News
Sobotka wants to tax higher income
Leader of the Social Democratic party, Bohuslav Sobotka, said that if his party were to form a government after the next elections, it wants to introduce a new higher income tax for high earners. In an interview with the iDnes news server, Mr. Sobotka said that an income tax between 27 and 29 percent for people earning more than 100 thousand crowns a month will help decrease government debt. The leading left-wing party also came out with a 21-point campaign platform on Saturday afternoon, which promises the creation of new work places, increase of the minimum monthly wage from 8.5 to 12 thousand crowns and lowering of the VAT for medicine.
Schwarzenberg takes a jab at Zeman in Austrian newspaper
Former foreign minister Karel Schwarzenberg made a number of critical remarks about President Miloš Zeman in an interview with the Austrian weekly Presse am Sonntag. Mr. Schwarzenberg said that although he considers President Zeman to be a smart individual, and a first-class public speaker, his addiction to alcohol has caused him to loose all moral inhibitions. He also reiterated his earlier belief that Mr. Zeman’s interpretation and changes to the constitutional customs concerning the role of the president can be indirectly compared with the decisions made by the Nazi party in Germany in 1933.
Ten people arrested in Moscow at commemoration of 1968 protest
Ten people were detained by the police at Moscow’s Red Square on Sunday, after a small commemoration of a demonstration held at the same place exactly 45 years ago in protest of the Soviet-led invasion of Czechoslovakia. Around a dozen people held up a sign with the same slogan as was used in 1968: “For your and our freedom.” The demonstrators stood silently for approximately 10 minutes, after which they were led away by the police. The only person who was not detained was Natalia Gorbanevskaya, who was among the protesters 45 years ago. On August 25, 1968 eight people who held up signs with slogans on the Red Square in protest of the Czechoslovak occupation were arrested after only a few minutes. Seven of them were sentenced to years in prison, internal exile or forced psychiatric treatment.
This weekend set to be the most tragic on Czech roads
This weekend the Czech roads will see the highest death toll this year so far. At least 13 people have died so far since Friday in car-related accidents, according to police statistics. So far the worst weekends on Czech roads where the last two in July, when 12 people perished in accidents. So far this August 50 people died in car accidents in this country, while last year the police registered 73 deaths in August.
Rare mushroom found for the first time in the Czech Republic
Mycologist in the Přerov region have found a mushroom from the Boletaceae family, which had previously not been sited in the Czech Republic. The mushroom does not have a Czech name yet, and its first appearance was recorded in Italy six years ago. It has also been found since in Italy and England. It is yet unknown whether the mushroom is edible, but scientists believe that it most likely is.
Weather
The weekend will start off with sunny weather, but will finish with some rain showers. Daytime highs should be around 24 degrees Celsius and go down to around 21 degrees.
