Czech news in brief for August 12: Wednesday's top afternoon headlines

The Culture Ministry will provide an estimated CZK 9 million to help restore Lidice’s Memorial to the Children Victims of War, commemorating the 82 children murdered by the Nazis. A public collection has raised CZK 5.1 million. The restoration is expected to cost CZK 13 million to and take about three years. The 82 bronze statues by sculptor Marie Uchytilová have deteriorated after decades of exposure to the elements.

A significant partial solar eclipse will be visible across much of Czechia this evening, reaching its maximum at about 8:11 p.m. The eclipse will begin around 7:19 p.m., with viewing conditions varying by location. Astronomers warn people to use only certified solar-viewing glasses. The Perseid meteor shower will also peak overnight, with up to 50 to 80 meteors an hour possible under dark skies away from cities.

Protective eclipse glasses have sold out at some Prague retailers as demand surged ahead of Wednesday evening’s partial solar eclipse. A queue hundreds of meters long formed near Wenceslas Square as people rushed to secure eye protection before the event.

Czech hop growers expect this year’s harvest to be among the weakest in recent years, forecasting 5,000 to 5,200 tons, about 20 percent below the long-term average. Drought and temperatures exceeding 40 degrees Celsius in June damaged plants, while early tests found low levels of bitter acids. The shortfall is not expected to raise beer prices because growers have long-term contracts with breweries. The harvest begins Aug. 22-24.

Netflix will begin filming The Secret of Secrets, based on Dan Brown’s latest novel, in Prague in September. Production will include locations such as Charles Bridge, the Klementinum, Petřín Lookout Tower, the Old New Synagogue and Folimanka shelter. Morgan Spector will play Harvard professor Robert Langdon, with Rebecca Hall as his colleague Katherine Solomon. The eight-hour series has no premiere date yet.