Czech morning news roundup: Feel-good Friday edition for November 26

Škoda Transportation has unveiled its brand-new electric bus model at a regional trade fair. The Škoda E’City bus, which emits no CO2 or other harmful substances, is destined to transform Prague public transport and due to begin service in the Czech capital next year.

The E’City bus is much more environmentally friendly than most electric buses currently operating in the Czech Republic, which tend to use diesel heating and therefore still produce some greenhouse gas. The battery-powered E’City has a range of more than 100 km on a single charge, with 69 seats onboard. Škoda’s new model was unveiled at an exhibition center in Prague’s Letňany. The city of Prague has so far ordered 14 E’City buses, with the first expected to arrive in mid-January for use on the no. 154 and no. 213 lines.

The Run for Advent charity project in the Czech Republic is attracting greater interest, with people encouraged to run throughout the Advent season to help those facing difficult circumstances. This year the seventh annual Run for Advent is taking place, and over 5,800 people are taking part.

This year the project aims to raise enough money to buy a number of devices to help handicapped children. Companies have agreed to turn the miles run by participants into money, and every penny raised by the initiative will go to support kids facing difficult situations. The running project is open to everyone, of any ability level; simply join the Adventí běhání Facebook group and run at least thirty minutes every day, in any location and over any distance, from December 1 to 25. Those in Prague can run together with the group every day throughout the advent period except Fridays.

Movie star Chris Hemsworth is in Prague to film Extraction 2 in a four-month shoot expected to last until March. During some downtime, he shared a clip of himself and his wife enjoying cream-filled trdelník in the city center.

In the clip, Hemsworth teases his wife Elsa Pataky, who had cream on her nose, by telling her she has “a little something on your chin.” After wiping her chin and removing absolutely none of the offending cream, he tells her “perfect, you look good.” Hemsworth captioned the post: “Here in Prague, thankful to have my wife teaching me her fine European dining skills.” The U.S. star has been married to Pataky, who is from Spain, for over ten years.

Celebrated Czech writer Bohumil Hrabal’s holiday home in Kersko, around 30 kilometers to the east of Prague, could soon be turned into an exhibition space. Plans for the adaptation of the space for the public were presented this week by representatives of the Central Bohemian Region and the Polabí museum.

Earlier this year, Hrabal’s summer home was listed for sale online for nearly CZK 12 million. The Czech Ministry of Culture quickly announced its intention to buy the house from the owners, Hrabal’s former neighbors. It’s thought the purchase has been approved and the sale should go through soon. Plans for the building including the construction of facilities for visitors, and a space for resident writers and translators with space for workshops and lectures. The intent is not to create a standard museum-like exhibition, but to turn the space into reminder of Hrabal’s work and writing habits.

The Czech government has sent over CZK 300,000 to help African states prepare for and protect themselves against chemical incidents and attacks. The money will be distributed to support assistance and protection projects run by the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) Africa program.

The Czech contribution was formally agreed during a ceremony on November 23 at the OPCW’s headquarters in The Hague. The money is being donated within the framework of Article X of the Chemical Weapons Convention. The OPCW’s Africa program focuses on the promotion of peaceful and authorized uses of chemicals to create a safe and secure Africa. The OPCW’s main global goal is the permanent elimination of chemical weapons. Over 98% of all declared chemical weapon stocks have been destroyed under OPCW supervision since the organization was founded. The organization received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2013 for its efforts towards eliminating chemical weapons.