News

The Czech president, Petr Pavel, has so far granted permission to 60 Czech citizens to join the armed forces of Ukraine, his spokesperson told Czech Radio.

In total, Mr. Pavel, a former senior soldier who has been in the post for just over a year, received 181 requests from Czechs seeking to help Ukraine repel its Russian invaders.

The decision has drawn criticism from the Russian Foreign Ministr. Its spokesperson, Maria Zakharova, condemned the Czech president’s move, accusing him of disregarding the safety of Czech nationals.

Under Czech law, citizens who wish to fight for the army of another state must first seek the president's permission. Those who join without this exemption risk facing criminal prosecution upon their return.

Javelin thrower Jakub Vadlejch has been awarded the title of Czech Athlete of the Year for fourth consecutive year. The 34-year-old European champion narrowly surpassed fellow javelin thrower Nikola Ogrodníková, who claimed bronze at the Paris Olympics.

Pole vaulter Amálie Švábíková, who set a new national record of 480 centimetres and finished fifth at the Olympics, took third place. The Athlete of the Year award is determined annually through votes from athletics officials, coaches, and   journalist

The Green Party elected new leadership at its congress held at the National Museum of Agriculture in Prague on Saturday. Former diplomat Gabriela Svárovská and Prague 16 councillor Matěj Pomahač were chosen as the party's co-chairs.

This leadership change follows the resignation of the previous leaders after the party’s poor performance in the European elections in June and regional elections in September.

In their acceptance speeches, Svárovská and Pomahač emphasized the importance of building alliances with other parties ahead of next year's parliamentary elections. The Greens currently face low support, holding around 2 percent in recent polls, with their last parliamentary success dating back to 2006.

An 18th-century Torah scroll, which survived the Holocaust and decades of neglect under the communist regime, has found a new home in the Liberec synagogue.

Known as Torah scroll number 108, the rare artifact is on permanent loan to the Jewish community in Liberec from the Memorial Scrolls Trust, a London-based organization dedicated to preserving Torah scrolls by the Nazis from Jewish communities in Bohemia, Moravia and Slovakia.

The scroll originally belonged to the Jewish community of Nymburk, where it was in use until 1942 before being confiscated during Nazi occupation. Jeffrey Ohrenstein, chairman of the Memorial Scrolls Trust, personally delivered the scroll to Liberec on Saturday.

This is only the third Czech synagogue to receive one of the Trust's 1,564 preserved Torahs, which survived wartime confiscation and were later safeguarded in London.