Daily news summary

Mining company OKD’s future uncertain after government fails to approve sale

The future of the OKD mining company, which was forced to declare bankruptcy last year, remains uncertain after the government rejected its proposed sale to the state owned company Diamo for a symbolic one crown. The move was supported only by the Social Democrats; ANO voted against since it is in favour of a private investor and the Christian Democratic Party said it could not support the motion since it had insufficient information regarding the potential investor’s future plans. OKD is currently undergoing a reorganization and its future depends on finding a strategic partner.

Lucerna and Invalidovna on list of Czech Cultural Monuments

Another 15 sites have been added to the list of Czech Cultural Monuments, including Prague’s famous Lucerna Palace and the massive baroque Invalidovna complex in the city’s Karlín district. The sites on the list are approved by the government as “monuments constituting the most important part of the cultural wealth of the nation” and are thereby under special protection.

Amazon to create new jobs in Czech Republic

The e-commerce giant Amazon has announced further investments in the Czech Republic saying it will be hiring another 1,000 people in addition to the 3,000 it currently employs in order to meet growing customer demand. The job offers will be for qualified and unqualified workers, spanning engineering roles, logistics, and customer service, among other occupations, the company said. Amazon is making huge investments world-wide creating 15,000 new jobs in Europe and 100,000 in the United States.

Courts to reopen Mašín case

Czech courts will once again rule on the restitution claim of Zdena Mašínová, sister of the Mašín brothers, who dramatically escaped from Czechoslovakia in the early 1950s. Mašínová has filed for restitution of her father’s farm in Central Bohemia which was confiscated by the Communists. Her claim was rejected by the Supreme Court on the grounds that the property could only be returned to all the heirs; however, the late Ctirad Mašín and his brother Josef had been disqualified from applying for restitution on the grounds that they lived abroad. The Constitutional Court upheld Zdena Mašínová’s appeal against the verdict.

400,000 sign petition for Czech imprisoned in Sudan

Some 400,000 people from all over the world have signed a petition for the release of Czech Petr Jasek, whom a Sudanese court sent to prison for more than 20 years for espionage and subversion in January. The petition was reportedly launched by the international organization CitizenGO and is addressed to the UN Human Rights Commissioner. The Christian missionary was arrested in Sudan in 2015. He was convicted of several crimes including espionage and fomenting hatred among local communities.

Tennis star Roger Federer in Prague to promote Laver Cup

18 time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer who is in Prague after a ten year break on Monday greeted fans on Old Town Square, accompanied by Czech tennis player Tomáš Berdych. The tennis star is here to promote the Laver Cup which is to take place in Prague in September. Federer will return to Prague for the event which will be held at Prague’s O2 Arena on September 22 to 24.

Weather forecast

Tuesday should be partly cloudy to overcast with rain in places, a strong wind and day temperatures between 6 and 10 degrees Celsius.