News

Scientists from Czechia and Estonia have developed a new method for determining the recombination frequency in the wheat genome that will make crossing wheat with its wild cousins easier. This should enable climate change-resistant varieties of the crop to be created more quickly.

The scientists from the Institute of Experimental Botany in Olomouc (part of the Czech Academy of Sciences) and Tallinn University of Technology identified so-called "recombination hotspots", sites on the wheat genome where the exchange of genetic information is six times higher than normal, meaning the success rate of transferring beneficial genes from wild species of wheat to their cultivated cousins will significantly increase. The discovery will enable more efficient breeding, easier manipulation of the genome, and enrichment of the wheat gene pool to better cope with climate change.

Due to climate change, a growing world population, soil depletion and other factors, scientists say that it is crucial to breed more resistant varieties of wheat as quickly as possible. One way of doing this is to enrich wheat with genes from its wild relatives, which contain properties such as resistance to diseases, drought, and soil salinity, that intensively bred plants have gradually lost.

The Security Committee of the lower house of the Czech parliament has asked Tomio Okamura, the leader of the Freedom and Direct Democracy (SPD) party, to explain some statements he made last week aimed at Ukrainian refugees in Czechia.

In a CNN Prima News talk show last Sunday, Mr. Okamura criticised the widespread acceptance of refugees from Ukraine, saying that criminal activity will increase in Czechia as a result and that the government does not have the refugee wave under control. Speaking on the same programme this week, MP Jan Lacina said that the coalition government believes his actions are bordering on a security risk that threatens all of society.

Finance Minister Zbyněk Stanjura said on Czech Television on Sunday that the finance ministry is looking to reduce its support for renewable energy sources, possibly by changing the law to limit subsidies. This year, the state has been fully covering the costs of subsidised energy sources by itself due to high energy prices, but Mr Stanjura described this state of affairs as unsustainable. He said he will push for the system from previous years, when contributions were divided between the state and consumers, to return next year. The government will have to debate whether or not the share that consumers pay would be the same as before the energy crisis.

The Archbishop of Prague Jan Graubner has sent his resignation letter to Pope Francis after one year in office. All bishops are required to submit their resignation on turning 75, although the Pope may choose to extend their term in office. Graubner is due to celebrate his 75th birthday on August 29 but has stated that he is ready to continue in the role as long as needed.

Graubner became the 37th Archbishop of Prague at the beginning of August last year, after several years of waiting to take over from Cardinal Dominik Duka, who held the position for 12 years. Duka submitted his resignation upon turning 75 as required in April 2018 but was invited by Pope Francis to continue in office. Duka announced his successor only last year and Pope Francis finally accepted his resignation in May 2022.