News

Two snowy owls stolen from Ostrava zoo earlier this week have been returned by a man who unwittingly bought them from a dealer. The forty-five-year old man said he had bought the birds in good faith and only later heard of their disappearance from the zoo. A vet identified both birds and pronounced them to be in good shape. Police are still searching for the culprit. Following the incident the zoo is tightening security and expanding its camera system.

Traffic police reported the highest number of road deaths in a single day this year – after 10 people lost their lives on Czech roads on Friday. Traffic police attribute this to the current heat-wave in combination with speeding and alcohol. Last week’s extended four-day weekend took 26 lives. The police have appealed to drivers to exercise greater caution, to avoid unnecessary risks and take frequent breaks when driving in heavy traffic.

The Ministry of Culture has lifted a 3.25 million crown fine imposed on the City of Prague for damage done to Charles Bridge during its reconstruction. The fine was originally imposed in March by the Region of Plzeň, which was to mediate the matter to avoid a conflict of interests. However, the Ministry of Culture said Thursday that it found procedural errors in the case, that the defendent’s motions had not been considered and the amount of the fine had not been justified. The region, the ministry said, should supplement its evidence, correct the errors and issue a new decision on the matter. The Ministry of Culture itself has previously criticised the city for shoddy masonry work on the 15th century bridge, among other things. Charles Bridge is the second oldest stone bridge in the Czech Republic and one of its most prized monuments. It has been undergoing restoration for the last two years.

Parties hammering out a coalition government programme sealed a deal on the last outstanding area of policy on Wednesday night. The three parties agreed on the broad lines of a future health policy, including the thorny issue of patient charges. Public Affairs’ demands that prescription charges for pharmacies should be abolished were pushed through. But they will stay in place for visits to doctors and be broadened regarding hospital stays and visits to specialists without a doctor’s recommendation. A new level of increased charges for higher levels of service will be introduced. Health was the last of seven chapters of the future government’s accord where an agreement had not been reached.