Czech news in brief for April 5: Saturday's top headlines

Rodrigue Kwizera of Burundi and Lilian Rengeruk from Kenya won the Prague Half Marathon on Saturday. Kwizera ran a personal best of 58:54, just edging Kenya’s Isaia Kipkoech Lasoi by two seconds to set a national record. Rengeruk led the women’s race at 1:05:27. Patrik Vebr (1:05:40) and Michaela Čepová (1:15:38) were the top Czech finishers in the annual race.

A proposed reform to social benefits in the Czech Republic would freeze the living minimum for Ukrainian refugees. This change is part of a new law that will be reviewed by the Senate soon. Around 400,000 refugees currently benefit from humanitarian aid, which includes living and housing support. Critics argue the freeze could hinder support for vulnerable populations, despite the financial strain many face.

A fire broke out Saturday morning in an office building in Prague’s Troja district, sending a column of black smoke into the sky. Firefighters responded quickly to the blaze, which spread from a balcony to the building’s interior. The fire was contained within half an hour. Two people were evacuated, and traffic in the area, including public transport, was disrupted due to the large firefighting response.

Diver teams resumed their search for two men in the Orlík reservoir south of Prague on Saturday, following reports of jumps from nearby bridges. One man’s body was recovered in March. Due to the challenging conditions—cold temperatures and limited visibility—searches often take days. The area is notorious for suicides, especially in spring. Police use sonar to locate bodies in depths of up to 40 meters.

The PX index on the Prague Stock Exchange fell 5.32 percent Friday to 1,951.67 points—its lowest level in a month. The index lost 7.9 percent over the week, marking its steepest weekly decline since the Covid-19 crash in March 2020. Global markets are reacting to new U.S. import tariffs and China’s retaliatory measures. Czech bank stocks led losses, with Erste Bank down nearly 8 percent. Trading volumes were unusually high, exceeding CZK 2.2 billion.

Czech donors have contributed more than CZK 1.2 million to public collections for victims of last week’s deadly earthquake in Myanmar and Thailand. People in Need, Adra, and Diakonie CCE are among the organizations providing aid. Over 3,000 people were killed in Myanmar, where the military has restricted aid to contested areas. The WHO has declared the disaster its highest-level emergency.

Olomouc Governor Ladislav Okleštěk has banned public access to the site of February’s toxic benzene train crash near Hustopeče nad Bečvou. The area remains hazardous, with soil and water contamination detected. The ban follows a Czech Environmental Inspectorate recommendation and aims to protect health and aid cleanup. A state of emergency is in effect until April 27. Violators risk fines of several thousand crowns.

The main tourist season begins this weekend at Czech castles and chateaux run by the National Heritage Institute. This year’s theme, In the Footsteps of Noble Families, highlights the influence of 17th-century Italian aristocracy, especially the Collalto, Colloredo, and Piccolomini families. Key sites include Uherčice, Opočno, and Náchod. Last year, over four million people visited heritage sites managed by the institute.

Kenya’s Isaia Kipkoech Lasoi and Lilian Kasait Rengeruková lead an elite field of runners at Saturday’s Prague Half Marathon. Czech runner Patrik Vebr seeks a third straight domestic win. A record 16,000 runners will start the race at 10 a.m. from Holešovice through the city center. Cooler weather is expected, avoiding last year’s heat-related issues. Eva Vrabcová Nývltová will also run, two years after ending her professional career.

Top seed Marie Bouzková was eliminated in the Bogotá Open quarterfinals Friday, falling to Poland’s Katarzyna Kawa 7–5, 1–6, 5–7. Bouzková, last year’s finalist, had aimed for her third straight win after four WTA Tour losses. Despite taking the first set, the Czech player struggled in the second and third. Kawa, ranked 223rd, secured victory after a two-hour, 43-minute match to advance to the semifinals.

EU ambassadors boycotted a WWII commemoration in Bratislava on Thursday after Russian Ambassador Igor Bratchikov was allowed to speak, Slovak PM Robert Fico said. The event marked 80 years since the city’s liberation by the Red Army. Fico criticized the boycott as disrespectful and plans to visit Moscow in May. His government has halted military aid to Ukraine and opposes increased NATO defense spending.