News
Case against Civ Dem MPs
The corruption case against three former Civic Democratic MPs will most likely be dropped, the Olomouc High State Prosecutor Ivo Ištvan said on the Sunday Czech TV talk show. The three former Civic Democrat deputies faced bribery charges for allegedly having agreed to quit their seats in the lower house in return for posts in state-run companies. The Supreme Court ruled on Tuesday that their actions were covered by their parliamentary immunity, which is why, according to Mr. Ištvan, state prosecution will not be able to continue with the same case.
Zeman meets with Klasnová to discuss confidence vote
In an effort to garner support for the caretaker government of Jiří Rusnok, President Miloš Zeman has begun meeting with representatives of parties in the lower house of parliament. On Sunday before noon, the president met with Kateřina Klasnová, the head of the Public Affairs party deputies’ group, to discuss their possible support of the current government in a confidence vote. Afterwards the president will meet with Prime Minister Rusnok and is planning on meeting with leaders of the other parties during the next week. Mr. Rusnok will need to get the support of the majority of the MPs present at the confidence vote in the lower house. So far, former coalition partners - the Civic Democrats and the TOP 09 party – said that they will not support the caretaker government. The Social Democrats, who have the large number of deputies, have not definitively announced their preference.
Wildfire warnings issued for the whole country
Meteorologists have issued wildfire warnings for the whole of the country, except for mountainous areas, due to the dry and hot weather conditions. The past week has been the driest one in the Czech Republic in the past 60 years, according to meteorologists. According to a monthly forecast released by the Czech Hydrometeorological Office, the rest of July will also see very warm weather and very little precipitation. It is expected that 1-28 July of this year will be a four-week period with possible the least amount of rainfall since 1951.
Friday saw most road deaths this year
Friday saw the most fatalities on Czech roads for a single day this whole year. According to a police report on Sunday, six people died in car accidents on Friday, and at least six more people over the weekend, although that number may rise by the end of Sunday. It may turn out to be the most tragic weekend on Czech roads since the beginning of the year.
Student company created a draught beer vending machine
A group of students from an Ostrava high school represented the Czech Republic at the Young Enterprise Europe competition in London this week with their BeerBox vending machine. The student company Frex won in the Czech Republic’s nation-wide Junior Achievement - Young Enterprise competition earlier this year with the first automatic machine selling beer on tap. Working with the standard idea of a soft-drinks or instant coffee vending machines, the students worked out the technical parameters and a prototype of a two-meter tall box that fits two 50-liter kegs of beer or a soft drink and technology that can fill a half-liter cup in less than a minute. Although Frex did not win one of the top three prizes at the European competition, the students, who will be entering their last year of high school in September, plan to continue with their venture and offer the BeerBox to musical festivals and other places.
Leonard Cohen to play O2 arena after four years
The renowned Canadian singer song-writer Leonard Cohen will be performing on Sunday night at the O2 arena in Prague. The concert is part of the singer’s Old Ideas World Tour, which is meant to promote the Old Ideas album Cohen released last year. The last time Leonard Cohen performed in Prague was four years ago.
Weather
The next few days will be mostly sunny with temperatures going up as high as 31 degrees Celsius.
