Daily news summary

Social Democrat referendum likely to endorse coalition with ANO

Approximately 85 percent of Social Democrat regional organizations have already voted in a referendum on whether the party should enter into a coalition government with ANO, party spokesman Petr Vurbs told the CTK news agency on Monday.

According to unofficial information the votes so far are 60:40 in favour of the coalition agreement. The result will be officially announced on Friday.

If a positive result is confirmed the two sides will sit down to finalize the government line-up. Prime Minister Andrej Babiš has said he would like to speed up the process so that his second government could ask the lower house for a confidence vote on July 11th.

Chequepoint stripped of its operating license

The Czech central bank has stripped the company Chequepoint of its licence to operate exchange offices, the ctk news agency reported.

The bank said the decision was made on the grounds of repeated violations of the law, such as failing to inform clients in advance about their rights and details of the transaction.

The company reportedly also failed to comply with regulations introduced to combat money-laundering. In addition to having its licence taken away, Chequepoint was fined 1.2 million crowns. The company had been fined on previous occasions and failed to take any corrective measures.

New security system at Prague Airport should speed up clearance

A new security system has started operating at Prague’s Vaclav Havel International Airport which should significantly speed up the clearance of passengers, Czech Radio reported on Monday.

According to the airport’s spokesman the automated X-ray system at Terminal 2 will enable the clearance of 40 percent more passengers during peak times.

The airport clears approximately 42,000 passengers a day. Terminal 2 serves passengers on flights within Schengen.

Police crackdown on drugs gang

Police have cracked down on an organized crime gang peddling drugs in the Czech Republic and neighbouring Austria.

Over 30 people were detained in a series of raids, of which 13 have been charged and 11 were remanded in custody.

Over the past year the gang sold over 120 kilos of marihuana and at least four kilos of crystal methamphetamine. If convicted those charged could face up to 18 years in prison.

Age of vehicles on Czech roads rises to 15.4 years

The average ago of vehicles on Czech roads has reached a record 15.4 years, according to data released by the Union of Car Importers.

They say this is due to the growing number of used cars imported to the Czech Republic in recent years.

In the first quarter of this year, the number of new car sales reached 67, 000 while the number of imported used cars exceeded 42,000.

The average age of vehicles is seen to be rising in other EU countries as well, with the average age of cars on EU roads having crossed 10 years.

Consumer price growth up in May

Consumer price growth accelerated by 2.2 percent in May year-on year, according to data released by the Czech Statistics Office.

The growth was driven by higher prices of food products and fuel, predominantly meat, fruits and vegetables.

The price of telecommunication services and clothes dropped year-on-year. Inflation has been growing for the second month in a row.

Weather forecast

Tuesday should be partly cloudy to overcast with rain in places and day temperatures between 21 and 25 degrees Celsius.