• 09/22/2026

    Thousands of passengers have travelled on Prague’s Petřín funicular after it returned to service on Tuesday following a two-year reconstruction. Prague Public Transit Company said 6,210 passengers had used it by 4 pm. The funicular is currently operating in trial mode, which will continue until August next year, with a staff member present in each car to assist in emergencies. The new cars can carry 120 passengers, compared with 100 previously, and offer improved views of the city. A single ticket now costs CZK 100, or CZK 90 when purchased through the PID Lítačka app.

    Author: Vít Pohanka
  • 09/22/2026

    The Czech Bar Association has joined criticism of Prime Minister Andrej Babiš (ANO) over his recent comments about the judiciary, describing them as inappropriate. The association said the executive branch should not interfere with judicial decision-making and that criticism of the courts should be constructive and based on verifiable data. Babiš has accused parts of the judiciary of acting without evidence and referred to a “mafia” that can have people imprisoned on demand. The Czech Union of Judges criticised his remarks last week. Babiš has stood by his comments.

  • 09/22/2026

    It will be mostly sunny or partly cloudy, with cloud cover temporarily increasing in the afternoon and isolated showers possible in the east. Daytime highs will range between 14 and 18 degrees Celsius.

    Author: Vít Pohanka
  • 09/22/2026

    More than a quarter of Czech secondary school and university students sleep an average of just five to six hours a night during the school year, according to a survey by GTS Alive. The findings reveal a paradox: more than 70 percent say they lead a healthy lifestyle or take an interest in healthy living, yet many struggle with insufficient sleep and stress. Around 60 percent said they lacked enough time to rest, while more than half often or very often felt stressed. The survey questioned 1,228 students in late August and early September.

    Author: Vít Pohanka
  • 09/22/2026

    Czech President Petr Pavel is continuing his visit to the United States, attending the opening of the UN General Assembly’s general debate in New York on Tuesday together with Foreign Minister Petr Macinka (Motorists). Nearly 130 heads of state and government are expected to attend. Pavel will also take part in an event on protecting children’s rights in the age of artificial intelligence, co-hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron. Pavel, who is leading the Czech delegation, is due to address the General Assembly on Wednesday.

    Author: Vít Pohanka
  • 09/22/2026

    Czech opposition parties have criticised the governing coalition over its handling of parliamentary business, including plans to limit the usual questioning of ministers during an extraordinary session on Thursday. Civic Democratic Party (ODS) leader Martin Kupka said the opposition would continue raising issues it believes the government has failed to address. The opposition is also collecting signatures for a no-confidence vote and is expected to decide on its timing this week. The Pirates said the extraordinary session would allow fewer questions and no follow-ups, while STAN criticised the scheduling of two extraordinary sessions this week.

    Author: Vít Pohanka
  • 09/22/2026

    A test version of the Czech Justice Ministry’s new commercial register accidentally made sensitive personal data accessible to the public. According to Czech Radio’s iROZHLAS.cz, this included people’s birth numbers, a personal identifier roughly equivalent to a US Social Security number. Another programming error allowed access to documents not intended for publication. The ministry took the test system offline after being alerted and notified the cybersecurity and data protection authorities. The scale of the incident is still under investigation, but potentially nearly two million people could have been affected.

    Author: Vít Pohanka
  • 09/22/2026

    Prague’s Petřín funicular returned to service on Tuesday morning after being closed for nearly two years for reconstruction. Dozens of passengers joined the first journeys at 7 am, taking photographs and videos of the new carriages. The funicular, connecting Újezd with Petřín via Nebozízek, will initially operate in trial mode. The new glass-fronted cars can carry 120 passengers, up from 100 previously, and offer improved views of Prague. A single ticket now costs CZK 100, or CZK 90 through the PID Lítačka app. The Petřín funicular first began operating in 1891.

    Author: Vít Pohanka
  • 09/22/2026

    ANO would win a hypothetical Czech general election with 34 percent of the vote, according to an August model by the Median polling agency. STAN would come second with 12 percent, narrowly ahead of ODS on 11 percent. The difference between the two is within the statistical margin of error. SPD would receive nine percent and the Pirates 7.5 percent. The Motorists and the Communists would each receive 4.5 percent, below the five-percent threshold needed to enter the lower house. Median put expected voter turnout at 60 percent

    Author: Vít Pohanka
  • 09/22/2026

    The Czech Judges’ Union has criticised Prime Minister Andrej Babiš (ANO) for questioning the independence of the courts. Commenting on the Stork’s Nest case, Babiš said the case was politicized and the verdict had been ordered.

    Representatives of the judiciary have called on the prime minister either to substantiate his claims or withdraw them.

    The Prague High Court ruled on the appeal in the Stork’s Nest case and has twice overturned an acquittal by the court of first instance.

    In August, the Prague High Court upheld a three-year suspended sentence and a fine for Babiš’s former associate Jana Nagyová. Babiš’s prosecution is currently suspended because of his parliamentary immunity.

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