News

Former biathletes Gabriela Soukalová, Veronika Vítková, Jitka Landová and Eva Puskarčíková received their bronze medals from the Sochi 2014 Olympic Games at the Biathlon World Cup in Nové Město na Moravě on Saturday.

Czechia’s women’s biathlon team originally finished fourth at the Olympics, but the Russians, who came second, were later disqualified for doping.

The Czech team was first upgraded to bronze in November 2017, but the Court of Arbitration later removed the sanctions from two of the three Russian team members. However, another accused biathlete, Olga Zaitseva failed with her appeal, and last May the IOC finally confirmed the change of ranking.

The Czech lower house has approved a government proposal to lower the pension increase during June indexation. The vote took place at an extraordinary Saturday session of the lower house following four days of opposition filibustering.

Under the government-proposed amendment, the average monthly pension will rise by CZK 760 instead of the expected CZK 1,770. The government says limiting pension increase during June indexation is necessary to stabilise public finances and will save CZK 19.4 billion this year alone.

The draft will now head to the Senate, where the ruling parties have a majority. In order to take effect this year, it needs to be signed into law by the president by March 22. Incoming President Petr Pavel is expected to announce his position on Friday.

During his first 100 days in office, president-elect Petr Pavel wants to visit all neighbouring countries as well as Brussels. In April, he also plans to visit Ukraine, he said at a debate in Prague's DOX cultural centre organised by the weekly Respekt on Friday evening.

He also said the foreign trip intend to show that Czechia is resuming an active foreign policy at the highest level of the state.

The president's first trip will be to Slovakia, which has traditionally been the first destination of Czech officials after taking office. He will then travel to Poland and, on 21 and 22 March, to Germany.

Pavel will officially assume his office as President after the inauguration at Prague Castle on March 9.

Czechia will not support a planned European Union ban on the sale of new cars with combustion engines from unless the use of synthetic fuels remains possible after the deadline, Czech Transport Minister Martin Kupka said in Berlin on Friday after a meeting with his German counterpart Volker Wissing.

Mr Kupka said that Czechia will proceed in the matter together with Germany, adding that both Prague and Berlin considered the current proposal for the EU's forthcoming Euro 7 emission standard to be unrealistic and unacceptable.

EU lawmakers and member states in October agreed that from 2035 all newly registered cars and light commercial vehicles must no longer emit CO2 during operation, which effectively means a ban for combustion engine cars.