Daily news summary
Culture minister denies making commitment with regard to Dalai Lama
Culture Minister Daniel Herman has denied having made any commitment to refrain from official contacts with the Dalai Lama. In a statement for Czech Television the culture minister rejected a claim by Foreign Minister Lubomír Zaorálek that he had violated the terms of an unwritten agreement reached in the cabinet which opened the way for a strategic partnership with China. Mr. Zaorálek said the violation of the terms of the deal had led the country’s senior officials to sign a declaration assuring China that the Czech Republic fully respected the country’s territorial integrity and saying that the Tibetan spiritual leader’s presence in the Czech Republic did not signal a change in the country’s foreign policy in relations with China. Mr. Herman said he had never made such a commitment since it would go against his conscience.
George Brady honoured in Brno
Czech-born Holocaust survivor George Brady received a commemorative certificate from the mayor of Brno Petr Vokřál on Monday. The mayor thanked him for his work in educating students about the Holocaust and supporting Czech expats abroad. Brady, who was reportedly crossed off the list of nominees up for a state award because his nephew Culture Minister Daniel Herman met with the Dalai Lama against the president’s wishes, has been at the center of media attention since arriving in Prague. He received numerous distinctions and awards including the Karel Kramář Medal from Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka.
Czech police officers departs for Serbia and Macedonia
Some 55 Czech police officers departed on Monday for missions in Serbia and Macedonia. The officers are travelling to the Balkan countries to help in the face of the migrant crisis. Police president Tomáš Tuhý similar missions have left Czech police well-prepared for security threats currently faced by the European Union. Czech officers have also served on missions in Bulgaria or Croatia.
Forty-six million euros to go towards flood prevention
The state will invest some 1.25 billion crowns (around 46 million euros) in flood prevention. According to the Ministry of the Environment, the funds will in particular be used for the development of new systems to better manage flood risk, provide better retention and management of rainfall and to introduce better detectors and alarms in municipalities threatened by floodwaters.
Constitutional Court sends property owners’ complaint back to district court
A decision by the country’s Constitutional Court has renewed the chance that property owners could get compensation from the state for lost revenues in the years 2002 – 2006 due to rent regulation, deemed unconstitutional. They had sought 12 million crowns in damages. The court’s judge-rapporteur Vojtech Šimíček ruled that the previous rejection of the case by a court on the grounds that the owners’ demands were time-barred or had lapsed went against proper ethics. The case returns to the district court for Prague 1.
Tennis: Berdych drops out of men’s top 10
Czech men’s number one singles player Tomáš Berdych has dropped out of the top 10 rankings for the first time in six years after a number of defeats and injury. The drop to 11th place follows a month’s lay off due to injury, absence from the US Open, and a series of losses in October. Croatia’s Milan Čilič moves up to 10th spot in the singles ranking and is set to play in the season ending Masters’ tournament.
Weather forecast
Cloudy conditions with sunny periods are expected on Tuesday; daytime highs have been forecast at around 12 degrees Celsius. Tuesday is projected to be the warmest day of the week, with temperatures dropping to around 7 degrees Celsius mid-week.
