Karel Janicek

Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey is drawing thousands of European film fans to Prague’s Cinema City, one of only a few venues worldwide with a 70mm IMAX screen. Around 22,000 visitors from roughly 15 European countries had traveled to the Czech capital by Monday, prompting four or five daily screenings, many sold out. Fans have undertaken journeys of up to three days to see the film in its intended format. The article explains that 70mm IMAX screenings are rare because the cameras, film prints and projection systems are expensive and technically demanding, while Prague’s venue retained its analogue projector after other cinemas shifted to digital equipment.

Thousands of European film fans are traveling to Prague to watch Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey in 70mm IMAX, a format available at only 41 cinemas worldwide and just a handful in Europe. Cinema City Prague is staging four to five screenings daily, many sold out, and had attracted 22,000 visitors from around 15 countries by Monday. The journey can take several days, but moviegoers say the larger format substantially enhances the experience. The rare format remains difficult and expensive to operate because of the heavy cameras, huge film prints, climate-controlled equipment and specially approved projectionists. Prague retained its analogue IMAX projector when other cinemas switched to digital, enabling it to host Nolan’s major IMAX releases.

Prague’s 700-year-old St. Vitus Cathedral inaugurated a new four-keyboard organ built by Gerhard Grenzing’s workshop near Barcelona. The instrument has about 6,000 pipes and will be introduced through a series of concerts featuring the Czech Philharmonic and works by Dvořák, Händel, Saint-Saëns and Haydn. The previous organ was too small and unreliable, while a crowdfunding campaign launched in 2017 raised more than 135 million Czech koruna for its replacement. The cathedral remains a major symbol of Czech statehood and religious and cultural heritage.

Tens of thousands gathered at Prague's Letná Park, with organizers estimating 200,000 participants, to protest Prime Minister Andrej Babiš's new coalition government. Demonstrators fear the administration is moving the Czech Republic toward the more pro-Russia and authoritarian models associated with Hungary and Slovakia, while criticizing plans for foreign-funded organizations and changes to public broadcaster funding. The rally was also prompted by parliament's refusal to lift Babiš's immunity in a €2 million EU-subsidy fraud case and to permit the prosecution of coalition partner Tomio Okamura over alleged incitement of hatred. Organizers warned that these decisions create a class of political 'untouchables' and said further protests are planned.

The Federation of Jewish Communities in the Czech Republic recorded 4,694 antisemitic incidents in 2024, an 8.5% increase from 2023 and the highest level reported. Nearly 96% occurred online, while physical attacks, cemetery desecrations and property damage also rose. Five teenagers were detained over an attempted synagogue arson in Brno, with two charged with terror-related offenses after police linked their radicalization to Islamic State content. Federation head Petr Papousek attributed the rise to a broader global wave of antisemitism intensified by the Israel-Gaza conflict, while the report concluded that Czechia remains safe for Jews.

The Czech Republic is advancing a more than $19 billion expansion of nuclear power at Dukovany, where South Korea’s KHNP will build two reactors exceeding 1,000 megawatts each. The units, expected to begin operating in the second half of the 2030s, could at least double the country’s nuclear output; further reactors at Temelín and small modular reactors are also under consideration. The government plans to take an 80% stake, arrange financing and guarantee ČEZ’s electricity income. Officials argue that nuclear power is needed to replace coal, meet rising electricity demand from data centers and electric vehicles, reduce emissions and strengthen energy security. The project reflects a broader European revival of nuclear investment, although high costs, spent-fuel storage, financing uncertainty and opposition from environmental groups and neighboring Austria remain significant challenges.

Cardinal Dominik Duka, the former Archbishop of Prague, died at 82 in a Prague hospital. Persecuted by Czechoslovakia's Communist regime and imprisoned for continuing church activities, he later became archbishop from 2010 to 2022 and helped resolve disputes over cathedral ownership and compensation for confiscated church property. Duka, who was named a cardinal by Pope Benedict XVI, also led Václav Havel's funeral mass. His legacy was contested by criticism that he downplayed clerical abuse and by unsuccessful legal action against plays that mocked the Catholic Church.

