Czech news in brief for December 25: Thursday's top afternoon headlines

Czech pensions will rise from January under a new valorization and reform taking effect in the new year, the Ministry of Labor announced. Old-age, disability, and survivors’ pensions will increase by a flat CZK 240, with most retirees also receiving a 2.6 percent merit-based rise. The average old-age pension will climb to CZK 21,786. A minimum pension will be introduced, setting the lowest old-age benefit at CZK 9,800. Czech pensions remain below the EU average in terms of replacement rates and spending as a share of GDP, despite recent increases.

Czechia is expected to receive 900,000 remaining COVID-19 vaccine doses by the end of 2026 under the EU joint agreement, according to the Health Ministry. Authorities recommend getting vaccinated now, before the peak of the winter respiratory infection season, which runs from mid-December through March. Interest in vaccines has declined sharply, with fewer than 227,000 doses used last year. COVID cases remain low, about one-sixth the rate of influenza, with fewer than 50 hospitalized.

Five people, including two Czech citizens, were killed when a helicopter crashed near Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, Tanzanian authorities said Thursday. The aircraft went down on a popular climbing route between Barafu Camp and Kibo Peak during a medical evacuation at an altitude of more than 4,000 meters. Victims included two Tanzanians, a Zimbabwean pilot, and the two Czech tourists, as confirmed by the Czech Foreign Ministry. The cause is under investigation, officials said.

Overall crime in the Czech Republic fell this year, with police recording 159,506 offenses by the end of November, 2,801 fewer than in 2024. However, murders rose slightly, with 141 cases including attempts and preparations. The South Moravian Region saw a sharp 160 percent increase, reporting 26 murders. Most homicides were linked to personal relationships. Prague and Olomouc also saw increases, while other regions, including Ústí and South Bohemia, reported declines.

Dozens of people gathered at Vyšehrad cemetery in Prague on Wednesday to commemorate the anniversary of the death of Czech writer Karel Čapek, who died on Dec. 25, 1938. Speakers recalled his literary, moral and political legacy, including his opposition to fascism and his role in coining the word “robot.” Čapek, a leading interwar intellectual, remains widely read, and his work continues to be published worldwide, according to the Čapek Brothers Society,