Czech news in brief for June 26: Friday's top morning headlines

Good morning, people around the world woke to the news of a devastating earthquake in Caracas. Czechia has deployed its urban search and rescue team (USAR) to help. The Czech team is among the most capable in the world and should be landing in the region today. If you'd like contribute to People in Need's SOS Venezuela fundraiser, see details below.

I just sent my daughter off to her final day of fifth grade and I am now thinking about all of the rapid changes that took place in the Czech school system, an uprecedented pile up of changes. This is a good article explaining them all. The question of what the impact will be on foreign-born students is a question we're working on answering for you.

Here's your morning mix of headlines. Don't forget to check out thte Prague Hygiene Station's tips for keeping cool and carrying on this weekend!

Two powerful earthquakes, magnitude 7.2 and 7.5, struck the Caracas area in quick succession, killing at least 32 people and injuring hundreds. The worst-hit area was La Guaira. Czech firefighters accepted Venezuela's international call for USAR teams and confirmed deployment Thursday afternoon, with the team expected on the ground by Friday.

In context: The Czech heavy USAR team is among the most capable in the world, according to Fire and Rescue Service director Vladimír Vlček. The Foreign Ministry says no Czech citizens in Venezuela have contacted emergency lines or the embassy in Bogotá, which covers the country. You can contribute to people in need's SOS Venezuela fundraiser here.

Prime Minister Andrej Babiš told a major conference on Ukraine's postwar reconstruction in Gdańsk on Wednesday that no recovery is possible while the war continues, no infrastructure rebuilt, no families returned, no investors committed. Speaking at what is expected to be the largest such gathering to date, he pushed back against what he described as a European debate dominated by calls for more weapons and escalation.

Worth knowing: The EU used the conference to announce the first disbursement from its CZK 2.2 trillion loan package to Kyiv; CZK 77 billion transferred on the day.

The National Drug Control Centre's annual report finds that street-level dealing is giving way to encrypted apps, courier drops, and parcel deliveries, with cryptocurrency payments further obscuring both sides of transactions. Marijuana remains the most widely used drug in the country, but the rise of synthetic cannabinoids – often sold as sweets or vape refill – is raising alarm, particularly for their targeting of children.

In numbers: Czech authorities recorded two fatal overdoses last year linked to synthetic opioids ordered from abroad – substances described as many times stronger than heroin, with lethal doses measurable in thousandths of a gram.

More than 1.5 million pupils and students receive their end-of-year reports today, with summer holidays officially starting tomorrow, June 27 – four days earlier than originally scheduled, after Education Minister Robert Plaga brought the school year forward. Children return to classrooms on Tuesday, Sept. 1.

Local angle: Around 39,560 Ukrainian refugee children attending Czech primary schools will also receive reports today, the majority integrated into public schools.

Hot city, cool apartment: what hygienists say to do

Prague's concrete and asphalt retain heat, pushing urban temperatures several degrees above the surrounding countryside. The Prague hygiene station's advice for surviving the coming days: ventilate your flat at night and in the early morning, then shut windows and shade them through the day. On public transport, especially older trams and buses, always carry water.

On the job? Under Czech law, office temperatures must stay below 28°C; above 36°C, employers are legally required to introduce safety breaks counted as working hours.

Forest pool, restored Volunteers in the Ore Mountains have revived a granite swimming pool built around 1911 in Pila, a village razed after the postwar expulsion of its German residents. The municipality spent roughly CZK 2 million on the project, and it's already becoming a local summer spot.

Schick hangs up national jersey Patrik Schick announced his retirement from the Czech national team after the squad exited the World Cup group stage without a win, closing a decade of service that included five goals at Euro 2021. His parting message was pointed: Czech football "has much, much more to offer" and needs to face hard truths.

700 metres of wall art Prague 6 is turning a long army-owned wall on Vlastina Street into one of Europe's largest mural installations: thirty paintings, half by Czech artists, half European. The district spent years negotiating with the Ministry of Defense before getting the green light.