Czech author and anti-communist dissident Ivan Klíma has died at 94 after a long illness. A Jewish survivor of the Theresienstadt concentration camp, he initially joined Czechoslovakia's Communist Party but was expelled after criticizing the regime and later became a dissident following the 1968 Soviet-led invasion. His novels, memoirs, essays and children's works were translated widely, while support from Philip Roth helped him publish abroad. After the 1989 Velvet Revolution, Klíma devoted himself to writing and received the Czech Republic's Medal for Outstanding Service and the Franz Kafka Prize in 2002.

Roma lost at home to Lille after missing three penalties in the final stages. Artem Dovbyk’s first two attempts were saved by Berke Özer and retaken because of encroachment, while Matías Soulé’s third attempt was also stopped. Celtic were similarly frustrated in a 1-0 defeat to Braga after VAR upheld a handball decision that ruled out an apparent equalizer, prompting manager Brendan Rodgers to call the decision “baffling.”

Andrej Babis is favored to return as Czech prime minister after the parliamentary election, potentially shifting the country closer to the pro-Russian positions of Hungary and Slovakia. He has pledged to halt aid to Ukraine and abandon a Czech initiative that has acquired artillery shells for Kyiv, while still opposing withdrawal from the EU or NATO. Babis’s likely need for coalition partners could bring far-left and far-right parties into government, enabling opposition to EU climate and migration policies and greater government control of public media. His political comeback comes despite past protests, alleged conflicts of interest, the Pandora Papers, and ongoing fraud proceedings.

A previously unknown envelope linked to Czechoslovak founding president Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk was publicly unveiled after a 20-year archival embargo. The envelope contains five pages of handwritten notes in Czech and English, apparently dictated to his son Jan. Experts consider the notes genuine but dispute the date, with historian Dagmar Hajková suggesting they were written in 1934 rather than 1937, when Masaryk's health deteriorated after a stroke. The notes indicate that Masaryk believed he was nearing death and included critical comments about Czechs, the German minority and Slovak politician Andrej Hlinka. Specialists will conduct a detailed study of the documents.

Intelligence and law-enforcement agencies from the Czech Republic, Hungary and Romania have disrupted a Belarusian espionage network operating across Europe. The Czech counterintelligence service said Belarusian KGB agents were identified in several countries and expelled a Belarusian operative working under diplomatic cover. Romania also arrested a former senior Moldovan intelligence official on treason allegations, accusing the suspect of passing state secrets, receiving instructions and exchanging payments with Belarusian spies in Budapest. Eurojust is supervising the investigation. Czech intelligence chief Michal Koudelka called for restrictions on the movement of Russian and Belarusian diplomats within the Schengen area, citing the security threat posed by their activities.

Four Barbary lion cubs—three females and one male—have been born at Dvůr Králové Safari Park in the Czech Republic, providing an important boost to a captive population of fewer than 200 animals. The cubs will be transferred to zoos including Beersheba Zoo in Israel under an international endangered-species programme. The park is also discussing the possible reintroduction of Barbary lions to a Moroccan national park in the Atlas Mountains, although experts must first address protection, prey availability, bureaucracy and local-community cooperation. A feasibility conference is planned for late 2025 or early 2026.

Four Barbary lion cubs—three females and one male—have been born at Dvůr Králové Safari Park in the Czech Republic. Because the species is extinct in the wild and fewer than 200 are estimated to live in captivity, the cubs are expected to strengthen international conservation efforts. They will eventually move to participating zoos, while experts and Moroccan authorities are beginning to assess the long-term possibility of reintroducing Barbary lions to the Atlas Mountains, although such a return remains a distant prospect.

Installation of a new four-manual organ at Prague’s 700-year-old St. Vitus Cathedral is nearing completion. Built by Gerhard Grenzing’s workshop near Barcelona, the instrument has about 6,000 pipes and is scheduled to be finished in August, with voicing and tuning continuing through the end of the year. Its first public sounds are expected on June 15 next year. The previous organ was too small and unreliable, while a crowdfunding campaign launched in 2017 raised more than 109 million Czech koruna toward the replacement.

The Czech government has accused China of responsibility for cyberattacks targeting a communications network of its Foreign Ministry and other critical infrastructure since 2022. Prague attributes the campaign to APT31, which it says is linked to China’s Ministry of State Security, although the specific data taken and damage caused remain unclear. The Czech Foreign Ministry has installed a new communications system and summoned China’s ambassador. NATO and the European Union condemned the activity and expressed solidarity with the Czech Republic.

