News: Saturday, June 15th, 2024

Czechia taking part in peace summit on Ukraine in Switzerland

Representatives of 90 or so states are due to take part in a two-day conference in Bürgenstock, Switzerland over the weekend aimed at charting the way to sustainable peace in Ukraine. The event, to which Moscow has not been ivited, will focus on issues such as nuclear safety and security, food safety and prisoner exchanges and the protection of civilians. Czechia will be represented at the summit by President Petr Pavel, Deputy Foreign Minister Jan Marian and head of the Office for Nuclear Safety Dana Drábová. Czech will co-chair a working group on nuclear and radiation safety in Ukraine.

Czechia backs resolution in support of ICC

Czechia has joined over 90 countries in approving a resolution in support of the International Criminal Court in the Hague. “The ICC, as the world's first and only permanent international criminal court, is an essential component of the international peace and security architecture,” the resolution says. It calls on all states to ensure full co-operation with the Court for it to carry out its important mandate of ensuring equal justice for all victims of genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity and the crime of aggression.

The ICC was recently criticized by Israel, the US, and Czechia, after the court's chief prosecutor  requested an arrest warrant for both Hamas leaders and Israeli top officials for war crimes and crimes against humanity. Czech Prime Minister Petr Fila said then that putting the representatives of a democratically elected government on a par with the leaders of an Islamist terrorist organisation was “appalling and completely unacceptable.”

The Czech Foreign Ministry said on Saturday that the Czech Republic, as a party to the Rome Statute, was convinced of the independence of the court's decision-making and sees it as an essential international institution.

Commemorative ceremony marks 82 years since Lidice massacre

Politicians, cultural figures and members of the public attended a ceremony commemorating the 82nd anniversary of the razing of Lidice by the Nazis on Saturday. Cardinal Dominik Duka celebrated a mass for the victims of one of the worst Nazi punitive actions undertaken during the Second World War and led prayers at a mass grave in the Lidice cemetery.

The cardinal reflected on the plight of people in war-ravaged Ukraine, the hostages kidnapped by Hamas in Israel and all the places in the world where there is no peace and where freedom, human dignity and the fundamental right to life are trampled upon. He spoke of the children who had lost their parents and expressed his admiration for those who, even in the face of death, did not stop defending their rights and values.

The old Lidice, a village north-west of Prague was one of two villages which were completely destroyed by German forces in a punitive action for the assassination of Reinhard Heydrich, the highest ranking Nazi official in the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia. On June 10th of 1942, all 192 men over 15 years of age were rounded up and shot, the women were sent to concentration camps and the children to be re-educated.

Czech health authorities warn of increasing cases of dengue fever among Czechs travelling abroad

The health authorities have warned Czechs travelling to exotic destinations to get the necessary vaccinations. They point in particular to the spread of dengue fever, saying that the number of people who have contracted the disease on their travels this year has risen sharply. Since the beginning of the year, doctors have diagnosed 61 cases of dengue fever, the symptoms of which are sudden high fever, headaches and nausea. Last year at this time, it was half that number.

Czernin Palace opens its doors to the public

Prague’s Czernin Palace, the seat of the Czech Foreign Ministry, is holding an open doors day for the public on  Saturday. Visitors will be given tours of the historic premises, including representative rooms used for top-level meetings with foreign dignitaries, the private apartment used by the former foreign minister Jan Masaryk and the Aero 50 car used by former president Edvard Beneš during his exile in London. The premises of the vast baroque building on Loretánské náměstí will be open to visitors from 10 am to 6pm.

Storm warning for Moravia and Silesia

Meteorologists are warning of heavy rain and storms in the eastern parts of the Czech Republic. The warning is in place for Moravia and Silesia from Saturday afternoon until Sunday morning. According to meteorologists,  up to 70 millimeters of rain may fall in places, which could swell smaller streams and rivers and cause flash floods. The storms may be accompanied by hailstones in places.

Weather forecast

Sunday is expected to be partly cloudy to overcast with rain and day temperatures between 23 and 27 degrees Celsius. More sunshine and stormy weather may be expected in the eastern parts of the country.