News in brief for May 27: Prague's Modřany and Libuš get tram line extension

Czech President Petr Pavel will meet with Prime Minister Petr Fiala and the speakers of both houses of parliament, Miloš Vystrčil and Markéta Pekarová Adamová, on Wednesday, senate press secretary Lada Faldynová tells Czech News Agency. Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský will also be at the meeting, suggesting that topics could include foreign policy coordination or the upcoming NATO summit in Vilnius.

The meeting between Pavel and Fiala and the heads of the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate will take place early in the morning, shortly before a meeting of the upper house of parliament, which is scheduled to vote on Pavel's three candidates for constitutional judges.

A state prosecutor has filed a motion to charge a man who police say damaged a passing car with Ukrainian plates after an anti-government protest on Wenceslas Square in March, reports Czech Television. It's the second case of cars with Ukrainian plates being targeted this week.

"A proposal has been filed to punish one person for damaging foreign property on national grounds, using violence on national grounds, and rioting," prosecutor Katarína Kandová told Czech News Agency. She added that police suspected another person of attacking the same car, but were unable to identify who that person was.

A group of volunteers in the Moravia-Silesian region of Frýdek-Místek in Czechia have launched the “Paths of Love” tourist project. Its aim is to restore and clean damaged tourist routes and wells across the country. 

Starting with the construction of a sidewalk and a small bridge over a stream, the project plans to tackle approximately 4,000 kilometers of damaged sections. The Czech Tourist Club, rail carrier RegioJet, and drinks producer Kofoloa will together invest millions of crowns in the project.

A Czech laboratory has confirmed the presence of African swine fever in three wild boars in Frýdlant, Liberec. Each was discovered in different hunting areas. According to spokesperson for the State Veterinary Administration Petr Majer, since the beginning of December 2022 the disease has been confirmed in 19 dead wild boars in the region.

No measures have yet been announced in response to the discovery – earlier this year the movement of the wild animal population was controlled to prevent the disease’s spread.

Canadian singer Céline Dion announced that she has called off her Prague show and European tour due to a rare neurological disease that causes muscle spasms. 

She had been due to appear in the capital in March 2024. She had originally planned to perform in Europe (and Prague) from February to March 2023, but needed to postpone due to health reasons. Ticketholders will be refunded from the original point of sale. The singer last appeared on stage in March 2020.

President Pavel concluded Friday his two-day visit to the Vysočina Region, where he discussed ecology and agriculture-related aspects. He rounded off his visit at a farm in Kožichovice, where he commended eco-friendly practices in large-scale tomato farming, emphasizing that agriculture and ecology can coexist harmoniously.

He also met representatives from the Lesy České republiky forestry company to assess the impact of bark beetle on the forests nationwide. Pavel emphasized the need for a comprehensive approach to restoring any affected areas, which involves educating future forestry workers and supporting smaller forest owners.

Starting today, Prague’s number 17 tram line for the first time runs between Modřany and Libuš in the south of the capital. The Prague Public Transit Company (DPP) also added four new stops and 1,700 meters to the route, and the total cost of the extension totaled about CZK 300 million – paid mainly from EU funds. 

Bus routes in the area have also changed – number 165 will go out of operation, and its old route will be taken over by numbers 139 and 246. A new route – number 126 – will run from Koleje Jižní Město to Uhříněvsi. Full details of the tram and bus changes can be found here.