A Museum of Survivors has opened in a former textile factory in Brněnec, Czech Republic, where Oskar and Emilie Schindler helped save Jewish prisoners during the Holocaust. The site was seized from the Jewish Löw-Beer family by the Nazis in 1938 and later became a concentration camp. Driven by Daniel Löw-Beer and the Arks Foundation, the project combines Holocaust testimonies, exhibitions and educational programs, with support from the local government and the European Union. Much of the former industrial complex remains unrestored, but organizers hope the museum will preserve the area's Jewish history and demonstrate how individual action can save lives.

Prague Zoo has joined five other institutions in breeding the critically endangered Lord Howe Island stick insect, once thought extinct for more than 80 years. Native to Australia’s Lord Howe Island archipelago, the species survived on Balls Pyramid after rats introduced in 1918 devastated its population. Prague Zoo created specialized climate-controlled and biosecure facilities and secured Australian approval to breed the insects. The international program aims to return them to Lord Howe Island, where rats were eradicated in 2019.

European NATO members increased defense spending by 50% over the past decade, driven by Russia’s annexation of Crimea and full-scale invasion of Ukraine, but the International Institute for Strategic Studies says major gaps remain. European forces still face insufficient personnel, unstable public financing, limited defense-production capacity and dependence on the United States and other foreign suppliers. The report also warns that regulatory barriers, ESG requirements and competition for materials and skilled workers are constraining the defense industry. The assessment comes as European leaders reconsider transatlantic relations ahead of Donald Trump’s second U.S. presidency and seek to maintain a unified position on Russia and support for Ukraine.

Prague has approved a ban on organised nighttime pub crawls, to be enforced by city police between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. from November, with organisers facing fines of up to 100,000 koruna. City officials say the measure responds to noise, litter, security and reputational problems linked to rowdy overtourism, while aiming to encourage longer, culture-focused visits. Pub crawl organisers criticised the decision as populist, but the city says visitors will remain free to enjoy Czech beer and promote responsible beer tourism.

Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk urged the European Union to adopt tougher measures against irregular migration, saying the bloc’s recently approved asylum reforms do not go far enough. Both leaders opposed the restoration of prolonged internal border checks, arguing that the EU should strengthen its external borders instead. Tusk said Poland would present a long-term EU migration plan and highlighted pressure at the Poland–Belarus border, which he attributed to Belarusian President Aleksander Lukashenko and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Migration has become a major issue in European elections and domestic politics, particularly following Germany’s expansion of border controls after extremist attacks.

Deadly flooding caused by days of record rainfall has struck Poland, the Czech Republic, Romania and Austria, killing at least 16 people and forcing thousands to evacuate. Poland declared a disaster in affected areas and pledged 1 billion zlotys in immediate aid, while hospitals, schools and communities faced evacuations, damaged infrastructure and shortages. Czech authorities deployed boats, helicopters and emergency measures as waters began receding in some areas. Hungary warned that major flooding would reach Budapest later in the week, prompting Prime Minister Viktor Orbán to cancel foreign engagements.

Flooding across Poland, the Czech Republic, Austria and Romania caused additional deaths, widespread evacuations, infrastructure damage and power outages. Poland’s death toll rose to five, while the Czech Republic reported one death and seven missing people; six people had died in Romania and one in Austria. Authorities warned that rising waters could threaten Opole, Wroclaw and other Czech cities, while the Polish government prepared financial support for victims. The weather system was expected to affect Slovakia and Hungary, with Budapest preparing for its largest flooding in a decade using one million sandbags.

Torrential rains caused extreme flooding across the Czech Republic and southwestern Poland, prompting mass evacuations, widespread power outages, road closures and rescue operations. At least four people were missing in the Czech Republic and one person was presumed dead in Poland, while towns including Opava, Krnov, Klodzko and Glucholazy were severely affected. Flooding also struck Romania, Austria, Germany, Slovakia and Hungary. Scientists linked the potential for more intense rainfall to a hotter atmosphere driven by human-caused climate change.

