Czech news in brief for January 16: Friday's top afternoon headlines

Czech citizen Jan Darmovzal, imprisoned in Venezuela since September 2024, has been released after several weeks of intense negotiations, Czech Foreign Minister Petr Macinka and Prime Minister Andrej Babiš announced. Darmovzal was freed early Friday morning in Caracas and is in good health, officials said, and a Czech aircraft is being sent to bring him home. He was among a group of foreign nationals released, and has already spoken to his family. 

The Czech ammunition initiative supplies over 50 percent of large-caliber rounds for the Ukrainian army, Czech President Petr Pavel said after meeting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy in Kyiv. Zelenskiy praised the initiative’s effectiveness and Czech support. The two leaders discussed energy-sector attacks by Russia and ways to strengthen defence, including small aircraft, early warning systems, and generators. Pavel confirmed the initiative will continue despite the new Czech government withdrawing financial contributions.

The CSM hard coal deep shaft in Stonava, near the Polish border, will close at the end of January, marking the end of over 250 years of deep mining in the Ostrava region. High costs, low coal prices, and falling demand amid Europe’s green transition made operations uncompetitive. While the closure marks the end of an era, the largest job losses have been avoided, as the region attracts new investors to replace employment lost from the mine’s shutdown.

The Czech government plans to support local production of medicines to address recurring shortages and attract foreign investors. Companies warn that qualified staff are scarce and health insurance reimbursements remain low. The Brno-based company Oncomed opened a billion-crown production line for injections last year, partially state-funded. Officials said financial incentives, tax relief, and closer cooperation with European partners will be key to expanding domestic production and reducing dependency on imports.

Visitors to Pustevny in the Beskydy Mountains can see ice sculptures of dragons, knights, watermen, and fairy-tale characters at the 26th Ice World of Fairy Tales festival. Seven carvers from the Czech Republic and Slovakia worked for a week to create 30 sculptures, including a three-meter-high dragon made from 200–250 ice cubes. The exhibition runs daily until February 8, with free entry for children under ten and CZK 100 for adults.