Morning Briefing │ Friday, March 15th, 2024

* LATEST NEWS:

Former President Miloš Zeman was hospitalised after a medical examination on Thursday due to a blood clot which caused the blood supply to his leg to stop. He then underwent surgery in Prague’s Motol hospital to correct the problem. Mr. Zeman’s spokesperson Jiří Ovčáček said that the health issue was related to his diabetes and that he is expected to remain in hospital for about a week.

* POLITICS:

Czechia and the Philippines are aligned in their assessments of the international security situation, President Petr Pavel said after meeting with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr., in Prague on Thursday. Mr. Pavel also noted that Czechia is struggling with a labour shortage and that the Philippines is one of their priority countries for workers to come and fill the gap.

* WEATHER:

Friday is expected to be overcast with a chance of light showers in the late afternoon and evening. Daytime temperatures should range between 8 and 16 degrees Celsius.

* ENVIRONEMENT:

The Czech state spent CZK 26.8 billion on anti-drought measures last year. The money was used, among other things, for land adjustments, increasing the proportion of organic matter in the soil, and the construction of water supply and sewage systems. In the previous five years, an average of just under CZK 16 billion was spent on drought measures, according to the Agriculture Ministry.

* CULTURE:

The One World International Human Rights Film Festival kicks off in Prague on Wednesday 20 March. The festival will open with the Oscar-winning documentary 20 Days in Mariupol.