Dominik Hašek, the legendary Czech hockey player and former NHL goalie, has publicly stated that Dmitry Medvedev, the former Russian president and current deputy head of Russia's security council, threatened to kill him. Hašek, known for his vocal criticism of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, has sent formal letters to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) regarding the threats and plans to make these communications public. In response, Medvedev dismissed Hašek's claims, suggesting the athlete suffers from a mental illness and advised against drinking beer in unverified places. The threats have drawn condemnation from Czech political leaders, including Prime Minister Petr Fiala, who called the threats unacceptable. Czech officials have offered Hašek protection amid the controversy. The incident has sparked broader political backlash, with Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský condemning the intimidation tactics as unacceptable in the civilized world, contrasting them with practices in Russia under Vladimir Putin's leadership.

The U.S. Under-18 Men's National Team kicked off the 2025 IIHF World Men's Under-18 Championship with a 4-2 comeback victory against Czechia at the Comerica Center in Frisco, Texas. The game, officiated by Joe Nieuwendyk's ceremonial puck drop, was the preliminary round opener for Team USA.

Mikey Berchild scored the opening goal for the U.S., assisted by LJ Mooney, who was later awarded the Player of the Game and a silver Dallas Stars cowboy boot for his performance. The U.S. led 1-0 after the first period, but Czechia's Radim Mrtka tied the game in the second. Czechia then took a 2-1 lead early in the third period.

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Firefighters in the Czech Republic have been battling a large fire at a plastic landfill near the village of Rynholec in the Rakovník district, Central Bohemia region. The fire, which began on Monday evening, has covered an area of at least 450 square meters. Approximately 250 firefighters with 117 pieces of equipment are currently engaged in extinguishing the blaze. The fire is expected to take several days to fully extinguish. The incident has resulted in 15 firefighters being injured. The landfill is located west of Prague, and the response effort remains ongoing.

The Czech State Prosecutor's Office has charged four members of the Czech Special Forces in connection with the death of an Afghan prisoner who died shortly after interrogation. The incident involves an Afghan soldier who had previously shot a Czech soldier and injured two others before allegedly being mistreated by Czech and U.S. military personnel during the interrogation. Reports indicate that there was physical altercation involving Afghan and U.S. soldiers as well. The case is currently under investigation and has drawn attention to the conduct of military personnel during detainee interrogations.

The United States women's ice hockey team won the 2025 IIHF Women's World Championship by defeating defending champion Canada 4-3 in overtime. The gold medal game, held in Czechia, added another chapter to the longstanding U.S.-Canada rivalry in women's hockey. Tessa Janecke, an Orangeville, Illinois native, scored the game-winning goal in overtime. Finland secured the bronze medal in the tournament, which set a new overall attendance record for the IIHF Women's World Championship. The victory is seen as a significant development ahead of the Milan Winter Olympics scheduled for early 2026. Meanwhile, the U.S. Under-18 Men's National Team concluded their pre-tournament matches with a 4-1 victory over Finland and are preparing to begin preliminary round play against Czechia, with the tournament set to start shortly in Texas.

In the 2025 Women's Ice Hockey World Championship semifinals held in Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic, Canada decisively defeated Finland with a 6-1 lead after two periods, including goals from Daryl Watts (two), Emily Clark, and Danielle Serdachny. Following this, Finland competed in the bronze medal match against the host nation Czechia. Despite trailing by three goals, Finland completed a remarkable comeback to win 4-3 in overtime, securing their second consecutive bronze medal. The victory was celebrated as a demonstration of Finnish resilience and determination. The Czech team, which had held a three-goal lead, suffered a disappointing loss on home ice. The Finnish women's national ice hockey team, known as Naisleijonat, received widespread congratulations for their performance in the tournament.

The Czech Republic has achieved full independence from Russian oil supplies for the first time in its history. Prime Minister Petr Fiala announced that the country has successfully transitioned to non-Russian oil sources following the completion of the TAL oil pipeline's modernization, which cost 60 million euros.

The TAL pipeline, now operating at full capacity, brings oil from the Italian port of Trieste to the Czech Republic via the IKL pipeline, covering the nation's annual oil consumption needs of 8 million tonnes. The first increased deliveries of non-Russian oil arrived at the central oil depot in Nelahozeves, signaling the end of the Czech Republic's reliance on the Druzhba pipeline, which had supplied Russian oil for over 60 years. The oil is now headed to the Litvínov refinery, managed by MERO ČR.

