News

Commemorative events mark Sunday anniversary of Heydrich assassination

A number of commemorative events are being held in the Czech capital on the occasion of the 70-year anniversary of the assassination of Gestapo chief and governor of the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia, Reinhard Heydrich. An exhibition that opened in Prague’s Libeň neighborhood on Saturday gives insight into the training of the resistance fighters who killed the Nazi leader, as well as everyday life during that era.

Sunday marks the 70-year-anniversary of Operation Anthropoid, the targeted killing of Nazi leader Reinhard Heydrich. The operation was carried out in Prague on May 27, 1942. British-trained Czech commandos parachuted into the Nazi-held protectorate and severely injured Heydrich by tossing a bomb into his car. He died as a result from the injuries suffered in the attack. The Gestapo chief's assassination became a symbol of Czech independence and was later hailed as an important moment in the resistance movement. His death led to a wave of revenge acts, including the Lidice massacre.

Corruption scandal around Social Democrat governor likely to cost party votes, survey suggests

The scandal surrounding former Central Bohemian governor David Rath of the Social Democrats has cost the party voters, a fresh poll by the Milward Brown agency suggests. One in two voters who had previously planned on casting their ballot for the opposition party has changed their mind after Mr Rath was caught with 7 million crowns in cash on his person and charged with corruption. Regional elections are set to take place in the fall. The majority of respondents said they believed the former governor would be handed a prison sentence at court.

Sudetengerman group honors Czech-born Jewish writer with prize honoring contributions to Czech-German relations

The Sudetengerman group Sudetendeutsche Landsmannschaft, which on Saturday kicked off its annual meeting in Nuremberg, has awarded the writer and painter Max Mannheimer, who was born in Czechoslovakia, with its Karl IV. prize. The 92-year-old Mannheimer, who was born in Nový Jičín, is a Jewish Holocaust survivor. He said in his acceptance speech that he felt no hatred towards either the Czech or the German nation for what he had suffered through.

The award is meant to honor contributions to the Czech-German dialogue and good relations between both countries as well as people who fight against extremism and intolerance.

Number of senior citizens living in isolation on the rise

The number of senior citizens who are living on their own is on the rise in the Czech Republic. While in 2000, some 13.9 percent of over-65-year-olds lived in one-person households, the figure has now increased to 15.5 percent of the country’s overall population. Some 1.5 million seniors in the Czech Republic are living by themselves, the majority of them women. According to experts, the figures are worrying especially because most of those senior citizens not only live alone but are largely isolated and do not have anyone who looks after them.

Two killed, three injured in car accident near Kladno

Two people have been killed and three injured severely in a traffic accident near the Central Bohemian town of Kladno on Saturday. The victims of the accident, which happened in the afternoon in the town of Slaný, were both women, one of them aged seventy. A 9-year-old girl and two other persons who were injured in the crash were brought to hospital by helicopter and are being treated. Police are investigating the cause of the accident.

Man killed in car accident in Ostrava

A pedestrian was hit by a car and killed in the Moravian city of Ostrava in the night from Friday to Saturday. Paramedics arrived at the site of the accident but were unable to save the man, who had been hit by a 36-year-old driver. Police are investigating the case. If found guilty, the driver could face up to six years in prison.

Czech Republic loses first finals game in tennis World Team Championship to Serbia

Czech tennis player Tomáš Berdych lost the first finals game against the Serbian Janko Tipsarević 5:7, 6:7 at the Power Horse World Team Championship in the German city of Düsseldorf. After the Czech defeat, Serbia now leads by 1:0 in the finals. For the Czechs to advance, Radek Štěpánek has to beat his opponent Viktor Troicky in the second game of the finals.

Weather

Over the weekend, conditions are expected to be clear to somewhat cloudy with daytime highs between 20 and 25 degrees Celsius.