Czech news in brief for October 6: Sunday's top headlines

Czech tennis player Karolína Muchová lost to American Coco Gauff 1-6, 3-6 at the China Open final, falling in just over an hour. This is Muchová's second WTA final loss of the season, following a defeat in Palermo. Gauff, the US Open 2022 champion, secured her eighth career title and will move up to fourth in the world rankings. Muchová will rise from 49th to 30th position.

Slovak town Liptovský Mikuláš declared a state of emergency following a fatal bear attack on Saturday, where a 55-year-old man was killed while mushroom picking near Hybe. In response, SNS MP Rudolf Huliak proposed the culling of around 30 bears known to frequent residential areas. Authorities have already captured two bears, one near the attack site. This is Slovakia's second fatal bear attack, the first occurring in 2021 in the same region.

A Slovak repatriation flight landed in Bratislava on Saturday, bringing nine Czechs and three Lebanese family members from Lebanon. Czech Foreign Ministry spokesperson Daniel Drake stated that no additional repatriation requests have been received, urging those in need to contact the embassy. The evacuation comes amid escalating Israeli military actions targeting Hezbollah in Lebanon.

A 49-year-old man has died following a knife attack in Králův Dvůr, near Beroun. Police received a report about an unconscious man near a bike path on the evening of Oct. 5. Despite immediate medical assistance, the victim succumbed to his injuries. Authorities have arrested a 53-year-old foreign national, believed to have attacked the victim, just hours after the incident. Both men were reportedly unknown to each other. The suspect faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted of murder.

Defence Minister Jana Černochová emphasized the importance of unity in honoring World War II soldiers, regardless of nationality or ideology, during a ceremony at the National Memorial in Prague. The event commemorated the 80th anniversary of the Carpatho-Dukla operation, a significant battle against the Nazis. Černochová remarked on the former regime's misuse of this history, stressing that true remembrance honors all who fought for freedom.

New Jersey Devils beat the Buffalo Sabres 3-1 in Prague on Saturday, securing their second win at the NHL Global Series in front of 16,722 fans. Paul Cotter scored the game-winning goal, while Jack Hughes contributed two assists. New Jersey played without Czech forward Ondřej Palát, who returned home for the birth of his second child. Buffalo's Jiří Kulich played his second NHL game, while Lukáš Rousek was not in the lineup.

Analysts predict a slight rise in September’s year-on-year inflation due to a lower comparison base from last year. The Czech National Bank also expects a higher annual growth rate in consumer prices. Motorists benefited from lower fuel prices, but other sectors, like housing and clothing, saw mild price increases. Analysts estimate an annual inflation rate of 2.4 percent for 2024; the Czech Statistical Office will release official September inflation data on Thursday.

Several hundred people gathered in Prague on Saturday to demonstrate in support of Palestine, calling for a reassessment of the Czech government’s position on Israel. The protesters marched from Náměstí Míru to Náměstí Republiky, chanting slogans and carrying Palestinian and Lebanese flags. Some banners accused Czech leaders of condoning violence against Palestinians. The protest was organized by the groups Prague4PalestineYouth and Friends of Palestine, and proceeded peacefully.

Jana Maláčová, former Minister of Labour and Social Affairs, was elected chairwoman of the Czech Social Democrats (SOCDEM) at the party congress on Saturday, receiving 66 percent of delegates’ votes. Maláčová’s main goal is to lead SOCDEM back into the lower house in next year’s elections. She aims to form a broad left-wing coalition similar to France’s New Popular Front. The party has struggled to surpass the 5 percent threshold in recent polls.

A team of 15 young majorettes from Jeseník returned from the world championships in South Africa with ten gold medals. The group, aged 8 to 20, excelled in solo and mini formations, also earning one silver medal and two additional top-five placements. The team had been preparing for six months, and despite recent floods that hit their hometown, they made the journey and achieved major success.

A new survey by PerfectCrowd for Sazka reveals that 72 percent of Czechs believe in superstitions, rituals, or lucky symbols. Younger people are particularly superstitious, with 10 percent of respondents identifying as strongly superstitious. The most popular good luck symbols include four-leaf clovers, chimney sweeps, and broken glass. Nearly half of the population owns a good luck amulet, most commonly a clover or protective mineral. The survey involved 1,020 respondents aged 18 to 70.