Daily news summary

Czech military hardware seen in Azerbaijan video despite embargo

Czech-made military hardware has appeared in a promotional video for the Azerbaijani army, despite the fact that the Czech Republic has an official embargo against supplying such products to the country, Hospodářské noviny reported on Tuesday. The items in question are the DANA artillery piece and the RM-70 rocket launcher.

A spokesperson for the Azerbaijani army said it had acquired the equipment from the Czech Republic. Its producer, Czechoslovak Group, says it adhered to all laws and regulations regarding sales. The Czech authorities and secret services are looking into the matter, Hospodářské noviny said.

Czech wins top European young scientist prize

The winner of the main category in the European Union Contest for Young Scientists this year was Karina Movsesjan, an 18-year-old from the Czech town of Karlovy Vary. Her research was in the field of cancer inception and explored how a particular protein mutates.

Movsesjan is a student of biotechnology at Masaryk University in Brno. She was one of around 120 teenagers from around the continent who attended this year’s edition of the European Union Contest for Young Scientists in the Estonian capital Tallinn.

Actress Květa Fialová passes away at 88

Actress Květa Fialová died on Tuesday at the age of 88 after a career of almost seven decades. Born in what is today Slovakia, she was known for her stage, film and television work.

Fialová was hired by Jan Werich for his Divadlo ABC theatre in the late 1950s and appeared in a host of popular movies, including Lemonade Joe, Dinner for Adela and Closely Observed Trains.

British study suggests Czech Republic “world’s unhealthiest country”

The Czech Republic has been judged the world’s unhealthiest country by Clinic Compare, a UK clinic comparison website. It collated information from the World Health Organization, the CIA World Factbook and the World Lung Association and ranked each state according to three factors: alcohol consumption, tobacco consumption and obesity levels.

The study’s authors said residents of the Czech Republic consumed an average of 13.7 litres of pure alcohol annually and ranked 11th highest in per capita cigarettes smoked a year. Russia came second in the survey, followed by Slovenia, Belarus and Slovakia.

Rise in rail journeys in first six months of year

Around 90.9 million rail journeys were made in the Czech Republic in the first half of 2017, according to figures released on Tuesday by the Ministry of Transport. The number was 1.7 million higher than for the same period the previous year. The total distance covered by passengers rose more sharply, by 6.5 percent.

The figure for bus journeys in the Czech Republic in the January to July period remained at 173 million, according to the transport ministry.

Falta only uncapped player in for final World Cup qualifiers

The Czech national soccer team manager, Karel Jarolím, has called up only one uncapped player, Olomouc’s Šimon Falta, for two World Cup qualifiers against Azerbaijan and San Marino. The midfielder, who is 24, has scored three goals and made one assist for his club this season.

The Czechs final World Cup qualifiers games, in Baku on October 5 and in San Marino three days later, will be of little consequence as Jarolím’s men are already out of the running for Russia 2018.

Weather forecast

It should be cloudy with sunny spells in the Czech Republic on Wednesday, with temperatures of up to around 19 degrees Celsius. The weather is expected to remain largely unchanged until the start of next week.