Morning Briefing │ Friday, February 16th, 2024

* UKRAINE:

A Czech volunteer fighting on the Ukrainian side against the Russian army was killed over the weekend. His death was first reported on the X social network and subsequently confirmed by the Czech Ministry of Defence.

In total, four Czech citizens have died in combat since the full-scale invasion by Russia in February 2022.

* ECONOMY:

Year-on-year consumer price growth in Czechia slowed to 2.3 percent in January, down from 6.9 percent in December, according to figures released by the Czech Statistics Office on Thursday.

While the figure is the lowest since March 2021, it is still above the Czech National Bank’s two-percent inflation target.

* EUROPEAN COMMISSION:

The European Commission has downgraded its Czech growth forecast for 2024, predicting that GDP will grow by 1.1 percent instead of the previously expected 1.4 percent.

According to the EC prediction, growth should be supported by the high saving rate of households over the past three years, the projected easing of inflation and rising real wages, as well as by further relaxation of financing conditions.

* SPORT:

Three times Olympics winner Martina Sáblíková won the bronze medal in the women’s 3,000 meters race at the World Speed Skating Championship in Calgary on Thursday.

It is the 33rd medal for Sáblíková from world championship.

* WEATHER:

The spell of warm weather continues to break temperature records around the country. Record temperatures for February 15 were seen at 27 out of 165 stations keeping records for 30 years or more.

The highest temperature, 16.3 degrees Celsius, was registered in České Budějovice – Rožnov in South Bohemia.