News

The Czech Republic plans to significantly speed up rail transport from Prague via Plzeň and Domažlice to the border with Germany, Prime Minister Petr Fiala said on a working visit to Bavaria on Monday. The Czech head of government said the modernisation of the Plzeň-Domažlice line would start next year, when the line will be gradually electrified, with the aim to increase the speed on this important transport artery to 200 kilometers per hour by 2030.

Bavarian Minister-President Markus Söder said he would urge the federal government to earmark money for the German section of the rail route Schwandorf- Nuremberg-Munich for a high-quality electrified and double-track cross-border East-West link, rather than focusing only on the north-south rail line that leads to Italy.

The two sides signed agreements on cross-border cooperation in the field of tourism, emergency services and health.

Czech politicians have strongly condemned Monday’s attack on a children's hospital in Kyiv. President Pavel said the strike against innocent children was proof that Putin would stop at nothing to achieve his goals. “This attack on the most vulnerable members of society is inexcusable” Pavel wrote on the network X,  adding “ I am on my way to a NATO summit, where I expect members to reach a consensus that we all see Russia as the greatest threat to our security, for which we must be thoroughly prepared."

Strong words of condemnation also came from Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky, who said that while “useful idiots are raving about peace with Putin, he is sending missiles at a children’s hospital.”  Other members of cabinet described the attack as ruthless and inhumane.

Widespread Russian airstrikes on Monday hit over 50 civilian targets in different cities leaving at least 36 dead and 125 wounded. Among the targets hit were residential buildings, a commercial center and two medical facilities in Kyiv, Dnipro, Kryvyi Rih, Slovyansk and Kramatorsk. More than 40 missiles of different types were reportedly used in the attack.

Meteorologists have warned that the coming days will bring extremely high temperatures and heavy storms in places. Tuesday and Wednesday, should be the hottest days of the week, when particularly on Wednesday temperatures may reach 36 degrees Celsius in some parts of the country. People are being advised to stay out of the sun, avoid exerting themselves in the heat and increase their intake of liquids.

Police are investigating an incident in which 17 people were injured at the Jihlava music festival over the weekend as a case of negligence, a police spokeswoman told the ctk news agency. The incident was triggered by a heavy storm which made lots of people seek cover in the inflatable festival tent. When the roof began to buckle there was a panic and over a dozen people were injured in the stampede to get out. The organisers insist that all the necessary safety precautions were taken. Two of the injured are reported to be in a serious condition.