Daily news summary
Mass served in honour of murdered priest Josef Toufar
Several thousand people have attended a special mass served in honour of the priest Josef Toufar who was murdered by the communist secret police in the 1950s. Toufar died following injuries sustained during his interrogation at the beginning of 1950. Police wanted to force him to admit that he had staged a ‘miracle' at his parish church in Čihošť. The mass was celebrated by the bishop of Hradec Králové, Jan Vokál, ijn the presence of Cardinal Dominik Duka. The two-day event in Číhošť culminated by the burial of Toufar's remains, found at a mass grave in Prague's Ďáblice cemetary last year, at the local church. Toufar's beatification, initiated by the Hradec Králové diocese, should start later this year.
Southern terminal at Prague's Airport evacuated over found ammunition
Several dozen people were evacuated from the southern terminal of Prague's Václav Havel International Airport on Saturday morning after unexploded WWII ammunition was found nearby. Flights were interrupted and planes and vehicles were towed away for security reasons. The operation of the terminal was resumed in the afternoon, after the ammunition was cleared away by exlosive experts. The terminal is used mainly for private planes and the incident did not affect the rest of the airport.
Awards ceremony closes 50th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival
The 50th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival closed with an awards ceremony on Saturday night.US film Bob and the Trees, where the main character, logger and rap fan Bob Tarasuk, plays himself, took the main Crystal Globe award for best film. The Grand Prix for Best Documentary Film went to Czech filmmaker Helena Třeštíková for her latest long-term documentary Mallory. Czechs also took the awards for best actor and actress. Alena Mihulová was rewarded for her portrayal of a dedicated nurse in Slávek Horák’s debut Home Care and Kryštof Hádek was given the award for his role in the drama The Snake Brothers by Jan Prušinovský.
People marked annual River Bathing Day by jumping into Vltava
Seven people jumped into the Vltava River on Sunday to mark the annual River Bathing Day, initiated in 2005 by Roberto Epple from the European Rivers Network. The 'Big Jump' event was held by the NGO Coalition for Rivers near the Palacký Bridge in the centre of Prague with the aim to highlight the need to protect rivers and return life to them. People could also see an exhibition on rivers and floods.
Most lakes in Czech Republic remain safe for swimming
The quality of water remains safe for swimming in most lakes across the Czech Republic despite the recent heat-wave, which increases the growth of micro-organisms known as cyanobacteria, website Novinky.cz reported on Sunday. Around five locations across the country have been declared unsafe for swimming by the health authorities as the concentration of cyanobacteria, also known as "pond scum", has reached critical levels.
Rower Mirka Knapková takes silver at World Cup in Lucerne
The Czech Republic's Mirka Knapková won the silver medal in the women's single skulls at the final event of the World Rowing Cup in Lucerne, Switzerland. The reigning Olympic Champion finished seven seconds behind Australia's Kim Crow. In men's single sculls, Czech Ondřej Synek finished in the fifth place.
Average temperatures expected in next four weeks
Temperatures in the Czech Republic should not exceed 30 degrees Celsius in the coming four-week period. According to a long-term forecast by the Czech Hydro-Meteorological Institute issued on Saturday, we can expect day temperatures around 25 degrees Celsius, which is normal or slightly above the average for the time of year. Rainfall over the next month should be slightly below the long-term average.
