• 06/11/2026

    Czech customs officers have seized 38 kilograms of illegally traded ivory after a man attempted to sell a collection of carved artefacts for 1.5 million crowns (about €60,000). The collection in Eastern Bohemia included two elephant tusks and ten carved ivory objects that the owner had brought to Czechia while working legally in Africa since the 1990s. Experts estimate the items required the deaths of at least ten protected African elephants, with the true number possibly as high as 12. Authorities have confiscated the collection, and the owner has been fined. Customs officials said the case demonstrates the Czech Republic’s commitment to enforcing international bans on the ivory trade.

    Author: Vít Pohanka
  • 06/11/2026

    Foreign Minister Petr Macinka (Motorists) says Czech development policy should shift from aid based on moral obligation to one driven by strategic interests, economic logic and partnership. Speaking at a conference on the future of development cooperation, he argued that development should be seen as an investment rather than charity, with greater involvement from the private sector and more opportunities for Czech businesses. Macinka defended this year's reduced development budget, saying limited public finances require smarter and more effective assistance. He also endorsed the principle of “Trade over Aid”, arguing that investment and free markets offer a more sustainable path to development than grants alone.

    Author: Vít Pohanka
  • 06/11/2026

    Nearly one in five Czechs travelled outside Europe during the past year, but most fail to seek medical advice or take basic precautions before departure, according to a survey commissioned by the Czech Health Ministry. Only about one in ten travellers consults a doctor before leaving, while just a quarter of those heading beyond Europe register with the Foreign Ministry’s Drozd travel notification system. Around five percent of travellers reported health problems abroad, most commonly digestive illnesses. Officials are also urging fans travelling to the FIFA World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico to ensure appropriate vaccinations, buy travel insurance and protect themselves against heat, mosquitoes and infectious diseases.

    Author: Vít Pohanka
  • 06/11/2026

    Opposition parties have called a special session of the Czech Chamber of Deputies to debate Prime Minister Andrej Babiš’s (ANO) alleged conflict of interest and proposed changes to the country's conflict-of-interest law. The amendment, submitted by coalition lawmakers, would ease restrictions on government members' companies receiving public contracts and subsidies, including exempting entitlement-based agricultural subsidies. Opposition parties argue the changes are tailored to benefit Babiš and have warned they may challenge the legislation before the Constitutional Court. The debate comes as the European Commission continues reviewing whether Agrofert meets EU rules for receiving agricultural subsidies.

    Author: Vít Pohanka
  • 06/11/2026

    The Czech Republic will begin its FIFA World Cup campaign against Korea in Guadalajara on Friday, hoping to extend its unbeaten run under coach Miroslav Koubek. The teams have never met in a competitive match, and victory would put the Czechs in a strong position to reach the knockout stage. Kick-off is at 4 a.m. Czech time, with players expected to face the added challenge of Guadalajara’s altitude of nearly 1,600 metres. It is Czechia’s first World Cup appearance since 2006. The team will also face South Africa and co-hosts Mexico in Group A.

    Author: Vít Pohanka
  • 06/11/2026

    President Petr Pavel on Thursday officially started this year's 1000 Miles of Czechoslovakia historic car rally, sending 130 pre-war vehicles from Prague on the traditional route to Bratislava and back. More than half the entries are Czech-made cars, with a 1939 Jawa Minor Roadster leading the field. Speaking at the start, Pavel praised the beauty of pre-war Czechoslovak automobiles and the dedication of enthusiasts who preserve them, calling their work a continuation of the skills of the country's engineers and designers. The three-day event recreates the famous endurance race first held in the 1930s and is open to cars built up to 1939.

    Author: Vít Pohanka
  • 06/10/2026

    A US doctor who was monitored for Ebola at Prague's Bulovka University Hospital after contact with an infected patient in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has been discharged after completing the disease's incubation period. Patrick LaRochelle showed no symptoms of Ebola and has returned to the United States. He had been admitted to a high-security isolation unit on May 21 after arriving in Czechia on a special flight. During his stay, he praised the care provided by Czech medical staff. No case of Ebola has ever been confirmed in Czechia.

    Author: Vít Pohanka
  • 06/10/2026

    Zdena Mašínová, the daughter of Second World War resistance hero General Josef Mašín and sister of anti-communist resistance fighters Josef and Ctirad Mašín, has died at the age of 92. Because of her brothers’ escape from communist Czechoslovakia to the West in the early 1950s, she faced years of persecution under the communist regime. In later life, she helped establish the Memorial of the Three Resistances at the family’s former estate in Lošany, which had been confiscated by the communists. In 2023, President Petr Pavel awarded her the Order of Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk for her contribution to democracy and human rights.

    Author: Vít Pohanka
  • 06/10/2026

    Thursday will be mostly overcast, with rain in places. Daytime highs will range between 14 and 18 degrees Celsius, reaching up to 20 degrees in South Moravia.

    Author: Vít Pohanka
  • 06/10/2026

    Czechia had the seventh-lowest inflation rate in Europe in May, according to an analysis by investment company Portu. Consumer prices rose by 2.1% year on year, improving the country's ranking from tenth place in April. Inflation was higher in all neighbouring countries, reaching 2.6% in Germany, 3.1% in Poland, 3.7% in Austria and 3.9% in Slovakia. Romania recorded Europe's highest inflation at 10.7%, while Switzerland and Liechtenstein had the lowest at 0.6%. Inflation in the eurozone rose to 3.2% in May.

    Author: Vít Pohanka

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