Central European countries, particularly the Czech Republic and Poland, are preparing for severe rain, flooding, strong winds and mountain snowfall forecast over the weekend. Czech authorities are reinforcing flood defenses, managing reservoir levels and preparing for possible evacuations, while Poland is mobilizing emergency responders in flood-prone areas. Austria, Germany, Slovakia and Hungary are also expecting hazardous conditions. Officials are mindful of the region’s devastating 1997 floods, and scientists note that human-caused climate change can intensify rainfall by making the atmosphere warmer.

A head-on collision between a RegioJet passenger train and a freight train in Pardubice, Czech Republic, killed at least four people and injured 23 others. More than 300 passengers were aboard the train traveling toward Košice, Slovakia, but none of the injured was reported to be in life-threatening condition. Authorities closed the main rail corridor between Prague and eastern Czechia while investigating, with the disruption expected to last at least a day.

NATO foreign ministers meeting in Prague backed Ukraine's right to use Western-supplied weapons against legitimate military targets inside Russia, following President Joe Biden's limited authorization for U.S. munitions to defend Kharkiv. Ministers from several allied countries supported the shift as Russia intensified attacks launched from its territory, while NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg argued that restrictions were hindering Ukraine's self-defense. The alliance is also preparing for its July Washington summit, where it plans to reaffirm support for Ukraine and assess members' progress toward the 2% defense-spending target.

A rare almond grove near Hustopece in the Czech Republic bloomed more than two weeks early after one of the country’s warmest winters on record. Although mild weather does not harm the blossoms, forecast freezing temperatures could eliminate the harvest. Established during the Cold War to make communist Czechoslovakia self-sufficient in almonds, the grove once covered 185 hectares and contained about 50,000 trees before declining after the market opened to cheaper foreign imports. Nearly 2,000 surviving trees are now maintained as a historic site and popular tourist attraction.

Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said their countries remain united in supporting Ukraine and opposing Russia’s aggression. Poland indicated it would help with a Czech-led effort to obtain ammunition for Ukraine from outside the European Union. Their position contrasts with the more Russia-friendly stances of Hungary and Slovakia within the Visegrad Four. The leaders also welcomed Hungary’s ratification of Sweden’s NATO membership bid after an 18-month delay.

At 52, Jaromir Jagr continues playing for and owning his hometown Kladno Knights in the Czech league, despite the physical demands of professional hockey and the team’s 17-game losing streak. He is taking a brief break to attend the Pittsburgh Penguins’ ceremony retiring his No. 68 jersey, honoring a career that includes two Stanley Cups, 766 regular-season goals and 1,921 NHL points. Jagr says responsibility to Kladno’s fans, town and club keeps him playing, while teammates and supporters praise his extraordinary work ethic. He has not announced retirement and remains motivated primarily by his love of hockey rather than trophies or personal recognition.

The Czech Republic observed a national day of mourning after a shooting at Charles University’s Faculty of Arts in Prague killed 14 people and wounded 25. Authorities said the 24-year-old Czech student who carried out the attack also killed his father and may have been responsible for an earlier killing, but investigators found no apparent extremist link and had not established a motive. Memorial services, a minute of silence, church bells and reduced Christmas-market programs were planned nationwide as officials and the public gathered to honor the victims.

A 24-year-old student who carried out the Czech Republic’s worst mass shooting had no criminal record and legally owned eight guns, including two long guns. Police said he brought a large arsenal and ammunition unnoticed to Charles University in Prague, where 14 people were killed and dozens wounded before he died by suicide. The incident has raised concerns about gaps in firearm-ownership oversight, since authorities do not routinely track how many guns licensed owners possess. Parliament is considering legislation allowing preventive weapon seizures, requiring businesses to report suspicious purchases, and giving doctors access to gun-ownership databases, though the interior minister warned that even stronger laws might not stop a determined attacker. The gunman is also suspected of killing a father and his infant daughter, as well as his own father, and the attack follows other deadly shootings in the country over the past decade.

A student opened fire in the philosophy department of Charles University in Prague, killing 14 people and wounding 25 before he died. Police said the gunman was heavily armed, legally owned several weapons and may have killed his father earlier that day, as well as a man and his two-month-old daughter in a suspected earlier attack. Authorities said there was no indication of extremist or international-terrorist involvement and no evidence of an accomplice. Charles University announced tighter security, while the Czech government declared a national day of mourning.

