Czech news in brief for August 28: Friday's top afternoon headlines recap

Good afternoon, the top news of this afternoon is the Czech government's proposal to revert to a past formula and lower state benefits received by unemployed people. Also more news from the world of football, with several clashes reported across Czechia after yesterday's matches, and police on alert as Sparta Prague and Slavia Prague prepare to face off this Sunday.

Czech President Petr Pavel, PM Andrej Babiš, and other top officials sent condolences after King Harald V of Norway, Europe's oldest monarch, died today at 89, following decades of health battles. Pavel praised his role in strengthening Czech-Norwegian ties; Foreign Minister Petr Macinka called him a symbol of "stability, integrity and a deep sense of duty." His son, 53-year-old Haakon VIII, is now king.

Worth noting: Harald spent part of his childhood in exile during WWII before becoming, as one Czech opposition leader, Martin Kupka, put it, "a symbol of Norway's stability and unity for 35 years."

The Czech government is planning to reduce unemployment benefits starting from January 2027, according to a proposal by the Ministry of Labor, hoping to save CZK 4.5 billion from state coffers. Based on the draft, unemployed people will receive 65 percent of earnings in the first two months (compared to 80 percent today), before gradually decreasing to 50 and 45 percent in most cases.

Unions up in arms. Both labor unions and employers' associations have criticized the proposal. "We do not want it to be implemented at all. It would be illogical. It would run counter to the purpose of unemployment benefits, which are not a punishment for losing one's job, but a safety net to allow a person to look for new work," argued for instance Josef Středula, head of the Bohemian-Moravia Confederation of Trade Unions.

Although none of them ended in grave clashes, police recorded dozens of incidents linked to several second and third-tier European league matches held across Czechia yesterday. Most of the altercations ended with fines or simple warnings.

Busy football traffic. Czech teams from Plzeň, Jablonec and Hradec Králové faced off against squads from Serbia, Greece and Scotland, while other Croatian supporters made their way through Czechia for a game in Poland - adding to the fan crowds converging in Czechia on the same day.

Hundreds of police officers will be mobilized to monitor the Prague football derby between Sparta and Slavia this Sunday in Letná, police spokesman Jan Daněk said today. He added that local police have been preparing for the risky match for weeks following the incidents that occurred, in the spring, during the last derby.

Good to know. Disruptions, for both pedestrians and drivers, can be expected in several parts of the city beyond Letná, including during the traditional pre-game march of Slavia fans leaving from the National Theater in the afternoon.

Large parts of Bohemia should be hit with strong thunderstorms, torrential rain and wind gusts of up to 90 km per hour on Friday afternoon and evening, the Czech Hydrometeorological Institute (ČHMÚ) warned. Hail may also fall in some parts of the country.

Clear-up expected over weekend. Storms will slowly move eastwards during the night, with skies expected to clear up for the rest of the weekend in Prague and the rest of Bohemia.

(Very) early birds or late-night city dwellers may have noticed a partial lunar eclipse from 4.30 a.m. last night, with the Earth's shadow eventually covering up to 93 percent of the Moon's diameter at its peak, less than two hours later.

Not the prime location. Although partly visible from Czechia, the near-total lunar eclipse was best observed from Italy, Spain, France and Germany. The next total lunar eclipse will however be visible from Czechia on New Year's Eve 2028, according to the Czech Astronomical Society.