News in brief for Aug. 25: Top headlines for Czechia on Friday

On Ukraine's Independence Day, which was Aug. 24, the country expressed gratitude to its international allies, including the Czech Republic, through a themed video posted on social media. The video featured quotes from Czechoslovak and Czech President Václav Havel; a song by protest singer and poet Karel Kryl; and historical footage from Czechoslovakia after the 1968 Soviet-led invasion together with contemporary images from Ukraine, emphasizing their shared history of confronting Russian oppression.

The video also acknowledged the Czech Republic's consistent support, including the provision of helicopters, artillery rocket systems, and tanks since Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Former Minister of Foreign Affairs Karel Schwarzenberg wrote on Facebook that a recent hospitalization in a medical facility at Prague's Karlovo náměstí left him with a good impression of the Czech health care system, which he felt the need to share.

While conceding that his illness wasn't a pleasant experience, Schwarzenberg emphasized the "impeccable" staff in all departments and the facilities of the hospital. and praised the doctors, nurses, and other staff for being welcoming and treating all the patients equally well. His Facebook post currently has more than 11,000 likes.

A tragic accident occurred on the D1 highway near Brno, in Ostrava's direction, causing a complete road closure since morning. The collision involved a truck and a van, resulting in the van's driver dying before rescue teams arrived. Authorities intermittently allowed single-lane traffic diversion to ease the congestion. Traffic partially resumed around 11:30 a.m., with full clearance for vehicles granted 45 minutes later.

The accident triggered a massive 20-kilometer traffic jam toward Brno, overloading alternate routes. Regrettably, two additional accidents occurred within the traffic queue, further complicating the situation, and drivers were urged to exercise caution and maintain safe distances.

A 48-year-old man in Plasy, northern Pilsen Region, has been detained by the Pilsen-North District Court on suspicion of assaulting two foreign women, reportedly from Ukraine, on Aug. 13. He is charged with bodily harm and disorderly conduct, potentially facing up to five years in prison if found guilty. Two other suspects remain at large. Details of the incident are yet to be officially disclosed by the police.

The attack followed tensions in the region after an 18-year-old Ukrainian man was accused of raping and attempting to murder a 15-year-old girl in Pilsen on Aug. 8, sparking protests and online expressions of hostility towards Ukrainians.

September's Burgerfest at the Berlin residence of German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier will be a major cultural event for Czechia in Germany. The Czech-German Future Fund is a special guest and will bring together Czech and German organizations and artists. The Czech Republic is the European partner country for this year's festival.

The event, held in Berlin's Bellevue Presidential Palace Gardens, will take place on Sept. 8 and 9. Friday is reserved for selected guests and Saturday is open to the public. The festival celebrates the Fund's 25th anniversary and highlights the strong relations between Czechs and Germans.

Czech President Petr Pavel will meet North Macedonian President Stevo Pendarovski in Prague next Tuesday to talk about supporting North Macedonia's EU membership bid. Pendarovski will also meet with Czech officials and the North Macedonian community in the Czech Republic.

The visit aims to strengthen trade, promote investment, and discuss security and migration cooperation. Czech officials expressed their appreciation of North Macedonia's stance on the Ukrainian crisis and the country's contribution to preventing migration to the EU. The last visit to Prague from a North Macedonian president was five years ago.

Dinamo Zagreb defeated Sparta Praha 3-1 in the Europa League third qualifying round. Ladislav Krejčí put Sparta in the lead with a penalty, but Dario Špikič equalized before halftime, and Dino Perič and Luka Ivanušec scored to secure the win for Dinamo.

Sparta's winless streak in away games in the preliminary rounds of cups continues, this being the seventh game that the Prague team lost, whereas Dinamo remains undefeated against Czech teams at home. The rematch between Sparta and Dinamo Zagreb will take place on Aug. 31 at epet Arena in Prague.

Representatives of the We Bake Bread from the Minefield initiative plan to bake 600 loaves of bread from 300 kilos of Ukrainian flour to draw attention to the challenges faced by Ukrainian farmers. The Ostrava branch of the National Agricultural Museum is showcasing an exhibition on Ukrainian arable and wartime fields in support of this cause.

The exhibition aims to shed light on the constant destruction of local agriculture by the Russian aggressor. Additionally, it seeks to address the manipulation of food prices and disinformation regarding Ukrainian flour. The initiative also marks 600 days since the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Parents who will continue to use spanking while raising their children will probably not face punishment even after legal changes, Labor Minister Marian Jurečka told journalists yesterday. The Ministry of Justice is crafting changes to the Civil Code, incorporating provisions against physical punishment.

The upcoming amendment, while not criminalizing parents, will outline actions prohibited towards offspring, distinguishing upbringing from domestic violence. In an interview last year with Aktuálně.cz, Minister Jurečka initially expressed concerns about overly punitive measures for parents using physical discipline in exceptional cases.