Russian-American journalist Alsu Kurmasheva has been detained in Russia since October 18 and faces up to five years in prison for allegedly failing to register as a foreign agent. Her husband, Pavel Butorin, is appealing for her immediate release, saying she traveled to Tatarstan to visit her ailing mother rather than work as a journalist. Press-freedom advocates call the charges spurious, while Russian authorities allege she collected information about military activities for foreign sources. Kurmasheva has not received consular access, and her family communicates with her only through censored notes. The case comes amid a broader crackdown on independent media in Russia and concerns that detained Americans may be used as bargaining chips in U.S.-Russia negotiations.

Westinghouse, France’s EDF and South Korea’s KHNP have submitted final bids to build a new reactor at the Dukovany nuclear power station in the Czech Republic. State-controlled CEZ will evaluate the bids and send its recommendation to the government, with the reactor targeted for operation by 2036 and the winner eligible to build three additional units. The project is intended to strengthen Czech energy independence, support the country’s coal phase-out and reduce reliance on fossil fuels and Russian nuclear fuel. Russia’s Rosatom and China’s CGN were excluded on security grounds.

Robert Fico and his Smer party are favored to win Slovakia’s September 30 parliamentary election while campaigning against military aid to Ukraine, EU sanctions on Russia and a NATO membership path for Kyiv. His potential return to power could challenge Slovakia’s alignment with the EU and NATO and deepen democratic backsliding. Polling shows unusually high Slovak distrust of the United States, Ukraine and liberal democracy, amid economic hardship, frustration with a collapsed coalition government and intensified Russian disinformation. Fico’s political history includes ties to Vladimir Putin, opposition to a U.S.-Slovakia defense agreement and alleged corruption within his party, though he would likely need coalition partners to form a government.

Robert Fico and his Smer party are favored to win Slovakia's early parliamentary election after campaigning against military aid to Ukraine, EU sanctions on Russia and Ukraine's potential NATO membership. His return could shift Slovakia toward Hungary-style democratic backsliding, while complicating European support for Kyiv. The country has supported Ukraine with weapons and refugee assistance, but public trust in liberal democracy, the United States and Western institutions has declined amid economic hardship, frustration with a collapsed coalition government, Russian disinformation and historical sympathy for Russia. Fico's political resurgence is also linked to corruption investigations and the legacy of the 2018 murders of journalist Jan Kuciak and his fiancée.

Jiří Černý, a pioneering Czech music critic who introduced Western and banned Czech music to audiences during communist rule, died in a Prague hospital at 87. He lost broadcasting work after playing a song mocking the Soviet-led invasion of Czechoslovakia, then toured the country with his anti-discotheque performances. During the 1989 Velvet Revolution, he helped found Civic Forum, served as its impromptu spokesperson and introduced Václav Havel and other speakers at Prague rallies. After declining a government ministerial role, he returned to music journalism and broadcasting, founded Rock & Pop magazine, published extensively and received a Czech Culture Ministry award in 2013.

Former NHL and Olympic hockey champion Dominik Hašek says Russian and Belarusian athletes should be barred from the 2024 Paris Olympics unless they publicly and repeatedly condemn Russia’s war against Ukraine. He argues that allowing them to compete as neutrals would promote Russia’s invasion and proposes asylum for athletes who reject the war, a refugee team, and financial penalties for sports bodies that continue accepting them. Hašek criticizes the IOC, the NHL and other sports organizations, while opposing a broader Olympic boycott and urging France to deny entry to the athletes. His position follows a visit to Ukraine and an invitation to present his views to the European Parliament.

Dana Nemcova, a leading Czech dissident, human rights activist and early Charter 77 signatory, has died at 89. She endured detention, a suspended sentence, professional bans and repeated interrogations under Czechoslovakia’s communist regime, while helping organize resistance alongside her husband, Jiri Nemec. After the 1989 Velvet Revolution, she served in parliament, chaired the Olga Havel Foundation and established centers supporting refugees from the former Yugoslavia. Prime Minister Petr Fiala praised her lasting contribution to human rights, freedom and democracy.

