Czech news in brief for November 24: Friday's top headlines

The Czech ambassador to Israel Veronika Kuchyňová Šmigolová told the press today that the mood in Palestine and Israel is tense as hostages are set to be released. It is unclear what condition they will be in or if the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas will last, she noted. There is also no guarantee of full certainty that the hostages will be released.

According to Šmigolová, Israel is also making it clear that it will resume its military operation after the end of the ceasefire in order to fulfill its goal of ridding the Gaza Strip of Hamas rule. the conflict could end if Hamas surrendered, laid down its arms and its command left Gaza. She said the war could end if Hamas surrendered, laid down its arms, and its command left Gaza.

After Sparta Prague's Europa League clash with Glasgow Rangers on Nov. 9 in Scotland, Czech citizens were detained in the UK, Czech diplomats confirmed today. The families of the incarcerated individuals are in direct contact with the Czech embassy in London and the consulate in Manchester, seeking information and assistance. However, specific details regarding the situation have not been publicly disclosed.

Sparta's defeat, 1:2 against Rangers, posed a setback in their campaign, leaving them in the third position within Group C standings.

According to the Czech school employees' union, roughly 70 percent of primary, and secondary schools, and kindergartens in the Czech Republic will participate in a strike on Monday, demanding increased education funding. Some schools will close, while others will operate with limitations. 

The unions announced a day-long strike on Nov. 27. They protest a proposed 2-percent salary decrease for non-teaching staff and government plans to cut state-funded teaching hours. The country has about 4,200 primary, 1,300 secondary schools, and 5,400 kindergartens, mostly overseen by municipalities, with a few private and church-run schools. Municipalities also manage most kindergartens, including private and church-affiliated ones.

In their meeting today, Czech PM Petr Fiala and Slovak PM Robert Fico discussed cooperation in energy, transport, security, defense, and migration. They agreed to continue joint government meetings and expressed a desire for close relations between the two countries.

Fiala highlighted the Czech Republic's participation in protecting Slovak airspace and commanding a NATO battlegroup in Slovakia. The countries plan to jointly acquire CV90-tracked combat vehicles. They also discussed migration and the importance of effective joint action by European countries to avoid the need for border checks. Fiala emphasized the need for a common migration and asylum policy in Europe.

Over 122,000 Ukrainian refugees found employment in the Czech Republic as of this week, meaning that 60 percent of Ukrainian refugees in Czechia between the ages of 18 and 65 work, according to Labor Minister Marian Jurečka. He also highlighted that newcomers will pay more in taxes than they will receive in social benefits.

Germany's Sepp Müller praised the Czech Republic for its successful employment of refugees and suggested that Germany should follow their example. Müller said that the number of Ukrainian refugees working in Germany stood at 9 percent. Czechia's high employment rate can be attributed to changes in support policies, low unemployment, and companies with high labor demand.

A new Czech-Taiwanese university centre in Prague will investigate the resilience of supply chains. The Supply Chain Resilience Center was symbolically launched today by representatives of Charles University and the National Chengchi University. The centre, supported by both governments, will focus on studying the highly skilled workforce, chip production capacities, and sustainability, with an emphasis on semiconductors.

Charles University Rector Milena Králíčková highlighted the center's role in offering solutions for economic development and competitiveness. Coordinated by the Faculty of Social Sciences and the International College of Innovation, the Centre will be based in Jinonice, Prague, and funded by the Taiwanese government until 2027.

Approximately 25,000 households in Prague 4 and neighboring districts Kamýk and Modřany in Prague 12 have been without heat and hot water since yesterday due to a pipe failure. The outage is expected to be restored by 11:00 p.m. tonight, according to Pražská teplárenská and the town hall of Prague 4.

The outage is due to a leak that occurred on a primary heating line in Hurbanova Street, causing a limited supply of heating water. The Thomayer Hospital in Krč and the Institute of Clinical and Experimental Medicine are unaffected by the outage.

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico met with Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala in Prague to discuss bilateral cooperation and European politics. Fico's visit comes amid media interest and protests, with opponents and supporters present.

A joint statement will be made after the meeting, and Fico is also scheduled to meet with President Petr Pavel and former Prime Minister Andrej Babiš. His program also included a visit to the monument of the co-founder of Czechoslovakia, Milan Rastislav Štefánik.

Meteorologists warn drivers and pedestrians in the Czech Republic of the possibility of icy roads tonight. The Czech Hydrometeorological Institute has issued a warning of local ice or frost formation on wet roads throughout the country, except for the southernmost regions of the South Moravian Region.

The warning is in effect from 10 p.m. today until 8 a.m. on Saturday. In addition, there is a risk of snow tongues forming in the higher parts of the Bohemian-Moravian Highlands on Saturday morning. Motorists are advised to be cautious and pedestrians are advised to limit going outside.

This year's Black Friday sales event, a day of post-Thanksgiving and pre-Christmas shopping discounts originating from the U.S., is also attracting Czech shoppers despite tighter rules on displaying discounts. Retailers must now prove the original price from the past 30 days. The Czech Trade Inspection will monitor compliance with the law.

Some Czech retailers offer sales under this name throughout November or a week before the official date. Stores are offering up to 40 percent off, though inventory levels are lower than last year. Black Friday remains important for online sellers, despite decreasing turnover. Customers can expect reduced prices on electronics and clothing. Along with the second week of December, Black Friday is the most important time of the year for e-shops.

In his first foreign trip as Slovak Prime Minister, Robert Fico will meet with Czech leaders including his Czech counterpart Petr Fiala and President Petr Pavel today in Prague. He'll also meet parliamentary presidents and opposition leader Andrej Babiš. Fico aims to discuss bilateral ties and European issues with the Czech officials.

His visit comes as he takes power following elections last month. During his visit the Slovak PM will lay a wreath at the National Memorial in Vítkov and at the memorial to the co-founder of Czechoslovakia, Milan Rastislav Štefánik.

Little is known about the new pneumonia virus affecting children in China, and the World Health Organization (WHO) should take a more active role, Czech Health Minister Válek said. The WHO has asked China for details but should monitor the situation closely instead of "sleeping on it", he said. Large countries are often the source of new virus mutations like avian flu, SARS, and MERS.

The European Centre for Disease Prevention monitors information from 3,000 daily sources and highlights issues weekly, such as rising respiratory syncytial virus across Europe. Agencies must learn from Covid-19 and boost preparedness, Valek said. The WHO wants more data on the pneumonia cases' origins from China.

The University of Economics in Prague will no longer require bachelor's students to write theses, replacing them with practical "real world" learning experiences. According to an interview in Forbes with Dean Jiří Hnilici, theses are outdated and can be written by AI, making authorship impossible to verify.

Students will now complete internships, study abroad programs, faculty research, or launch their own businesses. The goal is for students to gain experience rather than focusing on writing. AI may still be used as a tool under supervision for diploma theses, which will involve collecting unique data not prone to plagiarism.

Jaroslav Tvrdík, head of the Czech-Chinese Chamber and Slavia Prague soccer club, requested Chinese PM Li Qiang restore direct flights between the countries during a private meeting in Beijing Thursday. Tvrdík says flights are key to business and tourism. He notified Czech authorities of the meeting in advance.

Czech politicians and diplomats have recently been trying to establish a more constructive relationship with the Chinese regime, which cooled down with the political exit of longtime pro-Chinese President Miloš Zeman. Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala dismissed reports in recent days that he is planning a visit to China.