General News selection of Week 2 (January 6-12)

* Karel Čapek - the story of an (un)ordinary man, writer and humanist

Karel Antonín Čapek, one of the most important Czech interwar writers, successful journalist, playwright and translator from French, enthusiastic gardener, amateur photographer and traveller, was born 135 years ago, on 9 January 1890, in Malé Svatoňovice near Trutnov. (more here)

* 2024 was the hottest year on record and the first to exceed the 1.5°C benchmark

The EU's Climate Protection Authority has confirmed that 2024 will not only be the hottest year on record, but also the first calendar year when the average global temperature exceeds 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. (more here)

* Gold price predictions: the five best institutional predictions and insights from well-known investors

Gold remains a focus for investors and institutions navigating the uncertainty of the global economy. (more here)

* Six iconic giant snowmen and the monthly countdown in Harbin

Northeast China's Harbin boasts adorable snowman statues during the annual ice and snow festival season. The 2025 Asian Winter Games will begin in Harbin next month. (more here)

* ÚP ČR: Unemployment rose to 4.1 % in December. In 2024, the employment office found jobs for more than 276,000 people

The share of unemployed rose to 4.1 % at the end of the year. In the year-on-year comparison, the share of unemployed was 0.4 percentage point higher, i.e. 27 251 jobseekers. (more here)

* The Government of the Czech Republic supported acceleration of the construction of gas-fired power plants and appointed a new Attorney General

At its first meeting of the new year, the government of Petro Fiala dealt with, among other things, the coalition's amendment to the Energy Act and decided to appoint Lenka Bradáčová as the new chief prosecutor as of 1 April. (more here)

* Japan's aging crisis: lessons from the world's oldest nation

Japan is facing the reality of an ageing population and its economic and social policies are under global scrutiny. (more here)

* Czech Chief Prosecutor Igor Stříž resigned

Igor Stříž personally handed his resignation as a prosecutor to Justice Minister Pavel Blažek yesterday. The reasons for this move are purely personal and family-related. (more here)