Poland and the Czech Republic are advocating for a Schengen-wide restriction on the movement of Russian diplomats, citing concerns over espionage and sabotage activities. The proposal aims to limit Russian diplomats to their respective consular districts, a measure already enforced by Poland. Authorities estimate that up to 20% of Russian diplomats in Europe may be involved in intelligence operations, often providing cover for sabotage. This initiative, which began in Prague in November 2023, has also seen support from Lithuania. In a related development, Poland has implemented a national security law prohibiting photography at approximately 25,000 strategic sites, including railways and ports, to counter increasing spy activities. Violations of this law can result in fines or arrests of up to 30 days. Poland had previously closed the Russian consulate in Poznan last year as part of its broader security measures.

The Multi-Robot Systems (MRS) Lab at the Czech Technical University (CTU) Faculty of Electrical Engineering (FEE) in Prague is actively recruiting for various positions including PhD students, postdoctoral researchers, hardware engineers, and software engineers. The lab, which has been operational for 10 years and comprises 60 members, focuses on cutting-edge research in autonomous drones, multi-agent systems, and advanced robotic perception, offering opportunities to work on real-world applications in areas such as search and rescue, environmental monitoring, and industrial automation.

The MRS Lab provides access to state-of-the-art research facilities, including indoor and outdoor robotic testbeds, and fosters international collaboration with leading universities and industry partners. The team, led by Associate Professor Martin Saska, has achieved significant milestones in autonomous drone technology over the past decade, including the development of the first MPC regulator running directly on a UAV and the deployment of fully autonomous UAV teams in challenging environments.

In addition to the recruitment drive, the MRS Lab's team, known as Fly4Future, has secured a spot in the finals of the Drone Champions League in Abu Dhabi, currently holding the third position after the quarterfinals. This achievement underscores the lab's commitment to pushing the boundaries of autonomous drone technology and competing on an international stage, with a chance to win $1 million.

Dominik Hašek, the legendary Czech hockey player and former NHL goalie, has publicly stated that Dmitry Medvedev, the former Russian president and current deputy head of Russia's security council, threatened to kill him. Hašek, known for his vocal criticism of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, has sent formal letters to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) regarding the threats and plans to make these communications public. In response, Medvedev dismissed Hašek's claims, suggesting the athlete suffers from a mental illness and advised against drinking beer in unverified places. The threats have drawn condemnation from Czech political leaders, including Prime Minister Petr Fiala, who called the threats unacceptable. Czech officials have offered Hašek protection amid the controversy. The incident has sparked broader political backlash, with Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský condemning the intimidation tactics as unacceptable in the civilized world, contrasting them with practices in Russia under Vladimir Putin's leadership.

The U.S. Under-18 Men's National Team kicked off the 2025 IIHF World Men's Under-18 Championship with a 4-2 comeback victory against Czechia at the Comerica Center in Frisco, Texas. The game, officiated by Joe Nieuwendyk's ceremonial puck drop, was the preliminary round opener for Team USA.

Mikey Berchild scored the opening goal for the U.S., assisted by LJ Mooney, who was later awarded the Player of the Game and a silver Dallas Stars cowboy boot for his performance. The U.S. led 1-0 after the first period, but Czechia's Radim Mrtka tied the game in the second. Czechia then took a 2-1 lead early in the third period.

Read more

Firefighters in the Czech Republic have been battling a large fire at a plastic landfill near the village of Rynholec in the Rakovník district, Central Bohemia region. The fire, which began on Monday evening, has covered an area of at least 450 square meters. Approximately 250 firefighters with 117 pieces of equipment are currently engaged in extinguishing the blaze. The fire is expected to take several days to fully extinguish. The incident has resulted in 15 firefighters being injured. The landfill is located west of Prague, and the response effort remains ongoing.

The Czech State Prosecutor's Office has charged four members of the Czech Special Forces in connection with the death of an Afghan prisoner who died shortly after interrogation. The incident involves an Afghan soldier who had previously shot a Czech soldier and injured two others before allegedly being mistreated by Czech and U.S. military personnel during the interrogation. Reports indicate that there was physical altercation involving Afghan and U.S. soldiers as well. The case is currently under investigation and has drawn attention to the conduct of military personnel during detainee interrogations.

