcement on Monday warning that no additional tickets would be available on-site. Last year, some 18,000 people, many of them from neighbouring Poland, attended the hard rock music festival. This year, Polish and Czech police will be cooperating to keep the peace; many roads of Josefov will be closed off to make room for parking. Brutal Assault will see some 110 acts including Czech black metal band Master’s Hammer.
Weather
Tuesday is expected to be partly overcast with sunny periods. Daytime temperatures should reach highs of around 29 degrees Celsius.
