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A commemorative plaque for British Royal Air Force pilot Colonel Karel Janšta, a member of the 311th Czechoslovak Bomber Squadron of the RAF, was unveiled in Prague on Thursday. It was placed in Žitná Street in Prague 2, where Janšta lived until his death in 1986. The unveiling ceremony was attended, among others, by Defence Minister Jana Černochová and Janšta's daughter Jana Zachová. Colonel Janšta emigrated to Great Britain in 1940 where he took part in the first air combat missions of the 311th Bombardment Squadron RAF and later became a member of the Czechoslovak State Council in London, where he served as chairman of the military committee. He was later persecuted by the Czechoslovak communist regime.

Friday should be mostly overcast with rain or snow showers and day temperatures between -1 and 4 degrees Celsius.

Around 30 percent of Czech households may fall into poverty next year as a result of the sharp increase in energy prices and rising housing costs. Despite caps approved by the government, housing costs could account for up to 34 percent of their monthly income, according to an analysis by PAQ Research based on data from the Czech Statistics Office on household energy consumption. Households with children, or the poorer half of them, are expected to be hit the hardest. Calculations show that the number of families with children whose housing expenses will account for more than 30 percent of their income will increase. Currently, this affects 23 per cent of people, but after the New Year the proportion could rise to 31 per cent. A quarter of families will be left with less than CZK 3 000 per person a month, or CZK 100 per day, after paying for food and housing.

The enlargement of the passport-free Schengen Area to Croatia is almost certain, but the debate on admitting Romania and Bulgaria is expected to be long and complicated, Czech Interior Minister Vít Rakušan said ahead of Thursday’s EU debate on the matter. Czechia is supporting all three bids. The extension of the free movement zone to Bulgaria and Romania, which have both met the necessary conditions, has met with strong resistance from Austria, which fears an increase in the number of migrants who have been streaming to the EU illegally via the Balkans. Austrian Interior Minister Gerhard Karner confirmed on arrival at the meeting that Vienna does not intend to support the entry of Romania and Bulgaria.