Massive 9.8 ton symbolic bell has arrived in Prague from Austria

A ship from Hamburg, carrying a 9.8 ton bell cast by Austrian bellfounders, has arrived in Prague. The bell is a symbolic replacement for the many church bells that were melted down by the Nazis during World War II. The arrival of the ship took place exactly 80 years after the last confiscated bell transport left the then Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia heading for Hamburg, reports DeníkN.cz.

The bell’s weight, 9,801 kilograms, is equivalent to the weight of all the bells in Bohemia and Moravia that were confiscated. A ceremonial unveiling of the bell will take place at the Čapadlo on the Smetana embankment at 7 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 28.

Czech Defence Minister Jana Černochová rejects the accusation that she supported terrorism, she only felt no regret for the death of a Russian propagandist who called for the immediate extermination of Ukrainians. Russian Ambassador to the United Nations Vasily Nebenzya accused her of support for terrorism at a meeting of the UN Security Council.

Nebenzya reacted to Černochová’s comment on the social network about the Saturday assassination of Darya Dugina, daughter of Russian nationalist ideologist Aleksander Dugin. Černochová tweeted, "I feel sorry neither for the daughter nor for the mourning father.“ She said she felt sorry for the thousands of people murdered as a result of their propaganda and repulsive ideology.

Confidence in the Czech economy fell for the third month in a row in August, falling by 1.6 points to 94.1. Among entrepreneurs, it fell in all sectors. Meanwhile, it increased among consumers after five months of decline. In July, consumer confidence reached the lowest value in the history of the survey, while in August, it rose by 3.5 points to a value of 77.1.

According to EU experts, the current drought in Europe is probably the worst in 500 years. A European Commission spokesperson on Tuesday highlighted a new report based on satellite data on the development and impact of the drought. It warns, among other things, of the expected decline in summer yields in agriculture, especially for corn, soybeans, and sunflowers.

First-level floods have been registered in the rivers of Botiča, Chotýšanka, Žirovnica, and Želetavka after the heavy rains overnight and on Tuesday morning. However, the water levels are no longer rising and are gradually decreasing. The situation in Prague is being monitored following the Saturday flood of the underpass in the Vršovice railway station.

The Czech Hydrometeorological Institute (ČHMÚ) issued flood and heavy rain warnings for the night and Tuesday morning. Since they both have expired, meteorologists have not issued new warnings.

One of the main causes of the energy crisis is green fanaticism, whether it is called the Green Deal or whatever, said President Miloš Zeman addressing Czech ambassadors at Prague Castle today. He also said that the Czech Republic should not "play great power politics." 

At this year's NATO Days in Ostrava and Days of the Air Force of the Czech Republic in September, a record 22 countries will be represented at the airport in Mošnov in Novojičín. For the first time, a country from South America, Brazil, will participate in the event and demonstrate its modern medium transport aircraft C-390 Millennium.

The number of inmates, including women, in Czech prisons has been increasing again. It has reached 19,164 now, 426 more than at the beginning of the year, said Deputy Justice Minister Petr Dohnal.

"Unfortunately, the beginning of the last year marked the end of the positive trend of the decreasing number of imprisoned persons, or more precisely, its stagnation. We are currently experiencing a repeated increase," said Dohnal, adding that the extra 426 prisoners are "quite a lot." The current trend is, to a certain degree, related to the post-COVID period, as all the procedures are now fully active again, he explained.

The Czech consulate in Chengdu, which opened because of the castle's pro-Chinese ambitions, is about to close, writes news server Seznam Zprávy. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs explains the possible closing of some Czech offices due to savings concerns. This could also apply to the one in the capital city of Sichuan province.

This move might also indicate a further cooling of Czech-Chinese relations, which had already begun due to Beijing not condemning the Russian aggression.