Czech news in brief for December 27: Saturday's top afternoon headlines

Most Czechs expect their personal finances to improve or remain stable next year, according to an Ipsos survey for Home Credit. Younger people are the most optimistic, while over half of respondents anticipate rising expenses. Many expect modest income growth from salary increases, side jobs or investments. Analysts say optimism is strongest among young professionals and university graduates in larger cities.

Former Czech hockey star Dominik Hašek said support for Ukraine is both a moral obligation and a matter of European security, arguing that Ukrainians are defending other European states against Russian aggression. In an interview with Czech media, Hašek described the war as a Russian imperialist invasion and stressed the responsibility he feels as a public figure to speak clearly in support of the attacked country.

Czech firefighters responded to 1,163 incidents during the Christmas holidays, including 178 fires, making this year slightly above average in activity. The busiest day was Christmas Eve, with more than 500 interventions. Firefighters dealt with fires causing damage worth millions of crowns, traffic accidents, hazardous substance leaks and numerous technical assistance cases, mainly removing fallen trees and other dangerous conditions.

Additional ski resorts opened in the Krkonoše and Orlické Mountains as the winter season expanded in the Hradec Králové Region. Resorts now offer about 40 kilometers of slopes, all on artificial snow due to a lack of natural snowfall. Operators continue snowmaking during frosts, with major areas such as Pec pod Sněžkou, Černá hora and Špindlerův Mlýn gradually increasing available terrain.

Aggression among pupils and verbal attacks on teachers increased in Czech schools during the 2023/2024 school year, according to the Czech School Inspectorate. Over half of elementary schools dealt with violence against classmates, while cyberbullying and problematic technology use also rose. Although bullying and substance use declined, inspectors warned about frequent inappropriate behavior and self-harm cases, calling for greater focus on student mental health.