Daily news summary

Constitutional Court seen making landmark restitution ruling

The Czech Constitutional Court has ruled in what is being described as a landmark decision in the case of two sisters whose parcel of land was confiscated by the communist regime. The court said that compensation for the parcel, which has since been built on and cannot be returned, should be reasonable and adequate. That would appear to shoot down the compensation of 75,000 crowns which has been offered to the sisters according to 1991 prices. The sisters had been claiming compensation of around 3.0 million crowns. The case will now have to be returned to a lower court. While setting a marker for many ongoing restitution cases, the ruling is unlikely to bring higher compensation for cases where meagre payments were already made, experts say.

Zlín court sentences three over methanol deaths

A court in the eastern district of Zlín has handed down three sentences in the so-called methanol drinks affair. Daniel Rafa was given a four year sentence. Zdeněk Kopl was given a conditional sentence of seven months spread over two years. Petr Veselý was sentenced to 16 months spread over three years. The three were accused of mixing and selling the methanol tainted alcohol as part of a much bigger bootleg business. Around 50 people died as a result of consuming the deadly mix after the scandal broke in the Czech Republic in 2012. Kopl said he would appeal the sentence.

July annual inflation rate rises to 2.5 percent

Czech annual inflation was 2.5 percent in July speeding up from 2.3 percent in June, the Czech Statistical Office announced on Wednesday. The costs of food and non-alcoholic drinks, restaurants and hotels, and utility costs were among the main factors pushing prices higher. Month on month, prices rose by 0.5 percent. The Czech National Bank has a target of 2.0 percent inflation.

New Dukovany operating licenses expected by end of year

New operating licences for the Dukovany-3 and 4 nuclear reactors should be given by the end of the year, the deputy board chairman and finance director of ČEZ has announced. Martin Novák said that the applications had already been submitted to the State office for Nuclear Safety (SÚJB). A new unlimited license for the second unit at Dukovany was granted by the office at the end of June. Dukovany is the oldest Czech nuclear reactor with the four units completed between 1985 and 1987. They were originally expected to be operational for 30 years.

Most Czech fathers unable to take parental leave

Around half of Czech fathers would like to take long term parental leave but cannot because they are the main wage earner, the daily Lidové Noviny reported on Wednesday. At the moment only around 2.0 percent of Czech fathers take long term parental leave to look after their young children. One of the main factors is that they are the main wage earners with men’s wages on average 22.5 percent higher than women’s in the Czech Republic, the second highest difference in the EU.

Rainbow tram ride to raise awareness of STDs

A tram sporting rainbow colours will drive through Prague on Wednesday afternoon within the Prague Pride Festival celebrating LGBT culture. The tram ride, which has become a traditional part of the festival, aims to spread awareness and knowledge of sexually transmitted diseases, particularly HIV. The week-long festival offers dozens of events, including lectures, debates and concerts. It will culminate with a march through the city centre on Saturday.

Javelin thrower Barbora Špotáková regains world title in London

Czech javelin thrower Barbora Špotáková regained the world title in London on Tuesday a decade after her first win in Osaka. Returning to the stadium in which she won her second Olympic title five years ago, the Czech world record-holder threw 66.76m in the second round, placing her ahead of China’s Lingwei Li with 66.25m. Špotáková told journalists nothing could surpass her joy at regaining the world title. “It was the reason for me to continue after Rio – the vision of London and coming back to London, I just love this stadium, I feel so strong, so confident here“ Špotáková said.

Weather

Outbreaks of rain are expected across the country on Thursday. Top daytime temperatures will range between 22 degrees Celsius in the west and 35 degrees in the south-east of the country.