Daily news summary

One dies in blast at Czech Army building

One soldier died and another was injured following an explosion at a Czech Army building in Vyškov, around 30 kilometres from Brno, on Tuesday. The military academy complex has been sealed off but a spokesperson said there was no danger of further blasts.

The incident, which took place before 9 am, is believed to have been an accident. The explosion took place in a basement area of the building, which houses both living facilities and offices.

Girl loses appeal after school bars her from wearing hijab

A Somali girl who was barred from wearing a hijab at a Prague secondary school has lost an appeal in which she was seeking an apology and CZK 60,000 in compensation from the institution. Prague’s Municipal Court on Tuesday confirmed a previous ruling under which the girl’s allegation of discrimination was dismissed.

The plaintiff had argued that wearing the veil was an expression of her religious conviction. However, a Municipal Court judge said that the school, which prepares students for a career in medicine, had to remain a “neutral environment”.

Seznam.cz files application to operate TV channel

The internet company Seznam.cz has applied to the Council for Radio and Television Broadcasting for a license to operate a TV station. The project is envisaged as a classic television channel available via terrestrial transmitters, satellite and cable.

Last year Seznam.cz launched the news website Seznam-zpravy.cz, which carries video content. The new TV station should be funded by advertising.

Three scientists get prizes and large sums toward research

The president of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Eva Zažímalová, presented a prestigious award to three top scientists at a ceremony in Prague on Tuesday.

The Praemium Academiae prize was accepted by Petr Baldrian, an environmentalist and soil fungi expert; Michal Fárník, a physicist who specialises in the atmosphere; and Jan Flusser, an informatics expert who works on processing images.

All three of the scientists have also received some CZK 30 million toward their research activities in the next six years.

New Krobot film to get world premiere at Chicago IFF

The Quartette, a new film by Czech director Miroslav Krobot, will receive its world premiere at the Chicago International Film Festival in the US this coming Saturday. Audiences in the Czech Republic will get their first chance to see the movie on October 30.

The Quartette is a comedy drama revolving around a group of string players. It follows the director’s 2014 debut Nowhere in Moravia, which drew domestic audiences of 150,000.

Football: Plzeň win seventh match in a row

Football club Viktoria Plzeň won their seventh match in a row on Monday, defeating Zlín by a score of 2:1. The win set a new club record and leaves them undefeated so far this season in the Czech top flight, six points ahead of defending champions Slavia.

With the win, Plzeň also rebounded from their 3:0 loss against Bucharest club FCSB in the Europa League.

Weather forecast

It should be rainy with temperatures of around 13 degrees Celsius in the Czech Republic on Wednesday. Similar weather is forecast for the coming week.