Early Bird: Changes in funding could threaten the stability of Czech Television (ČT) and Czech Radio (ČRo) according to the European Broadcasting Union. Assets worth half a billion crowns were seized due to fraud involving actress Andressová.
In times when reliable information is more important than ever, it is essential that Czech public media have secured stable, adequate, and predictable financing as well as appropriate guarantees of independence, the European Broadcasting Union stated in its declaration. The Italian financial police have discovered assets fraudulently taken from actress Ursula Andress, who rose to cinematic fame with her bikini scene in the 1962 film Dr. No. She later went on to make several other films in Hollywood.
Change in the financing of public service media is not standard according to industry experts
Changes in the financing of public service media in the Czech Republic may endanger their stability and independence according to the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and 11 other international organizations. The signatories of a joint statement also pointed out that essential interventions should be subject to wide expert discussion and must comply with European standards. The coalition government of ANO, SPD, and Motorists plans to change the financing of public service media. It wants to gradually replace license fees with money from the state budget, wrote the server Ceskenoviny.cz.
Actress Ursula Andress filed a lawsuit against a manager for embezzling entrusted property
The prosecutor's office in Florence, Italy, seized villas, land, and artworks worth approximately 20 million euros, nearly half a billion Czech crowns, due to suspicions they were acquired from embezzled property of Swiss actress Ursula Andress. The actress suspected her former manager and banker of the disappearance of the property. The 90-year-old actress also filed a lawsuit in her native Switzerland against the manager, whom she accused of embezzling entrusted property. This was banker Éric Freymond, who committed suicide last year, reported the portal Ceskenoviny.cz.
Raúl Castro Participates in Early-Stage Talks with the USA
Former Cuban President Raúl Castro is participating in discussions between his country and the United States, Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel stated on Wednesday. According to Díaz-Canel, the talks are in their early stages and are taking place during a period of rising tension. Cuba is suffering nationwide power outages due to a deteriorating energy grid and an ongoing oil blockade imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump. Trump has threatened tariffs on any country supplying oil to Cuba. He recently even declared that he would soon have "the honor to take over Cuba," reported the AP agency.
Germany Warns of World Economic "Catastrophe"
Concerns about economic tension are growing in Europe. The reason is the war in the Middle East, which has been ongoing for almost a month. German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius described this conflict as an economic "catastrophe." Economic growth prospects have worsened, for example, in the United Kingdom, Al Jazeera noted. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) warned on Thursday that the global economy, which was on the path to growth, is now deviating from this direction.
Transgender athletes banned from participating in the Olympic Games
Transgender athletes are now excluded from women's events at the Olympic Games after the International Olympic Committee approved its new document, which aligns with the executive order of U.S. President Donald Trump on sports ahead of the Los Angeles Games in 2028. Only women tested for the absence of the SRY gene, which determines male gender, will be allowed to compete, according to the AP. The agency notes that it is unclear how many transgender athletes currently compete at the Olympic level. At the previous summer games in Paris in 2024, no athletes who were born male and underwent transition competed.
Sources: AP, Al Jazeera, Ceskenoviny.cz
