• Russian FM Lavrov praises Babiš, Orbán and Fico as “pragmatists”
    11/25/2025

    Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov described Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer), Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán (Fidesz) and likely future Czech prime minister Andrej Babiš (ANO) as “pragmatists” who “care about their citizens,” the Russian state agency TASS reported. He made the remarks in an interview for the YouTube channel of the French-Russian Dialogue association, also published by the Russian Foreign Ministry.

    “We have no illusions about those now governing the West,” Lavrov said, naming Orbán, Fico and Babiš as exceptions. “They are not pro-Russian, but simply pro-Hungarian, pro-Slovak, pro-Czech, and think of their citizens.” He went on to claim that they do not want to “call on their citizens to sacrifice their children in support of the Nazi regime in Kyiv,” echoing the Kremlin’s false justification for the war.

    The outgoing Czech government has strongly backed Ukraine, while the server Politico recently noted that Babiš is publicly known for wanting to limit assistance to Kyiv. President Petr Pavel earlier urged Babiš to include a clear stance on the war in Ukraine—specifically identifying Russia as a threat and committing to NATO obligations—in the incoming coalition’s programme, but he rejected the request.
    Author: Hannah Vaughan

  • Three Czech coal-fired power stations to be closed by 2027
    11/25/2025

    Czech billionaire Pavel Tykač’s energy group Sev.en plans to shut its coal-fired power plants in Počerady, Chvaletice, and Kladno, with production expected to end in January 2027, the newspaper Hospodářské noviny reported.  The closures are driven by rising carbon permit costs and declining profitability.
    Author: Hannah Vaughan

  • Christmas tree installed at Prague’s Old Town Square
    11/25/2025

    Prague’s Christmas tree was installed overnight at the city’s Old Town Square. The 26-meter-tall spruce, brought from the Děčín region in northern Czechia, was trimmed by about four meters for transport. Decorating begins on Tuesday, with the official lighting ceremony set for Saturday.

    The tree will feature 25 large white light balls, 342 traditional ornaments, and roughly 8.5 kilometers of fairy lights, the company Technologie hlavního města Prahy (THMP) confirmed.
    Author: Hannah Vaughan

  • Weather forecast
    11/25/2025

    Wednesday will be mostly cloudy with occasional snowfall, with maximum temperatures ranging from -1 to +3 °C in most of the country. The Czech Hydrometeorological Institute (ČHMÚ) warns of heavy snowfall in northern and eastern regions of the country, expecting 10–20 cm of wet, heavy snow, and up to 25 cm in the mountains. Snowfall will be heaviest in the afternoon, easing in the evening.

  • Police raid Czech railway authority
    11/25/2025

    Police carried out a raid on Tuesday at the Prague headquarters of the Czech Railway Administration (Správa železnic) and at other locations across the city, the spokesperson of the National Centre Against Organized Crime (NCOZ) confirmed to Czech Radio. According to the investigative portal Odkryto.cz, the operation concerns public contracts, including the reconstruction of a railway node by Pardubice and the construction of Brno’s new station.

    A spokesperson for the Railway Administration said the authorities requested certain documents and confirmed that the agency is fully cooperating. According to Odkryto.cz, the raid also involves the Road and Motorway Directorate (ŘSD).
    Author: Hannah Vaughan

  • Czech military commanders met for annual conference
    11/25/2025

    The leadership of the Czech Armed Forces convened on Tuesday in Prague to discuss priorities for the coming year. Chief of the General Staff Karel Řehka warned that Russia remains Czechia’s greatest security threat, describing it as increasingly unpredictable and aggressive. He emphasized that preparation for war is a continuous, never-ending process and criticised the bureaucracy and slow processes within the Czech Army, citing Poland, the Netherlands, and Denmark as examples of more flexible modernisation.

    President Petr Pavel warned at the conference, referring to Donald Trump’s peace plan, that if there is an end to the war in Ukraine in sight, it does not favour the attacked country. He also criticised the incoming ANO, SPD and Motorists coalition’s programme for failing to recognize Russia as a threat and to fully commit to NATO obligations.

    Outgoing Defence Minister Jana Černochová (Civic Democrats) stressed that the Czech Republic must continue strengthening its defence. She highlighted that her ministry signed 49,000 contracts worth 590 billion CZK (24.4 billion EUR).
    Author: Hannah Vaughan

  • President Pavel to meet Babiš on Wednesday

    11/25/2025

    President Petr Pavel will meet ANO leader and likely next prime minister Andrej Babiš at the Prague Castle on Wednesday at 2 PM, the presidential office announced on X. Babiš is  to present a finalised list of ministerial candidates for the incoming coalition of ANO, SPD, and the Motorists.

    On Monday, Babiš said he had received nominations from SPD and the Motorists. These nominations will be formally confirmed with his coalition partners on Tuesday before being submitted to President Pavel on Wednesday.
    Author: Hannah Vaughan

  • Slavia hosts Bilbao in Champions League match on Tuesday
    11/25/2025

    Slavia Prague will host Athletic Bilbao on Tuesday evening as the Champions League league phase reaches its second half. Slavia have earned only two points in the tournament so far — draws with Bodø/Glimt and Atalanta — while Bilbao sit one point ahead, having won against Qarabağ (Azerbaijan).

    In their last match last October, the Czech side lost 0-1 in Bilbao despite outshooting their opponents. Slavia coach Jindřich Trpišovský says Bilbao play a "classic Spanish style": they want possession, combine quickly, and maintain strong structure.
    Author: Hannah Vaughan

  • Babiš’s Agrofert buys Dutch ammonia firm for €290 million
    11/25/2025

    Agrofert, the Czech holding company owned by likely future prime minister Andrej Babiš (ANO), has purchased the Dutch firm OCI Ammonia Holding B.V. for 290 million euros, the company announced on its website. OCI Ammonia Holding owns an ammonia import and storage terminal in Rotterdam, as well as a distribution platform supplying ammonia to customers across Europe.

    According to Agrofert, the deal is expected to be completed in the first half of 2026,. The acquisition is set to strengthen Agrofert’s position as one of Europe’s major producers of nitrogen fertilizers.
    Author: Hannah Vaughan

  • Czech Foreign Ministry urges citizens to leave Venezuela amid rising military tensions
    11/25/2025

    The Czech Foreign Ministry has advised Czech citizens to leave Venezuela as soon as possible, using any available flights. The warning follows a Friday alert from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which highlighted a potential security threat linked to increased military activity in and around the country.

    Several airlines cancelled flights to and from Venezuela over the weekend after the FAA warning. The United States has been boosting its military presence in the region in recent weeks, prompting the Venezuelan government to launch a series of military exercises in response.
    Author: Daniela Lazarová

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