The United States women's ice hockey team won the 2025 IIHF Women's World Championship by defeating defending champion Canada 4-3 in overtime. The gold medal game, held in Czechia, added another chapter to the longstanding U.S.-Canada rivalry in women's hockey. Tessa Janecke, an Orangeville, Illinois native, scored the game-winning goal in overtime. Finland secured the bronze medal in the tournament, which set a new overall attendance record for the IIHF Women's World Championship. The victory is seen as a significant development ahead of the Milan Winter Olympics scheduled for early 2026. Meanwhile, the U.S. Under-18 Men's National Team concluded their pre-tournament matches with a 4-1 victory over Finland and are preparing to begin preliminary round play against Czechia, with the tournament set to start shortly in Texas.

In the 2025 Women's Ice Hockey World Championship semifinals held in Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic, Canada decisively defeated Finland with a 6-1 lead after two periods, including goals from Daryl Watts (two), Emily Clark, and Danielle Serdachny. Following this, Finland competed in the bronze medal match against the host nation Czechia. Despite trailing by three goals, Finland completed a remarkable comeback to win 4-3 in overtime, securing their second consecutive bronze medal. The victory was celebrated as a demonstration of Finnish resilience and determination. The Czech team, which had held a three-goal lead, suffered a disappointing loss on home ice. The Finnish women's national ice hockey team, known as Naisleijonat, received widespread congratulations for their performance in the tournament.

The Czech Republic has achieved full independence from Russian oil supplies for the first time in its history. Prime Minister Petr Fiala announced that the country has successfully transitioned to non-Russian oil sources following the completion of the TAL oil pipeline's modernization, which cost 60 million euros.

The TAL pipeline, now operating at full capacity, brings oil from the Italian port of Trieste to the Czech Republic via the IKL pipeline, covering the nation's annual oil consumption needs of 8 million tonnes. The first increased deliveries of non-Russian oil arrived at the central oil depot in Nelahozeves, signaling the end of the Czech Republic's reliance on the Druzhba pipeline, which had supplied Russian oil for over 60 years. The oil is now headed to the Litvínov refinery, managed by MERO ČR.

Poland and the Czech Republic are advocating for a Schengen-wide restriction on the movement of Russian diplomats, citing concerns over espionage and sabotage activities. The proposal aims to limit Russian diplomats to their respective consular districts, a measure already enforced by Poland. Authorities estimate that up to 20% of Russian diplomats in Europe may be involved in intelligence operations, often providing cover for sabotage. This initiative, which began in Prague in November 2023, has also seen support from Lithuania. In a related development, Poland has implemented a national security law prohibiting photography at approximately 25,000 strategic sites, including railways and ports, to counter increasing spy activities. Violations of this law can result in fines or arrests of up to 30 days. Poland had previously closed the Russian consulate in Poznan last year as part of its broader security measures.

The Multi-Robot Systems (MRS) Lab at the Czech Technical University (CTU) Faculty of Electrical Engineering (FEE) in Prague is actively recruiting for various positions including PhD students, postdoctoral researchers, hardware engineers, and software engineers. The lab, which has been operational for 10 years and comprises 60 members, focuses on cutting-edge research in autonomous drones, multi-agent systems, and advanced robotic perception, offering opportunities to work on real-world applications in areas such as search and rescue, environmental monitoring, and industrial automation.

The MRS Lab provides access to state-of-the-art research facilities, including indoor and outdoor robotic testbeds, and fosters international collaboration with leading universities and industry partners. The team, led by Associate Professor Martin Saska, has achieved significant milestones in autonomous drone technology over the past decade, including the development of the first MPC regulator running directly on a UAV and the deployment of fully autonomous UAV teams in challenging environments.

In addition to the recruitment drive, the MRS Lab's team, known as Fly4Future, has secured a spot in the finals of the Drone Champions League in Abu Dhabi, currently holding the third position after the quarterfinals. This achievement underscores the lab's commitment to pushing the boundaries of autonomous drone technology and competing on an international stage, with a chance to win $1 million.