Daily news summary

Czech Republic does not recognise Russian election results in Crimea

The Czech Republic has not recognised the election results to the State Duma in the Russian Federation with regards to Crimea, as either valid or lawful, the Czech Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Monday. The annexation of Crimea from Ukraine, the ministry reiterated, was in violation of international law. The Czech Republic’s positon is in line with the rest of the European Union which likewise does not recognize Crimea's separation from Ukraine. EU officials and members of the OBSE took part in monitoring of the election in Russia on Sunday in significant voting areas with the exception of occupied Crimea.

Five people charged in connection with vandalism of Hate Free venues

Five youths, between the ages of 19 and 22, have been charged by the police in connection with vandalism targetting a number of cafes and shops in Prague which were part of the Hate Free Campaign. The sites were sprayed with written threats and Nazi symbols in April. If found guilty of the acts of vandalism and of hate crime, the suspects could spend up to three years in prison. The incident was widely condemned by the public and politicians, including Prague’s mayor and the minister of culture.

Interior minister wants additional billion crowns from state budget

The Finance Minister, Andrej Babiš, has called a request for an additional 1.1 billion crowns from the state budget by his colleague Interior Minister Milan Chovanec “unrealistic”. Mr Chovanec is seeking 600 million crowns of the amount for the police in the fight against terrorism. The funds should go towards arms, defense equipment and other technology. The additional funds would also go towards the renovation of ministry property. The interior minister made clear he expected to still raise the topic with his government counterpart ahead of Wednesday’s cabinet meeting.

Deputy police president to step down for health reasons

Deputy police president Zdeněk Laube is stepping down for health reasons, the police presidium revealed on Monday, saying that he would continue on as an aide to Interior Minister Milan Chovanec. His successor is to be chosen in a tender and will take up the post on January 1, 2017. In a press release, Police President Tomáš Tuhý said he had been aware of the situation for several months and thanked the official for delaying his decision until after reform within the country’s police force which led to the creation of a new National Centre against Organized Crime. The move to create the centre generated considerable controversy and a temporary rift within the current coalition government.

Czech Dental Chamber campaign to drive home point of low funding in dentistry sector

The Czech Dental Chamber says it is launching a campaign to address the lack of financing in dentistry, saying it had informed politicians, health insurers, as well as the public for years about underfunding for certain services. The president of the chamber, Pavel Chrz, told journalists that dentists themselves would choose how to take part in the campaign, possibly be refusing some services or by not taking new patients. Mr Chrz said other sectors in the health sector had been given priority by the government, arguing that some dentist services were so poorly funded, they could no longer be offered in good faith.

No more rooms available at Prague university dormitories, according to ČTK

There are no rooms left at university student dormitories in Prague, the Czech News Agency reports, citing information provided by public universities in the Czech capital. According to the news site, Charles University alone provides facilities for 11,500 students; the overall number of beds available at university dormitories in Prague is above 27,000. The number does not include Prague’s art schools. Charles University students were most interested in trying to secure single-bed rooms close to the city centre, university representative Petr Podzimek confirmed.

Boy of five dies after being attacked by dogs

A five-year-old boy died on Sunday after being attacked by a dog in the village of Lužec nad Cidlinou in the Hradec Králové region, police spokesperson Jan Čížkovský told the Czech News Agency. The boy succumbed to serious injuries sustained in the attack, said Mr.Čížkovský, who added that the police were at the start of their investigation into the matter. The police later revealed that in fact more than one canine was involved. The last case of a dog killing a child in the Czech Republic occurred in Prague in 2012.

Police searching for assailants who brutally attacked man in metro car

Prague police are looking for six youths who attacked a man on the city’s metro line earlier this year. The incident, the police have revealed, took place on the night of July 25 between the Palmovka and Hloubětín stations. There was a verbal exchange on the platform before the man and the group before the arrival of the metro and the attack came inside the train. One of the assailants reportedly used brass knuckles. A fellow passenger, who tried to come to the victim’s aid, was also attacked and the victim had to be hospitalized for head injuries. The police have released images of the suspects and have appealed to the public for help.

Škoda Transportation completes first part of major German contract

The Czech company Škoda Transportation has completed its first train as part of an order for Germany’s Deutsche Bahn, iDnes.cz reported on Monday. The order is seen as a major breakthrough for Škoda Transportation. However, production delays mean that the company will not be presenting the new train at next week’s Innotrans railway trade fair, the news website said. Under the CZK 2.6 billion deal, the Czech firm is supplying Deutsche Bahn with six six-wagon, bilevel trains including locomotives.

Football: Darida injured, will miss upcoming World Cup qualifiers

Czech footballer Vladimír Darida, who plays for Hertha Berlin, is out for up to six weeks with an ankle injury requiring surgery, meaning he will miss upcoming national team qualifying matches for the 2018 World Cup. In October, the Czechs face Germany in Hamburg, and Azerbaijan in Ostrava. Darida, a midfielder, is considered a key member of the national squad with 41 caps, more than any other current player (not including Tomáš Rosický who the team’s coach Karel Jarolím would like to see return).