Czech morning news in brief: top headlines for May 13, 2021

Central European project for disinformation research to be based in Prague

A Central European project focused on researching disinformation will be seated in Prague and as one of eight centers in the EU that the European Commission has chosen. The program will be led by experts from Czech Technical University (ČVUT) and Charles University, both in Prague. The project's regional centers will seek ways of revealing and spreading disinformation, their influence on the population, and developing methods for public institutions. The aim is to find distorted information using artificial intelligence (AI) or strengthening digital and media literacy. Charles University won the center for Prague and it will coordinate the ČVUT, the Slovak Kempelen Institute of Intelligent Technologies, the French news agency AFP, and Polish partners. The use of AI to map the spreading and revealing of disinformation makes the initiative unique. ČTK

Prague Spring festival opens with a limited audience

The six symphonic poems Má vlast (My Country) by Bedřich Smetana opened the Prague Spring international music festival with a live audience at the Municipal House Wednesday evening. The concert is part of the Czech Culture Ministry's pilot project aiming to return live audiences to cultural events. Last year, the prestigious festival was held entirely online due to the Covid pandemic. The updated program of the 76th Prague Spring classical music festival includes 23 concerts until June 3. A limited number of audience members may be allowed to attend indoor performances in the Czech Republic from May 24. Originally, Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin and its conductor Vladimir Jurowski were to play "My Country" in the Smetana Hall of Prague’s Municipal House but the orchestra canceled its participation because Germany's lockdown rules prevented rehearsal. The cycle was performed by the Collegium 1704 Czech Baroque Orchestra with conductor Václav Luks. All Prague Spring concerts are available for free on the festival’s website; watch last night's performance (with English-language subtitles here). ČTK

EgyptAir launches new route from Prague to Hurghada

The air connection between the Czech Republic and the resorts on the Egyptian part of the Red Sea will be expanded again, reports Czech server Zdopravy.cz. EgyptAir will start flying between Prague and Hurghada from Sunday, May 23. The airline will offer direct flights twice a week, on Thursdays and Sundays. EgyptAir will be the third carrier on the route from Prague to the Red Sea. EgyptAir announced the new connection on its Facebook profile, later it was confirmed by Prague Airport. EgyptAir will thus be the third carrier to fly on this route after Smartwings and Air Cairo. Thanks to virtually no restrictions on entering the country, Egypt has become a popular destination for Czech tourists during pandemics. Smartwings fly to Hurghada every day, Air Cairo twice a week.

Heavy rainfall expected to continue through the weekend

The heavy rains experienced throughout most of country on Wednesday aren't over quite yet. Thursday totals could reach up to 50 millimeters. From Friday, meteorologists predict a lower rain intensity but it will remain cloudy with showers for the next few days. Temperatures will not exceed 20 degrees. Warning against storms and heavy rains still apply throughout most Czech regions. In addition, meteorologists warn of floods in the Pilsen, Liberec, South Bohemia, and Karlovy Vary regions. The forecast shows rain and clouds continuing through the weekend.

15th-century bible returns to Czech lands from U.S. for summer exhibit

The Lipnice Bible medieval manuscript completed in 1421, now owned by the Museum of the Bible in Washington D.C., will return to the castle in Lipnice nad Sazavou after 600 years as part of a new exhibit in the Lipnice Castle. The exhibition, "The Story of the Lipnice Bible," allows visitors to leaf through the bible via touchscreen. The bible wll be exhibited from June 26 to August 30, is entitled after which, the original manuscript will be displayed in Prague's Klementinum from September 1-15. The Lipnice Bible, a little-known Latin manuscript is considered a silent witness to the turbulent times of the Hussite War. It's also considered exceptional for its well-preserved condition. The bible contains illuminations as well as many notations on the period debates between the Catholics and Utraquists. It is considered "a symbol inspiring the reconciliation in Bohemia." ČTK