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Memorial events were held in Prague on Tuesday marking the self-immolation of Jan Palach 55 years ago, on January 16, 1969. Senate speaker Miloš Vystrčil and other senators laid a wreath at a memorial at the top of Wenceslas Square, where Palach, who was 20, set himself on fire in protest at apathy in the face of the Soviet occupation of Czechoslovakia.

Charles University’s Karolinum building was opened for students, teaching staff and the public to pay their respects to Palach, who studied there.

Palach died of his burns on January 19, 1969. His funeral drew large crowds and became a moment of solidarity for the nation.

Approximately 277,000 entrepreneurs closed their businesses in Czechia in 2023, the highest number since 1993, according to data from Imper, which provides online statistics about Czech companies. The closures are attributed to the uncertain economic situation, rising costs and higher administrative requirements such as mandatory data boxes. Last year, restaurants in particular did not fare well, struggling with higher costs and customers’ unwillingness to spend, Imper reported. Nearly 22,000 people left the restaurant business, compared to 6,209 in the previous year and just 1,526 in 2021. The second most common trade hit by closures was bricklaying.

Czechia fully respects Israel’s right to defend itself against terrorism and protect its citizens, visiting Czech President Petr Pavel assured his Israeli counterpart Isaac Herzog during their meeting on Monday. He said Israel was not just a good friend, but a strategic partner of the Czech Republic. At the same time, he expressed concern for the fate of civilians and hostages in this conflict and voiced the view that civilians on both sides should have access to humanitarian aid.

In the course of the two-day visit, Mr. Pavel will also meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other senior leaders, as well as with members of the families of people kidnapped by Hamas during an attack in early October. On Wednesday, the Czech head of state is due to visit Qatar, where he will also meet senior leaders.

The Czech Film and Television Academy has announced the nominations for the 2023 Czech Lion Awards. The most nominations, 15 in total, went to the film Brothers, directed by Tomáš Mašín. The film tells the story of the Mašín brothers’ armed resistance group and their dramatic escape from communist Czechoslovakia to West Berlin. Second in line, with 12 nominations, is Matěj Chlupáček's film Dawn, a true story of intersex people in the 1930s. The sci-fi film Point of Renewal, by director Robert Hloz and the comedy She Came at Night, jointly directed by Tomáš Pavlíček and Jan Vejnar, received eight nominations each. The awards will be handed out at a gala evening at Prague’s Rudolfinum on March 9.