Daily news summary
Politicians say National Security Council should meet over Novichok reports
The discrepancies in intelligence reports regarding the testing of the nerve gas Novichok in the Czech Republic should be addressed at a meeting of the National Security Council, the deputy chairs of ANO and the Social Democrats, Petr Vokřál and Martin Netolický, agreed in a Czech TV debate on Sunday.
They said the intelligence services should explain why the president and prime minister had received different reports on the matter and the president should be invited to the meeting to explain why he had revealed classified information in an interview for a commercial TV station.
Prime Minister Andrej Babiš said earlier he would demand an explanation as to why the Military Intelligence Agency and the intelligence agency BIS had provided conflicting information on the matter.
Politicians pay homage to liberating forces of WWII
Leading Czech politicians, war veterans and cultural figures gathered at Ďáblice Cemetery in Prague on Sunday to pay homage to the soldiers who had laid down their lives liberating the country from Nazi oppression. There are some 160 soldiers of different nationalities buried at the cemetery.
The commemorative ceremony was attended by government and Parliament representatives, Prague City Hall officials and members of the Union of Freedom Fighters.
More state funds spent on public sector employees
State expenditures for wages of public sector employees rose by 15.2 billion crowns last year reaching 166.6 billion crowns, according to a government report presented to Parliament.
The average wage of public employees reached 30.627 crown a month in 2017, while the average wage in the country is 29.504 crowns a month. The number of public sector employees grew by over nine thousand, the report says.
South Korean film takes top prize at Anifest
The South Korean film “I'll just live in bando” directed by Yongsun Lee took the main prize at the Anifilm festival in Trebon on Saturday night. The winner of the children’s category was The Breadwinner, a Canadian-Irish coproduction.
The 2018 festival of animated films screened over 500 movies, of that 129 in competition and attracted 30,000 visitors. Czech filmmaker Libuše Čihařová received a life award for her work, which includes the popular children’s series Bob a Bobek and Maxipes Fík.
Galen Rup wins Prague Marathon
The winner of the 2018 Prague International Marathon is American runner Galen Rup. He improved his personal record in Prague by 3 minutes covering the 42 km distance in 2:06:07, which is the second best result in the marathon’s 24 year history. The bronze medallist from Rio is the first American to win the Prague Marathon.
Czechs beat Slovakia at IIHF championship
The Czech Republic scored a hard-won victory in its first game at the World Ice Hockey Championship on Saturday, rallying from a goal down to beat Slovakia 3-2 in overtime. The team will next face Sweden on Sunday.
Weather forecast
Monday should be clear and sunny with day temperatures between 21 and 25 degrees Celsius.