Milos Zeman is leaving the Czech presidency after two polarizing terms marked by attacks on the European Union, close ties with China and Russia, opposition to immigration and LGBTQ+ rights, and repeated conflicts with journalists and constitutional institutions. His promised Chinese investments failed to materialize, while Russia's invasion of Ukraine ended hopes of closer ties with Moscow. Critics accuse him of weakening democratic checks and dividing the country, but parliamentary efforts to hold him constitutionally accountable stalled. Retired general Petr Pavel, who defeated populist billionaire Andrej Babis in January, will succeed him in the largely ceremonial post.

Slovakia has strengthened its security through NATO deployments and multinational military exercises following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. It has transferred almost €168 million worth of Soviet-era weapons to Ukraine, including S-300 systems, helicopters, rockets and armored vehicles, while receiving newer Western equipment and EU compensation. Bratislava is considering donating 10 of its 11 grounded MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine, which would make Slovakia the first NATO member to send fighter aircraft. The proposal has government support but faces legal questions and opposition from populist former Prime Minister Robert Fico, while Slovakia awaits delivery of its replacement F-16s.

Slovak film director Juraj Jakubisko has died in Prague at 84. Celebrated in Slovakia as one of the country’s leading directors and known as the “Fellini of the East,” he made influential films including Crucial Years, Deserters and Pilgrims, Birds, Orphans and Fools, The Millennial Bee and Bathory. Several early works were banned by Czechoslovakia’s communist regime after the 1968 Soviet-led invasion, and he was restricted largely to documentaries for a decade. His later career included major international festival recognition and Central Europe’s most expensive film production at the time, Bathory.

Czechia’s presidential runoff pits retired Gen. Petr Pavel, a pro-NATO candidate who supports military aid to Ukraine, against billionaire former Prime Minister Andrej Babis, a eurosceptic politician who has questioned aspects of NATO’s collective defense. Pavel narrowly led the first round and is favored by polls, while several eliminated candidates have endorsed him. The largely ceremonial presidency retains important powers over government formation, the central bank and Constitutional Court appointments. Babis remains popular with older voters despite corruption and conflict-of-interest controversies, while the campaign has been marked by attacks over NATO, Russia’s war in Ukraine, inflation and both candidates’ former Communist Party membership.

Former Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis is the favorite entering the first round of the presidential election, after his acquittal in a fraud case improved his prospects. The largely ceremonial president can appoint the prime minister, central bank board members and Constitutional Court judges, while executive power remains with the government led by Petr Fiala. Babis campaigns on domestic issues such as inflation, opposes aspects of EU climate policy, and has faced scandals involving EU subsidies, offshore accounts and alleged secret-police collaboration. His main challengers are retired NATO general Petr Pavel and economist Danuse Nerudova, both of whom support Czech military and humanitarian aid to Ukraine and closer alignment with the EU and NATO. Polls suggest Babis and Pavel are most likely to reach the runoff.

Slovakia’s three-party minority government led by Prime Minister Eduard Heger lost a no-confidence vote by 78–72 in the 150-seat Parliament, triggering its collapse after months of coalition conflict. The vote was sought by Freedom and Solidarity, whose leader Richard Sulik accused the government of incompetence and abandoning its anti-corruption agenda. President Zuzana Caputova must appoint a new prime minister, while parties are considering an early election that would require a two-thirds parliamentary majority; until then, Heger’s government could remain in office with reduced powers. The crisis stemmed largely from disputes between Sulik and Finance Minister Igor Matovic over inflation, energy prices, the pandemic response and Matovic’s continued role in government. Opposition parties critical of military support for Ukraine and sanctions on Russia could gain from a snap election.

Kosovo formally applied for European Union candidate status, with Prime Minister Albin Kurti submitting the request to Czech European Affairs Minister Mikulas Bek in Prague. The application faces a lengthy process and major political obstacles, including Serbia's refusal to recognize Kosovo's independence and opposition from five EU members that do not recognize Kosovo as a state. Serbia said it would seek support from those countries and Hungary to block the initiative. The unresolved Kosovo–Serbia dispute is likely to impede EU membership prospects for both countries, although the EU has emphasized deeper engagement with the Western Balkans as important to European security following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

The Moravian Museum in Brno will return an original Beethoven manuscript to the heirs of the Petschek family, whose assets were seized during the Nazi occupation and later nationalized by Czechoslovakia’s Communist regime. The manuscript survived because a museum expert falsely denied that Beethoven had written it, preventing Nazi authorities from taking it. The restitution agreement marks a resolution to the family’s decades-long claim, while advocates note that most Holocaust-looted artworks sought by families remain missing or unrestituted.

