Czech news in brief for March 21: Friday's top headlines

The 30th Book World Prague festival, set for May 15-18, will feature notable authors including Man Booker Prize winner Georgi Gospodinov, Ukrainian Andrei Kurkov, Finnish Pirkko Saisio, and US thriller writer Sam Holland. Portugal will be the guest of honor, with Portuguese writers and Czech authors highlighting shared themes. The event will also announce the European Union Prize for Literature winners and honor Boualem Sansal with the Jiri Thayer Prize.

Czechia will reinstate emergency checks at the Slovak border from Friday at 7 a.m. following a foot-and-mouth disease outbreak in Slovakia, Agriculture Minister Marek Vyborny announced. The country will ban livestock imports from Slovakia and implement emergency veterinary measures. Czech breeders are prohibited from contact with Slovak animals or farmers. The outbreak was detected on two farms in southern Slovakia, near Hungary, where cases emerged earlier.

Czech President Petr Pavel arrived in Kyiv by train Friday morning to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and possibly Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal. A day earlier, Pavel visited Odessa, discussing battlefield conditions and Czechia’s aid, including combat vehicles and medical supplies. His trip follows his 2023 Ukraine visit. Meanwhile, Russia and Ukraine continue airstrikes despite discussions on a partial ceasefire.

Up to 10 percent of Czechs over 15 consume excessive alcohol daily, with nearly 900,000 drinking several pints of beer, glasses of wine, or spirits, a 2024 report reveals. Alcohol-related harm costs CZK 80 billion annually and causes 6 percent of deaths. The report warns of rising youth alcohol use and widespread misuse of psychoactive drugs, affecting up to 1.4 million people.

The ski season in Czechia is nearing its end, with many resorts closing this weekend. However, some, particularly in mountain regions, aim to extend operations until Easter. Resorts such as Harrachov and Vítkovice plan to remain open longer, while others, like Bedřichov and Rejdice, have already closed. Several smaller resorts, including Lipno and Kvilda, will also continue into next week, offering reduced off-season rates and fewer crowds.

The Czech AIDS Help Society will increase outreach to foreigners, who account for 41 percent of new HIV cases in Czechia, director Stanislav Pekarek said. Nearly 900 HIV-positive Ukrainian refugees have begun treatment since the war’s start. Experts cite COVID-19 and the Ukraine war as key factors in rising cases. The organization is adapting with multilingual resources and a Ukrainian contact doctor to build trust.