• 08/11/2021

    The US software company NortonLifeLock says it has reached agreement with the Czech multinational antivirus company Avast on a takeover, the Financial Times reported. The American firm is set to pay up to USD 8.6 billion for Avast, which was set up in 1988.

    Avast’s products are used by over 435 million people around the world, mainly free of charge. Its founders hold a stake of around 35 percent in the company.

    Author: Ian Willoughby
  • 08/11/2021

    Slavia Prague have been knocked out in the third qualifying round of football’s Champions League. The Czech side had lost 2:0 to Hungary’s Ferencvaros in the first, away leg and could only manage a 1:0 victory in Prague on Tuesday night. Slavia will now face Legia Warsaw for a place in the group stage of the lower-tier Europa League.

    Meanwhile Sparta Prague are already into the group stage of the Europa League. They were beaten 3:1 at home by Monaco for a 5:1 aggregate defeat in the Champions League third qualifying round.

    Author: Ian Willoughby
  • 08/10/2021

    The rock band Pražský výběr are set to perform a concert with the Czech National Symphony Orchestra to mark the 30th anniversary of the departure of Soviet troops from Czechoslovakia.

    A show by the group back in 1991 symbolically confirmed the soldiers exit. Their pullout was overseen by Pražský výběr singer Michael Kocáb, who was then in politics.

    Author: Ian Willoughby
  • 08/10/2021

    Prime Minister Andrej Babiš has allowed police to interview Deputy Prime Minister Jan Hamáček over an unrealised trip to Moscow, the news website iRozhlas.cz reported on Tuesday. The move came following a request from the police’s national organised crime unit. Mr. Hamáček, who is also interior minister, says he has not yet been called in for questioning.

    The police wish to ascertain whether Mr. Hamáček planned – as reported – to offer to hush up a deadly Russian operation on Czech soil in exchange for doses of the Sputnik V vaccine. He denies the allegation.

    Author: Ian Willoughby
  • 08/10/2021

    Some 168 fresh cases of Covid-19 were recorded in the Czech Republic on Monday, a slight increase on the same day the previous week. The reproduction number is currently at 1.06.

    Around 50 people are currently hospitalised with the coronavirus, with 12 in a critical condition.

    Prague has the highest incidence of the coronavirus at present.

    Over five million people in the country of 10.7 million have now been fully vaccinated. However, over half a million people aged over 60 – almost one-fifth of the total – have not received the jab.

    Author: Ian Willoughby
  • 08/10/2021

    Brown coal mines in North Bohemia run by energy giant CEZ will cease operations sooner than originally planned. The company’s chief financial officer, Martin Novák, said on Tuesday that the mining would cease by 2038 at the latest – not by 2050, the previous target.

    However, CEZ group’s Severočeské doly could wind down operations even sooner, depending on the market situation, Mr. Novák said.

    Last year the Coal Commission recommended that the Czech Republic stop using brown coal to produce electricity and heat in 2038.

    Author: Ian Willoughby
  • 08/10/2021

    It should be mainly overcast in the Czech Republic on Wednesday, with an average high temperature of 23 degrees Celsius. Daytime highs will reach the high 20s Celsius at the weekend.

    Author: Ian Willoughby
  • 08/10/2021

    Hollywood stars Johnny Depp and Michael Caine will be the special guests at the 55th edition of the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, the organisers announced on Tuesday. Two-time Oscar winner Caine will receive the festival’s Crystal Globe for lifetime’s contribution to world cinema at the gala opening on Friday next week.

    This year’s Karlovy Vary is taking place later than usual, to allow for higher levels of vaccination against Covid-19, the organisers said. Attendees will wear special wrist band passes as proof that they have been vaccinated or meet other requirements.

    Author: Ian Willoughby
  • 08/10/2021

    Sparta Prague says it has identified people involved in recent cases of racist abuse during matches and will ban them from attending after concluding its investigation.

    Sparta was fined 100,000 crowns due to racist abuse in the July 24 championship match against Sigma Olomouc and charged by UEFA for racist abuse by club fans during the first leg of a Champions League third qualifying round game against Monaco on August 3.

    The Czech club management said that it had identified the suspects thanks to CCTV and television recordings.

    Author: Brian Kenety
  • 08/10/2021

    The Czech Sports Union (ČUS) has called on the Czech Olympic Committee to compensate athletes who were unable to compete at the Tokyo Games due to contracting Covid-19 and being forced into quarantine.

    The Union head made the request in a letter to Committee chairman in connection with coronavirus spread among team members travelling to Japan by charter flight. He also asked for a formal apology.

    Czech Olympic team athletes Michal Schlegel (cyclist), Ondřej Perušič and Markéta Nausch Sluková (volleyball) and Pavel Širuček (table tennis) and a team coach contracted Covid-19 from an unvaccinated doctor aboard the flight.

    Author: Brian Kenety

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