News

A Czech court has ordered the expulsion of a foreign national who wrote in Arabic at the beginning of the month on a statue of St. Francis on Charles Bridge, a national heritage site. There is a three-year-ban on the foreigner’s return; doing so during that time period would constitute a criminal offence.

For the act, the foreigner, who also received a fine of 15,000 crowns, could have faced up to three years behind bars.

Because he was detained at the scene, the case was handled quickly by the state prosecutors’ office. The defendant did not appeal the ruling which is now binding. According to reports, the words in Arabic were a translation of words on the landmark.

Pensions next year are set to go up by an average of 475 crowns per month next year, the Minister for Labour and Social Affairs Michaela Marksová announced on Monday.

The planned increase is the highest since 2008.

According to the Czech social security administration, the average monthly pension at the end of June amounted to 11,807 crowns. Prior to the current government, the average stood at 10,970 crowns.

A 27-year-old Czech woman has appealed a verdict by the District Court in Brno which found her guilty of defrauding a Norwegian national of the equivalent of more than 53 million crowns (around 2 million euros). She and the 60-year-old male met online on an erotic services website. The woman is alleged to have asked him to borrow funds for a number of reasons, from a knee operation to a car purchase to food for her cat, convincing the Norwegian she would return his money later. Found guilty, the defendant was sentenced to eight years in prison from a maximum 10. She immediately filed an appeal. The case will now go to the High Court in Olomouc.

Foreign Minister Lubomír Zaorálek has told journalists he is feeling better and recovering from a concussion and wound requiring stitches sustained in a car crash. He has been told by doctors to avoid sports and to get plenty of rest.

The foreign minister’s car, driven by a member of the minister’s security team, was involved in a crash at Lechovice near Znojmo late Friday.

Mr Zaorálek said the vehicle had flown off the road and into an adjacent field. He thanked his luck there had been no trees by the roadside and said the driver had done a good job of swerving the vehicle away or impact would have occurred earlier. The minister was the only one hurt in the accident.