Daily news summary

BMW to get investment incentives for vehicle testing centre

Car maker BMW is set to get incentives worth 18.7 million euros to build a test centre for self-driving and electric vehicles in the Czech Republic under a memorandum approved by the Czech government on Monday.

The construction of BMW’s first vehicle testing project in Eastern Europe should create several hundred jobs. The project should include the testing of driver-assistance and braking systems.

BMW is to receive a building permit in the last quarter of 2019 and the test centre should be operational by 2022.

Head of police oversight agency leaves his post

The head of the General Inspectorate of the Security Forces Michal Murín is leaving his post on April 30.

Mr. Murín, who has been under pressure from Prime Minister Andrej Babiš to resign, announced his decision earlier this month saying that although he had done nothing illegal or unethical his continued presence at the head of the inspectorate would undoubtedly throw a negative light on its work.

The outgoing government is due to consider a suitable temporary head on Monday. The next head of the police oversight agency should be chosen in an open competition.

Andrej Babiš to update ANO leadership on gov’t negotiations

ANO leader Andrej Babiš will update party bosses on the state of negotiations over forming a coalition government with the Social Democrats with support from the communists on Tuesday evening. Tuesday’s meeting should also plot the way forward in negotiations to try and form a stable government. ANO party deputy chairman Richard Brabec refused to comment Monday on the Social Democrats’ demand that the anti-EU and anti-immigrant Freedom and Direct Democracy Party of Tomio Okamura lose to parliamentary posts in the lower house.

The leadership of the Social Democrats called at the weekend for a nationwide ban on any cooperation with Okamura’s party.

ANO leader Andrej Babiš is currently prime minister of a government which has failed to win a confidence vote following elections six months ago in October.

President Zeman to visit Poland

President Miloš Zeman is due to pay a three day official visit to Poland from May 9th to May 11th, the president’s office announced on Monday. The head of state will be meeting with his Polish counterpart Andrzej Duda and government officials.The talks are expected to focus on bilateral relations and EU matters.

It will be President Zeman’s second foreign visit since his reelection for a second term in office. His first foreign trip was to Slovakia.

Doctors register increased incidence of measles

Doctors have registered an increased incidence of measles in the Czech Republic, reporting over 100 cases, mostly in Prague. In previous years there were only isolated cases of the disease.

A combined vaccine against measles, mumps and rubella was introduced in this country in 1969 which practically eradicated these diseases in the Czech Republic and the increased incidence today is ascribed to a growing fear of vaccinations on the part of some parents who put off getting their children vaccinated for as long as possible.

Plíšková pulls out of Prague WTA tournament

Sixth seed Karolína Plíšková is pulling out of the WTA tournament in Prague. Plíšková, the Czech teams top ranked player ‚ made the announcement on Moday citing health problems. She has reportedly suffered from groin pain since Stuttgart.

Plíšková, who was slated to play against her sister Kristýna in the Prague tournament said she was very disappointed to have to pull out but would focus on getting in shape for Madrid.

Weather forecast

Tuesday should be partly cloudy with day temperatures between 18 and 22 degrees Celsius in the western parts of the country and 21 and 25 degrees in Moravia and Silesia.