News

Some on Twitter confused Czech Republic with Chechnya, referring to bombing suspects’ origins

As details emerged about the Boston Marathon bombing suspects on Friday, there was apparent confusion among some on the social networks about the wanted brothers’ origins. Some mistakenly suggested they had roots in the Czech Republic, in central Europe, as opposed to an area near Chechnya, in the north Caucasus, as had been reported. The suspects Dzhokhar Tsarnaev and Tamerlan Tsarnaev, were described by family and law officials as “coming from a Russian region near Chechnya”. The Czech ambassador to the US, Petr Gandalovic, released a statement trying to clear up the matter; he called the mistake “unfortunate”.

Drugs, alcohol played no role in high-speed chase, fatal crash

An autopsy has confirmed that a 17-year-old youth who crashed his father’s vehicle at high speed during a car chase on the country’s D1 highway in March, was not on drugs or alcohol, tn.cz reports. The news was confirmed by the police spokeswoman for the Vysočina region, Dana Čírtková. The motorist, who had taken the car without telling his father, crashed into slower vehicles trying to evade the police. He caused a several car pile-up: two vehicles caught fire, nine people were injured – one of them seriously; while he himself did not survive. The police had stopped traffic ahead at Velký Beranov in order to try and get the driver to stop. The General Inspection of the Security Forces is investigating whether officers, in the incident, proceeded accordingly.

Investigators look into suspicious police force purchase

The inspection team for the Prague City Police force is investigating the suspicious purchase of silver bars last year for 512,000 crowns. The force bought 40 small bars in order to recognise officers for outstanding service. Investigators are now going over details of the purchase, gauging the weight and quality of the silver against the purchasing price; they have also requested additional documentation. The head of the police admitted that based on the investigation so far, wrongdoing could not fully be ruled out. The silver was bought during a period when the force was led by deputy head Ludvík Klema, after former police chief, Vladimír Kotrouš, was remanded in custody on corruption charges.

President meets with trade unions head

President Miloš Zeman on Friday met for the second time at Prague Castle with the head of the trade union’s umbrella organisation ČMKOS, Jaroslav Zavadil. During the meeting, issues discussed included the boosting of the economy, with Mr Zeman outlining he would sit in on a future tripartite session of the government, trade unions and business representatives. As president, Mr Zeman has promised to take a more hands-on approach than his predecessor; the next tripartite meeting is on April 25 and is scheduled to tackle issues of economic growth and the minimum wage; but the president is only expected to make the session after that, held in late June.

Two fireman suffer light injuries in blaze

Two fire fighters suffered light injuries handling a blaze at an uninhabited railway building in Prague’s Bartošková Street. One had to be treated for heat stress. Damages to the site have been estimated at around 100,000 crowns. The cause of the fire remains unknown, but a spokesman suggested that homeless inhabitants or drug-users may have been responsible.

Pedestrian killed by oncoming ambulance

A 25-year-old pedestrian crossing at an unlit section of road near Hradec Králové was struck and killed on Friday night by an oncoming ambulance. The ambulance driver swerved at the last second but was unable to avoid the collision; the vehicle continued another 20 metres before coming to a stop. The ambulance did not have warning lights on but was not transporting any other passengers.

Hockey: Zlín forces a deciding seventh game in the Extraliga playoff finals

Hockey club Zlín has forced a deciding seventh game in the Extraliga playoff finals, defeating rivals for the championship title Plzeň on Friday. Zlín turned the match around early in the second period with two goals in quick succession. The club went on to win by a score of 5:2. The final game takes places on Sunday evening.

Weather

Mostly cloudy conditions are expected over the weekend. There is a chance of rain in places. Saturday should see highs of around only 7 degrees while Sunday should be some 10 degrees warmer.