Daily news summary

Slovak prime minister backs Sobotka’s “observer status” plan

Slovakia’s prime minister, Robert Fico, has backed an idea put forward last week by his Czech counterpart Bohuslav Sobotka that non-eurozone members could gain observer status at meetings of EU finance ministers. Prime Minister Fico backed the idea at a joint-meeting of the Czech and Slovak governments at Lednice Chateau in the Czech Republic on Monday. Mr Fico said Slovakia was happy to have adopted the common European currency and called the process “inclusive”. The Czech Republic does not yet have the euro nor has a date been set for joining the eurozone.

Other issues on the agenda on Monday included cooperation in the area of energy infrastructure, migration, the situation in Ukraine, and the upcoming 25th anniversary of the Velvet Divorce – which saw the Czech Republic and Slovakia split on January 1, 1993.

Commemorative events honour Bishop Gorazd

A series of events have taken place in Prague to commemorate Bishop Gorazd on Monday, who was executed by the Nazis 75 years ago for helping the assassins of Nazi governor Reinhard Heydrich, providing them a refuge in the Church of Ss. Cyril and Methodius in central Prague.

For his actions, Bishop Gorazd was later glorified as a martyr by the Eastern Orthodox Church. The commemorative events took place at the Church of Ss. Cyril and Methodius, at the Kobylisy shooting range, where the bishop was shot by the Nazis and at Pankrác prison.

Children return to school after two-month break

Schoolchildren across the country returned to the classroom at nursery schools, elementary and high schools on Monday drawing an end to two months’ summer holidays. This year, an estimated 108,000 children entered the first grade, a drop for the first time in years by around 9,200. By contrast, for the first time in 10 years the number of first-year high schoolers is up, at 102,400 – a difference of 1,500 from September 2016.

Study suggests most parties support teacher wage increase

All political parties with a realistic chance according to polls of clinching mandates in the lower house in the upcoming election in October have promised pay raises for teachers, according to a new study conducted by the IDEA think-tank of the Economics Institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences. Suggested increases range from 18 to as much as 52 percent, the author of the study, economist Daniel Münich, confirmed. The commitment to improving pay for Czech teachers is broader than in the past, he said, but none of the parties, he made clear, discussed where the additional funds would come from. The study addressed not only wage increases but also six other questions pertaining to the teaching profession.

Adam Ondra completes 9c climb in Norway

Czech climber Adam Ondra raised the bar in sport climbing in Norway on Sunday, completing a climb which could be rated 9c, which would make it the most difficult in the world. The 24-year-old Ondra had prepared for the climb, which took place at Flatanger cave, for a month. He had been back to Norway seven times.

The climber bolted the route of the climb in 2013, the Czech News Agency reported; he labelled the initiative “Project Hard”. He told ukclimbing.com that the route was much harder than anything else he had done, giving him hope it could be rated 9c.

Petra Kvitová reaches quarterfinal at US Open

In Tennis, No. 13 seed Petra Kvitová advanced from the round of 16 at the US Open on Sunday, after defeating reigning Wimbledon champion and No. 3 seed Garbiñe Muguruza of Spain, 7-6, 6-3. Kvitová, who reached her second US Open quarterfinal of her career, will next face Venus Williams.

Weather

Tuesday is expected to be cloudy with a chance of rain but also sunny periods. Daytime temperatures should reach highs of around 20 degrees Celsius.