• Media: German AfD MP got EUR 20,000 from Czech-based Russian group
    04/20/2024

    MP Petr Bystroň of the German far-right party AfD received EUR 20,000 from the Russian group behind the Czech-based propaganda website Voice of Europe, suggests an audio recording played last week to the Czech lower house’s committee overseeing the BIS counter-intelligence service, the Czech news outlet Denik N and the Czech outlets Zeit and ARD reported.

    The recording was made by BIS, which uncovered the Russian network group and accused it of paying money to European politicians and attempting to interfere in Europe Parliament elections.

    Two Russian individuals and one company were placed on Czechia’s own sanctions list when the news broke in late February.

    Mr. Bystroň, who is of Czech origin, denies any wrongdoing.
    Author: Ian Willoughby

  • Weather forecast
    04/20/2024

    It should be mainly overcast in Czechia on Sunday, with an average high temperature of 7 degrees Celsius. Similar weather is expected in the early part of the next week.
    Author: Ian Willoughby

  • Babiš announces split from wife Monika

    04/20/2024

    Former Czech prime minister Andrej Babiš has announced that his marriage to his wife Monika has ended after 30 years together. Mr. Babiš, who is 69, revealed the news in a social media post.

    Monika Babišová was the second wife of the ANO leader and the couple have two children.

    Slovak-born Mr. Babiš, who became wealthy in the 1990s with the Agrofert conglomerate, is a dollar billionaire and estimated by Forbes magazine to be the seventh richest Czech.
    Author: Ian Willoughby

  • Weather forecast
    04/19/2024

    Saturday should be overcast around most of the country with rain or snow in the mountain regions and day temperatures between 4 and 8 degrees Celsius.

  • Czech foreign ministry advising Czechs in Israel to exercise increased caution
    04/19/2024

    The Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs is advising Czech citizens in Israel to exercise increased caution with regard to the possible deterioration of the security situation following an attack on the Iranian military base near the city of Isfahan. The warning was issued via the ministry’s travel data base Drozd. Close to a hundred Czechs are registered as being in the country at this time, but according to the Czech ambassador in Israel the actual number could be much higher.
    Author: Daniela Lazarová

  • Czech hospitals reorganizing care to reflect aging of population
    04/19/2024

    Czech hospitals are facing a significant reorganization to reflect the aging of the population and the growing number of people in need of long-term care. In cooperation with insurance companies hospitals around the country are going to reduce the number of acute beds, which are not being fully used, and turn them into beds for follow-up and long-term care where there is a dire need for them. "We are already short of capacity and that is nothing compared to what will come after 2030 when the population will really start to age by leaps and bounds and morbidity will increase, Ladislav Dušek, director of the Institute of Health Information and Statistics told journalists. He said hospitals have eight to ten years to prepare for the demographic change.
    Author: Daniela Lazarová

  • Žatec named Historical Town of Year 2023
    04/19/2024

    Žatec has been named the Historical Town of the Year 2023. The award, provided by the Ministry of Culture, recognises the best use of funding to renovate historical landmarks . It comes with a financial reward f of CZK 1 million, to be used for further monument care. The northern town of Žatec and surrounding hop-growing landscape were granted UNESCO World Heritage status in 2023.

    The Historical Town of the Year competition is organised by the Association of Historical Settlements of Bohemia, Moravia and Silesia in cooperation with the ministries of culture and regional development.
    Author: Daniela Lazarová

  • Traffic police out in force for annual Speed Marathon
    04/19/2024

    Traffic police are conducting speed checks in over a thousand locations around Czechia on Friday within the annual Speed Marathon event aimed at enhancing road safety. According to Police Presidium spokeswoman Hana Rubášová the list of locations was selected on the basis of accident statistics and requests from the public. Speeding is one of the most frequent causes of accidents on Czech roads, together with drink driving and using a cell phone without a hands free device.
    Author: Daniela Lazarová

  • President Pavel urges US to approve funding for Ukraine
    04/19/2024

    Czech President Petr Pavel has called on the US House of Representatives to approve the aid package for Ukraine. Speaking to CNN's Christiane Amanpour, the Czech head of state stressed the importance of US assistance, saying that while Europe is trying to increase its share of aid to Kyiv and accept a greater share of responsibility the United States is still providing at least 50 percent of the aid. "Ukraine is as important for Europe as it is for the United States and the whole democratic world. It is not just about defending a sovereign state and its territory, but about the principles and values that we share and that we should protect" Pavel said. The House of Representatives is expected to vote on the aid package on Saturday.
    Author: Daniela Lazarová

  • Fiorentina dump Plzeň out of European Conference League with late goals
    04/19/2024

    Viktoria Plzeň were knocked out in the quarter-finals of the European Conference League by Italy’s Fiorentina on Thursday evening. The Czech club had drawn 0:0 with the Italians in the first leg in West Bohemia last week and the second leg was also tied at 0:0 at the end of regular time. However, Fiorentina stepped up a gear in extra time to win 2:0 on aggregate against Plzeň, who had a player sent off after 66 minutes.

    The European Conference League is European soccer’s third-tier club competition.
    Author: Ian Willoughby

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