News

Jana Brejchová, one of the most prominent figures of Czech post-war cinema, has died at the age of 86. With her striking looks and natural talent, she became one of the most sought-after actresses from the late 1950s onwards. Dubbed the “Czech Bardot”, she worked with leading directors such as Vojtěch Jasný, Jiří Krejčík and Evald Schorm, and appeared in around a hundred film and television productions, including Vyšší princip (Higher Principle), Vlčí jáma (The Wolf Pit) and Kráska v nesnázích (Beauty in Trouble). Despite international success, she remained modest and self-critical. Her career earned her numerous awards, including two Czech Lions and a state honour for her contribution to culture.

President Petr Pavel is expected to give a statement to police next week regarding the content of text messages sent by Foreign Minister Petr Macinka (Motorists) to one of the president’s advisers.

The president previously described the messages from Macinka as a possible attempt at blackmail, adding that he had submitted them to the police for review and also forwarded them to lawyers to assess whether they could constitute a criminal offence. In an interview for Czech Radio on Friday, Mr. Pavel said that the results of the legal analysis are not yet available.

Czechia is represented at the Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo by 114 athletes - its largest team in history . The line-up includes stars such as Ester Ledecká (alpine skiing and snowboarding), Martina Sáblíková (speed skating), Eva Adamczyková (snowboard cross) Michal Krčmář (biathlon) and the national hockey team.

The Czech flag bearers at Friday’s opening ceremony are ice hockey player David Pastrňák and biathlete Lucie Charvátová.

President Petr Pavel and his wife Eva are in Milan for the opening ceremony and the first few games.

The Ministry of Labour will prepare a proposal to change the rules for early retirement for demanding professions, Labour Minister Aleš Juchelka (ANO) said after a meeting with trade union leaders in Ostrava. Trade unions are calling for the option of early retirement for more workers in hazardous occupations. Under the present system, introduced by the former government, only workers in the highest-risk fourth category and a limited number of selected professions can retire earlier without a reduction in benefits. This applies to around 12,000 people. A further 108,000 workers in the third category, were excluded from the reform amendment due to the slower increase in the retirement age. Trade unions are pushing to make them eligible for early retirement.