• Weather forecast
    03/18/2022

    Saturday should be partly cloudy with day temperatures between 7 and 11 degrees Celsius.

  • Two apartments in Prague Castle Compound to be offered to Ukrainian refugees
    03/18/2022

    The Office of the President has offered two apartments within the Prague Castle Compound as accommodation for refugees from Ukraine, the president’s spokmesman Jiří Ovčáček said on Friday. He said this was being done at the president’s request and the apartments, suited to the needs of women with children, would be offered to the NGO Caritas CR.
    Author: Daniela Lazarová

  • Amount of meth in Czech wastewater highest in Europe
    03/18/2022

    The amount of methamphetamine in Czech wastewater is the highest in Europe, according to the results of an analysis conducted by the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA). The centre analysed wastewater in 80 cities across 25 European states. Czech cities took the first five places on the European ladder. The highest traces of methamphetamine were found in the wastewater of Ostrava, Brno, Česke Budějovice, Karlovy Vary and Prague, in that order. The drug meth, which is known as “pervitin” in the Czech Republic, is produced in illegal labs in this country and smuggled to other European states.
    Author: Daniela Lazarová

  • Czech government to respond to Kyiv’s request for firefighter equipment
    03/18/2022

    The Czech government will meet on Friday to approve further aid to Ukraine, this time in response to a request by the mayor of Kyiv for equipment for the city’s firefighters such as high-rise ladders and masks. This essential equipment is increasingly in short supply due to the intense Russian bombing  of Ukranian cities where it is used in emergency rescue operations. Prime Minister Petr Fiala, who visited Kyiv in person this week for face-to-face talks with President Zelensky, said on Friday the Czech Republic would help as much as it could.
    Author: Daniela Lazarová

  • Visegrad Fund to help meet needs of refugees in member states
    03/18/2022

    The Visegrad four states have earmarked one million euros from the Visegrad Fund to help finance local projects aimed at helping to meet the needs of Ukrainian refugees who have fled to these countries. The money will be used as grants for projects by NGOs, health providers and local municipalities in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland and Hungary.  There are currently over 270,000 Ukrainian refugees in the Czech Republic and the authorities are struggling to meet accommodation needs as well as needs relating to health care and education.
    Author: Daniela Lazarová

  • New Covid cases down slightly, 89 deaths this week
    03/18/2022

    Some 8,163 new Covid-19 cases were recorded in the Czech Republic on Thursday, which was the lowest number on a weekday in a fortnight. However, the figure was only marginally lower than on the previous Thursday and testing numbers have fallen significantly. There were also nearly 1,500 suspected reinfections.

    The number of people in hospital with the coronavirus stood at 2,194, with 135 in a critical condition. Eighty-nine Covid deaths have been recorded so far this week.
    Author: Ian Willoughby

  • Czechs lift Covid restrictions for EU states
    03/18/2022

    Covid-related restrictions were on Friday lifted for people entering the Czech Republic from other European Union states. The Czech authorities also ended such requirements for people coming from Andorra, Iceland, Lichtenstein, Monaco, Norway, San Marino, Switzerland and the Vatican.

    People coming from these countries no longer need to fill in an arrival form, while confirmation of a negative Covid test, vaccination or previous illness are also not required.
    Author: Ian Willoughby

  • Czech Republic launches tender for new nuclear unit
    03/17/2022

    Czech power company ČEZ has launched a tender process to select a builder for a new nuclear unit at Dukovany. ČEZ made the move after receiving consent from the Czech Ministry of Industry.

    The new unit should be completed by 2036. The minister of industry, Jozef Síkela, said it would be the biggest investment in the modern history of the Czech Republic.

    Three companies are in the running for the contract, having passed a security appraisal: France’s EDF, KHNP from South Korea and Westinghouse of the US.

    Minister Síkela said the riskiness of the bidders and their subcontractors would be regularly assessed.
    Author: Ian Willoughby

  • Czech PM discusses humanitarian situation in Moldova with president
    03/17/2022

    Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala spoke by phone with the president of Moldova, Maia Sandu, on Thursday. Mr. Fiala said on Twitter that the two had discussed the security and humanitarian situation in Moldova in the context of Russia’s war on Ukraine.

    The Czech PM said that as a neighbouring country Moldova was seeing a large influx of Ukraine refugees and that he was glad his country was helping Moldova with humanitarian aid.

    Mr. Fiala also said that the Czech Republic supported Moldova on its path to membership of the European Union.
    Author: Ian Willoughby

  • PM Fiala: CR at limit of number of refugees it can absorb
    03/17/2022

    The Czech prime minister, Petr Fiala, says the country is at the very limit of the number of Ukrainian refugees it can absorb without major problems. Speaking on Thursday he said there were at present 270,000 refugees from Russia’s war on Ukraine in the country.

    Mr. Fiala said the country must continue in steps aimed at helping manage a further influx. These include amendments to legislation on visas and security, education and employment for refugees.

    His government has also agreed on accommodation allowances while the Ministry of Regional Development is preparing subsidies for municipalities to acquire and renovate apartments.
    Author: Ian Willoughby

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