Daily news summary
Czech Republic will send additional 30 police officers to assist in Greece
The Czech Republic will send an additional 30 police officers to Greece to help the European agency Frontex overseeing border management. Some 11 Czech officers have already been serving there for some time. The police will assist in return of illegal migrants to Turkey per the agreement between Turkey and the EU. The news was confirmed on Sunday by Police President Tomáš Tuhý.
Moravané party voices opposition to 'Czechia'
Around 100 people gathered at a demonstration organised by the Moravané (Moravians) party in Brno on Saturday in response to the name 'Czechia' - a shortened, informal term for the Czech Republic being pursued by the current government. Organisers criticised the name, saying historically it referred only to part of the country known as Bohemia and ignored the areas of Moravia and Silesia. The Communists abolished Moravia as an administrative entity in 1949. The Moravané party has slammed the government for pushing ahead with its own game plan, suggesting other solutions in English were worth consideration. Alternatives mentioned most often include the terms Czechomoravia and Czechlands.
Prague Zoo celebrates surprise birth of baby gorilla
A 24-year-old gorilla named Shinda at Prague Zoo gave birth to a new baby on Saturday which zoo director Miroslav Bobek confirmed was 100 percent healthy. The birth was wholly unexpected and a surprise, the director confirmed: zoo workers had not known that Shinda was pregnant. The baby gorilla could be seen by zoo visitors as early as this Sunday.
Rail route closed after bomb-like device spotted
The authorities closed off the main railway corridor on Saturday joining Olomouc and Přerov after what appeared to be an explosive device was spotted on a section of track. Train transport was blocked for roughly two hours in the late afternoon/early evening. Closer inspection by a pyrotechnics expert revealed the device was fake.
Parts of Czech Republic see light snowfall
Parts of the Czech Republic, including higher areas in the Krkonoše Mountains, saw snowfall on Saturday night. Several centimetres were registered in areas above Pec pod Snežkou; strong winds on Snežka on Sunday morning saw gondola transport on the upper part of the mountain shut down. The temperature on the mountain on Sunday morning was -7 degrees Celsius.
Football: Čech keeps clean sheet against Sunderland but "sluggish" Arsenal fail to capitalise
Arsenal goaltender Petr Čech secured a clean sheet on Sunday, turning away several good chances but London club Arsenal, described as sluggish by BBC Sport, were unable to capitalise and earned only a point in their match-up against Sunderland. The game finished 0:0. Arsenal are in fourth place in the Premier League; with the draw, Sunderland pulled themselves out of the relegation zone.
Cross-country MTB racing: Nash finishes tenth in season opener
Czech cross-country mountain bike racer Kateřina Nash finished 10th in the opening World Cup race of the season in Cairns, Australia. The men's bronze medalist from last year, Ondřej Cink, finished 38th.
