• Man gets suspended sentence for praising Christchurch attack online
    08/19/2020

    A 36-year-old Czech man has received a suspended sentence for praising a terrorist attack in Christchurch, New Zealand in internet comments. A court found Ondřej Pudil from Žďár nad Sázavou guilty of supporting terrorism after he approved of the caliber of weapons used by the killer and regretted that he had not had more rounds when he attacked two mosques in 2019, leaving 51 people dead.
    Author: Ian Willoughby

  • Facemasks to be compulsory at hair salons, polling stations
    08/19/2020

    Facemasks will be compulsory at hairdressers and manicure and pedicure shops in the Czech Republic from September 1, according to regulations issued by the Ministry of Health on Wednesday. They will also be required at polling stations during elections in October. Patrons will have to keep their mouths and noses covered in restaurants except for when they are consuming their meals.

    Earlier this week the government announced that facemasks would be returning from September 1 in shops, public buildings, on public transport and in other enclosed spaces, including at arts events. The provision is timed to coincide with the return of children to school.
    Author: Ian Willoughby

  • MPs approve legal changes linked to Covid-19 in special session
    08/19/2020

    Czech MPs approved two legal changes related to the coronavirus situation in a special session of the lower house on Wednesday. They gave their backing to new rules for distance learning for school pupils as well as forms of voting for people in quarantine in Senate and regional elections in October.

    The bills were sped through the Chamber of Deputies under what is called a state of legislative emergency and should go before the Senate on Thursday.
    Author: Ian Willoughby

  • Weather forecast
    08/19/2020

    It should be largely overcast in the Czech Republic on Thursday, with temperatures of up to 26 degrees Celsius. The following days are expected to be sunny, with daytime highs of up to 29 degrees Celsius.

  • Czech average mortgage rate at lowest level since 2017
    08/19/2020

    The average mortgage rate in the Czech Republic fell to its lowest rate in two and a half years in July. According to a regular index published by financial advisors Fincentrum, the average interest rate last month was 2.15 percent, down from 2.21 percent in June. The last time it was that low was in November 2017.

    Mortgage rates have fallen in the Czech Republic for four months in succession.
    Author: Ian Willoughby

  • Highest number of serious Covid-19 cases seen since late March
    08/19/2020

    The number of patients with serious cases of Covid-19 in the Czech Republic now stands at 29, which is the highest figure seen since March 21. There are currently almost 5,000 known cases of the coronavirus in the country, with 122 patients with the virus requiring hospital care, according to official Ministry of Health data released on Wednesday.

    After a rise of 282 on Tuesday, the total number of registered cases of Covid-19 is 20,483.
    Author: Ian Willoughby

  • Over 400 deaths with Covid-19 now recorded in Czech Republic
    08/18/2020

    The number of deaths in the Czech Republic with Covid-19 has climbed to over 400. According to official data released by the country’s Ministry of Health on Tuesday evening some 401 deaths with the coronavirus had occurred. Since the first cases were detected at the start of March there have been over 20,000 known cases.
    Author: Ian Willoughby

  • Charlatan and Painted Bird in running for European Film of Year Awards
    08/18/2020

    Two Czech films are in the running for this year’s European Film Awards, the nominations for which were announced on Tuesday. Among the 32 movies in contention will be Agnieska Holland’s Charlatan, starring Ivan Trojan as a real life Communist-era healer, and The Painted Bird, a grueling war drama directed by Václav Marhoul. The winners of the “European Oscars” will be announced in December.
    Author: Ian Willoughby

  • ANO and Social Democrats agree 15% income tax rate for lower paid
    08/18/2020

    Coalition partners ANO and the Social Democrats are planning a two-level income tax system. After talks on Tuesday with Social Democrats leader Jan Hamáček, ANO’s minister of finance, Alena Schillerová said agreement had been reached on employees on lower salaries paying an income tax rate of 15 percent. Further talks on the matter are expected, with ANO’s Prime Minister Andrej Babiš also set to take part.

    The income tax rate is being debated as part of plans to discontinue what is known as the super-gross wage. It is the sum of an employee’s gross salary, plus social and health insurance premiums and has been the base for calculating employee income tax since 2008.
    Author: Ian Willoughby

  • Weather forecast
    08/18/2020

    It should be overcast in the Czech Republic on Wednesday, with temperatures of up to 22 degrees Celsius. The following days are expected to be sunny with daytime highs reaching up to 30 degrees Celsius.
    Author: Ian Willoughby

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