Morning Briefing │ Wednesday, January 31st, 2024

* NEWS:

Three people fell from the northern side of Mount Sněžka, on the border of Czechia and Poland, on Tuesday.

Two of those involved in the accident died when they slipped on a mountain slope, according to the website of the Polish station TVN24, which cited police on the Polish side of the border.

* ECONOMY:

The Czech economy contracted last year by 0.4 percent, according to a preliminary estimate issued by the Czech Statistics Office on Tuesday. That followed growth in gross domestic product of 2.4 percent in 2022.

Analysts said last year’s contraction was caused by high inflation.

* RANKINGS:

Czechia has slightly improved its standing in the 2023 Corruption Perceptions Index compiled by Transparency International. The country scored 57 out of a possible 100 points, compared to 56 in 2022.

According to Transparency Czech Republic, the lack in significant progress in addressing corruption in this country is “a long-term absence of an effective strategy on the part of this and past governments”.

* JOB MARKET:

Brno-based travel agency and flight-search platform Kiwi.com has announced a wave of job cuts which will affect 18% of employees, in what the company describes as an “operational restructure”.

Founded in 2012 under the name Skypicker, the company adopted its current name in 2016.

* PRAGUE:

Prague City will not purchase the main building of the Czech Post on Jindřišská Street.

The municipality cites the building’s inadequacy for its needs, pointing out issues such as insufficient office space, layout concerns, and unmet requirements for building security.