• 09/21/2023

    One person died when a house was destroyed by an explosion in the village of Otinoves in the Olomouc Region, the local police force said. The blast on Thursday also damaged several other houses nearby.

    Police said they were working to establish the cause of the explosion and had sealed off the area.

    Author: Ian Willoughby
  • 09/21/2023

    There are differences in the five-party Czech government coalition over who should be Czechia’s next European commissioner, Novinky.cz reported on Thursday. The country’s current member of the Commission, Věra Jourová is due to step down next year after two terms.

    The Mayors say they have the right to choose a successor under the coalition deal. However, the Pirate Party, who ran with them in an electoral alliance, say they should also have a say. However, Tomáš Zdechovský, an MEP for the Christian Democrats, does not recognise any such agreement, Novinky.cz said.

    The Mayors want to put forward one-time presidential candidate Danuše Nerudová for the post, the news site said.

    Author: Ian Willoughby
  • 09/21/2023

    Czechia’s public finances are markedly imbalanced, the Czech Fiscal Council said on Thursday. In a report on the long-term sustainability of the public finances, the independent expert body said the government’s previously announced austerity measures, including pension reform, could have a positive impact – however, they will need to be followed by increased consolidation in future.

    The council said the imbalance in the public finances was in part due to irresponsible steps taken during the pandemic and measures in response to the rise in fuel and energy prices caused by Russia’s aggression against Ukraine.

    Author: Ian Willoughby
  • 09/21/2023

    The top Czech MMA fighter Jiří Procházka will fight Alex Pereira of Brazil for the UFC world light heavyweight title in New York on November 11, the organisers said on Thursday.

    Procházka, who is 30, earned the same title in his last bout in June 2022. However, he injured his shoulder in training for a rematch and surrendered the title under a deal with the UFC.

    Author: Ian Willoughby
  • 09/21/2023

    It should be mainly overcast in Czechia on Friday, with an average high temperature of 21 degrees Celsius. Clear skies are expected to return early next week.

    Author: Ian Willoughby
  • 09/21/2023

    The 28th International Festival of Organ Music comes to a close on Thursday with a concert by the French organist Baptiste-Florian Marle-Ouvrard in St. Jacob’s Basilica in Prague.

    Marle-Ouvrard, who serves as the organist at the famous Gothic Church of Saint-Eustache in Paris, will perform pieces by César Franck and Charles-Marie Widor.

    The organ in St. Jacob’s Basilica, with its four manuals, 91 sounding registers and 8,277 pipes, is the largest one in Prague.

    Author: Ruth Fraňková
  • 09/21/2023

    In his address to the UN Security Council on Wednesday, Czech President Petr Pavel again strongly condemned Russia’s aggression against Ukraine. The Czech head of state said the defeat of Ukraine would be a victory for brutality and injustice, and therefore no country should remain neutral in this conflict.

    On the fourth day of his visit to New York, Mr. Pavel is scheduled to visit the Bohemian National Hall in Manhattan and tour the city. Among other things, he will pay tribute to the victims of the terrorist attack of 11 September 2001.

    The Czech President will also hold bilateral meetings, including with Mongolian President Uchnágin Chürelsüch, the Prime Minister of Andorra, Xavier Espot Zamora, and the President of the World Jewish Congress, Ronald Lauder.

    Author: Ruth Fraňková
  • 09/20/2023

    Germany has agreed with Czechia to set up a joint task force against migrant smugglers and discusses the involvement of Poland, German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser told members of the Bundestag on Wednesday.

    Germany has been facing a growing number of migrants in recent months who are entering the country via Poland and Czechia without the necessary documents.

    A number of regional politicians, as well as the head of the opposition conservative Christian Democratic Union, Friedrich Merz, have been calling for the reintroduction of permanent checks at the Czech and Polish borders, but Faeser rejects such a move, describing permanent border security as a last resort.

    Author: Ruth Fraňková
  • 09/20/2023

    Thursday will be mostly sunny with occasional clouds and day temperatures ranging between 23 and 27 degrees Celsius.

    Author: Ruth Fraňková
  • 09/20/2023

    The number of Alzheimer patients among the clients of Czechia’s main public health insurance company, VZP, has increased by 13 percent over the last five years, the Czech Statistics Office reported on Wednesday.

    In 2022, VZP, whose clients comprise 60 per cent of the population, recorded more than 50,000 clients suffering from Alzheimer’s disease, and their treatment exceeded CZK 1.74 billion.

    Overall, the country’s Institute of Health Information and Statistics estimates that there are currently about 100,000 people with Alzheimer's disease in Czechia. By 2030 their number is expected to reach 174,000.

    Author: Ruth Fraňková

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