Czech news in brief for May 18: Monday's top morning headlines

Thousands of people gathered in regional Czech cities Sunday to support Czech Television and Czech Radio in protests organized by the Million Moments for Democracy group. Demonstrators marched with banners and chants defending “freedom of the media” and opposing a bill that would shift public media funding from license fees to the state budget. Organizers estimated about 3,000 participants in Brno and more than 1,000 in České Budějovice, with similar rallies held in Prague earlier this month.

Mortgage lending in the Czech Republic surged in April, with banks and building societies providing 61.5 billion crowns in loans, up 90 percent year on year, according to the Czech Banking Association’s Hypomonitor. New mortgage rates averaged 4.52 percent, slightly higher than March. Analysts cited higher refinancing activity and geopolitical pressures affecting borrowing costs. The average new mortgage rose to CZK 4.89 million, while refinancing volumes more than doubled from last year.

The Czech Hydrometeorological Institute said temperatures in the Czech Republic will hover around 20 C this week with occasional rain and isolated storms. Daily highs will range from 16 C to 21 C today, with up to 15 millimeters of rain expected Tuesday, and locally more in storms. Weather will gradually warm later in the week, reaching up to 23 C by the weekend, with warmer conditions likely in southern Moravia.

Rapeseed fields are in full bloom across the Czech Republic, turning large parts of the countryside yellow, according to a Novinky.cz photo report. About 311,000 hectares are currently planted with rapeseed, an area roughly comparable to the Karlovy Vary Region. The crop blooms for three to five weeks, creating a striking but sometimes controversial seasonal landscape.

Prague’s Book World fair drew 65,000 visitors at the city’s exhibition grounds, up about 2,000 from last year, organizers said Saturday. Festival featured 808 performers, 560 events and eight exhibitions. Highlights included discussions with Timothy Snyder and signings by Robert Bryndza, while Abdulrazak Gurnah and Boualem Sansal also attended. Translators’ Union announced Jiří Levý translation awards and anti-prizes for flawed Czech translations. Organizers said interest in books continues growing steadily.