News

German environmentalists arrive to support Czech activists’ blockade

Some 20 activists from Germany arrived at the site of a blockade against the logging of bark-beetle infested trees that is currently being held by Czech environmentalists in the Šumava National Park. The German environmentalists are supporting several dozens of Czech activists who have been protesting felling activity in the park for about three weeks. According to the blockade’s spokesman, the German supporters will remain at the site until Sunday or Monday. Some 40 loggers and forrest workers are currently at the site as well. Park management has marked some 5000 trees for felling.

Brno police: We were not alerted to domestic violence against well-known author murdered on Wednesday

Brno police did not have any information that well-known author Simona Monyová, who was murdered on Wednesday, had in the past been the victim of domestic violence. Her husband is the main suspect in the case. A police spokeswoman said that neither the author, nor anyone close to her, had brought it to the attention of the police that Mrs. Monyová was being abused by him. She added that the city had a unit specifically devoted to the investigation of domestic violence. The 44-year old writer, one of the country’s best-known authors of literature targeted at women, died in her house following a confrontation with her husband, who stabbed her. He was injured in the incident as well and is being treated at hospital. Police are investigating the case and are planning to interrogate the man on Monday, when they expect his condition will have stabilized.

Memorial honoring victims of tragic railway accident unveiled

A memorial honoring the victims of a tragic railway accident that took place in 2008 was unveiled in the Moravian-Silesian town Studénka, the site of the tragedy, on Saturday afternoon. More than two hundred, among them relatives and friends of the victims, came to the unveiling, which took place on occasion of the three-year anniversary of the railway accident, in which eight people died and some 95 were injured when a train crashed into a bridge that had collapsed onto the train tracks. Those responsible for constructing the faulty bridge have been charged with causing the accident. A ruling in the case is expected this fall.

Fifteen-year-old boy dies after suffering electric shock

A fifteen-year-old boy was killed on Friday afternoon after suffering an electric shock from a cement mixer. He was doing work on a house with his parents in the village of Bystřice, in the Moravian-Silesian region. His mother and father tried to resuscitate the boy with mouth-to-mouth breathing and heart massage. Paramedics then used a defibrillator to revive the teenage boy, however, he died at hospital. Police are investigating the case.

Fifty-four-year old man killed by negligent driver

A thirty-two-year-old female driver killed a fifty-four-year-old man, who was crossing the street at a pedestrian crossing. The accident, in which the pedestrian suffered multiple fatal injuries to his head, chest and his limbs, happened at a crossroads in the Moravian-Silesian town of Havířov after midnight on Saturday. The woman, who had overlooked that a pedestrian was crossing the street, faces a prison sentence of up to three years for negligent manslaughter.

Tennis player Radek Štěpánek advances to finals at ATP Washington Classic

Czech tennis player Radek Štěpánek advanced to the semi-finls of the ATP Washington Classic on Friday by eliminating Spanish fifth seed Fernando Verdasco 6-4, 6-4. Štěpánek, who at 54th in the ranking was 35 spots below the Spanish left-hander, broke Verdasco in the fifth game and never faced a break point, taking the first set on back to back service winners. He will face the American 128th-ranked Donald Young in the final of the tournament, which comes with a 1.4 million US Dollar cash prize.

Špotáková comes second at Diamond League meeting in London

The Czech athlete Barbora Špotáková came second in the javelin at a Diamond League meeting at London’s Crystal Palace on Friday evening. The Czech, who is current Olympic champion and world record holder, achieved her best performance of the season with a throw of 66.41 meters but still finished behind Germany’s Christina Obergföll. Špotáková’s compatriot Zuzana Hejnová finished fourth in the 400 meter hurdles at Crystal Palace on Friday.

Weather

The weekend will be overcast, with rain showers and occasional storms. Daytime highs should range between 24 and 28 degrees Celsius.