General News selection of Week 3 (13 - 19 January)

* Joža Uprka - painter of Moravian Slovácko. He became famous for his costumes and painted them all his life

Perhaps no other artist captured life in Moravian Slovakia and its rich folk traditions, festivals and everyday life at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries as faithfully as Josef "Joža" Uprka, who died on 12 January 1940 in Hroznová Lhota near Kyjov from kidney failure. (more here)

* Annual inflation in the euro area rose to 2.4 %. In the European Union up to 2.7 %

The annual inflation rate in the euro area reached 2.4 % in December 2024, up from 2.2 % in November. A year earlier, it was 2.9 %. In the EU, annual inflation was 2.7 % in December 2024, up from 2.5 % in November. A year earlier, it was 3.4 %. (more here)

* The text of the ceasefire agreement reached between Israel and Hamas over the hostages

A copy of the agreement, the authenticity of which has been confirmed by The Times of Israel, lists how many Palestinian prisoners Israel must release per prisoner released and details the terms of Israel's withdrawal from Gaza. (more here)

* David Lynch, film director, has died Elephant Man, Blue Velvet or the series Twin Peaks

There's a big hole in the world now because he's no longer with us. But as he would say: "Look at the donut, not the hole." (more here)

* New Bulgarian cabinet of Rosen Zhelyazkov passes through parliament and sworn in

Parliament elects a proposed cabinet with Rosen Zhelyazkov as prime minister. It passed with 125 votes in favour, 114 against and no abstentions. (more here)

* The government discussed the impact of the Dukovany completion on the region and approved the designation of a new protected landscape area called Soutok

The completion of the Dukovany nuclear power plant will significantly affect life in the region. In the long term, it will bring major benefits, above all it will ensure the energy security of the whole country. (more here)

* Temporary protection in November for 4.2 million people

As of 30 November 2024, slightly more than 4.2 million third-country nationals who fled Ukraine as a result of Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine had temporary protection status in the EU. (more here)

* Cuba should no longer be designated as a state sponsor of terrorism

The U.S. government decided to remove Cuba from the State Department's list of countries that allegedly sponsor terrorism and to lift the Cuban Restricted List, which identifies a group of institutions with which U.S. citizens and institutions may not conduct financial transactions, affecting third countries. (more here)

* The Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports has prepared the biggest change in education in 20 years

The Ministry of Education and the National Pedagogical Institute presented the final form of the revised Framework Educational Programmes for pre-school and primary education, including the necessary support for their implementation in practice. (more here)

* CZSO: consumer price growth slowed in 2024, average inflation rate in 2024 was 2.4 %

Consumer prices rose by 2.4 % y-o-y in 2024, down 8.3 percentage points from the previous year. The growth in the price level was mainly driven by prices in the housing section. (more here)