Europe’s energy crisis, triggered by Russia’s war in Ukraine and reduced natural-gas supplies, has driven a sharp rise in coal demand and production in the Czech Republic. In the Ostrava region, brown-coal demand rose nearly 35% in the first nine months of 2022, while coal sales increased about 30%. The revival threatens to worsen already serious air pollution and undermine climate goals, although households and businesses are also investing in solar panels, heat pumps, insulation and more efficient heating systems. The Czech Republic has extended state-owned OKD’s mining operations to safeguard energy supplies, even as the government maintains its goal of phasing out coal-fired power by 2033 and expanding nuclear energy.

Leaders from roughly 44 European countries are meeting in Prague to launch the European Political Community, a forum proposed by French President Emmanuel Macron and supported by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. Russia, and specifically Vladimir Putin’s government, was excluded amid the war in Ukraine. The summit is intended to improve cooperation on security, energy, transport, infrastructure, migration and other continental challenges, while Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia seek closer ties or eventual EU membership. Critics fear the forum could slow EU enlargement or become an ineffectual talking shop; it has no dedicated EU funding, formal programs or planned declaration, and its value will depend on whether future summits produce meaningful cooperation.

The Czech Republic and Austria renewed temporary border checks with Slovakia in response to a surge in irregular migration, causing traffic delays at numerous crossings. Czech authorities said they detained about 120 migrants and nine suspected smugglers during the first eight hours, while officials emphasized that the measures target smuggling networks rather than ordinary travelers. Slovakia criticized the move and proposed reinforcing the Schengen external border between Hungary and Serbia, warning it could impose its own controls if negotiations fail. The Czech Republic reported nearly 12,000 migrants detained this year, mostly Syrians, and 125 suspected smugglers arrested, amid concerns that Germany could impose parallel checks.

UEFA has appointed an ethics and disciplinary inspector to investigate Austria striker Marko Arnautovic after North Macedonia requested punishment for an alleged nationalist outburst directed at Ezgjan Alioski following Austria’s 3–1 Euro 2020 victory. Arnautovic apologised for heated words made during the match but insisted that he is not racist and supports diversity. The incident has heightened attention because of longstanding tensions involving ethnic Albanians in North Macedonia and the wider Balkans.

Milos Zeman won a second five-year term as Czech president with 51.5 percent of the vote, narrowly defeating former Czech Academy of Sciences head Jiri Drahos, who received 48.5 percent. Zeman, a pro-Russia politician known for anti-immigration and anti-Muslim rhetoric and closer ties with China, portrayed Drahos as sympathetic to migrants. Drahos campaigned on preserving the Czech Republic’s ties with the EU and NATO and conceded while saying he would remain in politics. Zeman’s victory preserves his influence over the formation of the government, including his support for populist billionaire Andrej Babis, while continuing the country’s political and foreign-policy divisions. The campaign was also marked by false claims about Drahos circulated by pro-Russian websites and attributed by a Prague think tank to disinformation efforts.

Ludvik Vaculik was a Czech writer and former Communist who became a prominent anti-communist dissident. His 1968 “Two Thousand Words” manifesto called for democratic reforms and freedom of speech during the Prague Spring, attracting mass support before the Soviet-led invasion of Czechoslovakia. After being banned by the post-invasion regime, Vaculik helped draft Charter 77 and ran an underground press publishing works by censored authors. He received major state and literary awards after the 1989 Velvet Revolution and died on 6 June 2015.

A travel postcard describing Kathmandu’s congested, polluted streets, heavy traffic, pervasive security presence and haze obscuring the Himalayas. The piece also observes the city’s trekking tourism and the Kukur Tihar festival, during which dogs are honored with garlands, while noting that many residents have left for their villages.

Art students from Prague Service painted over Prague’s Lennon Wall to mark the 25th anniversary of the Velvet Revolution and create space for new messages. The wall, which began as a memorial to John Lennon after his assassination and became a symbol of freedom under communism, quickly attracted new graffiti, including messages rejecting the idea that its story was over. Communist authorities had previously painted over it several times to suppress its political and cultural significance.

A new 30-minute animated film, What to Tell the Kids?, explains Czechoslovakia’s 1989 Velvet Revolution to children through parents’ stories, toys, and a map of Prague. Created by puppet designer Miroslav Trejtnar and filmmaker Tatana Markova, the film depicts student demonstrations, police violence, the subsequent strike, and Václav Havel’s election as president. The creators hope it will encourage children to understand history and take action when they oppose something.

Czechs and international leaders gathered in Prague for a state funeral honoring former president, dissident and playwright Vaclav Havel, who died aged 75. Speakers including Madeleine Albright, David Cameron and Pope Benedict XVI praised his defense of human rights and leadership of the 1989 Velvet Revolution, which ended communist rule. After the ceremony at St Vitus Cathedral, Havel's coffin was taken to a crematorium, with his ashes due to be buried alongside his first wife, Olga. Thousands of mourners across the Czech Republic continued to light candles and pay tribute to the leader credited with helping bring democracy to the country and wider Europe.

The Czech Constitutional Court ruled that the Lisbon Treaty complies with the country's constitution, removing the final legal obstacle to its ratification. Prime Minister Jan Fischer urged President Václav Klaus to sign the treaty, while Klaus remained opposed to transferring additional national powers to EU institutions. The ruling followed an EU agreement granting Klaus an opt-out from the Charter of Fundamental Rights, addressing his concerns about property claims involving ethnic Germans expelled after World War II. With all other EU member states having ratified the treaty, failure in the Czech Republic could have triggered a major EU crisis.

Petr Cech is preparing for a possible penalty shoot-out when the Czech Republic face Turkey in Geneva in the decisive Euro 2008 Group A match. A draw would send the teams to penalties because they have identical points and goal differences, though Cech and coach Karel Brückner insist their priority is to win. The Czech goalkeeper is seeking to recover from stopping only one penalty in Chelsea's Champions League final shoot-out defeat by Manchester United. The article reviews both teams' group results, their historical shoot-out records, and their probable line-ups.

Slovak and Hungarian police arrested two Hungarians and a Ukrainian after seizing 481.4 grams of powdered uranium in eastern Slovakia. Tests reportedly found the material contained 98.6% uranium-235, above the weapons-grade threshold, and investigators believed it originated in a former Soviet republic and was being offered for $1 million. Officials warned that powdered uranium could be used in terrorist attacks, while experts stressed that the incident did not mean bomb components were readily available or that the public should panic. The arrests renewed concerns about radioactive-material smuggling from Eastern Europe into the European Union.

Two baby girls born at a hospital in Třebíč, Czech Republic, were apparently switched at birth and raised for 10 months by the wrong families. The error was discovered after Libor Broza questioned his daughter’s resemblance to him and DNA and maternity tests confirmed she was not his or his partner’s child. Both couples met, agreed to exchange the girls before the end of the year, and received psychological support. The hospital apologized and cooperated with police, while the health minister called for compensation and said similar past mix-ups could not be ruled out; the families planned legal action.

A British Army Lynx helicopter crashed near Namest nad Oslavou in the Czech Republic during the Flying Rhino military exercise, killing six British soldiers. Rescue workers found six bodies at the crash site, where parts of the helicopter had burned and fallen into a creek. The exercise was suspended, while British and Czech authorities investigated the cause of the accident.

The Czech Republic defeated Germany at Euro 2004, securing a historic victory and eliminating the holders from the tournament. Coach Karel Brückner's nine changes demonstrated the squad's depth, with Marek Heinz scoring the equaliser and substitute Milan Baros netting the winner. Czech supporters and players celebrated the result as evidence that the team could compete with anyone, while Denmark awaited in the quarter-finals.

Czech President Václav Havel expressed concern about British immigration checks introduced at Prague’s Ruzyne International Airport. The checks, agreed by British and Czech authorities to identify travelers with legitimate asylum claims, had denied entry to around 100 Czech citizens, most of them Roma. Havel’s spokesman said the procedure must respect human rights and personal-data protections, while Roma leaders and some Czech politicians condemned the measures as discriminatory.