• Czech hospitals warn of critically low blood supplies, appeal to donors
    08/15/2026

    The Health Ministry has called on both regular and new blood donors to come forward in the coming days. Blood supplies at Czech hospitals have fallen significantly during the summer, with stocks at some facilities reaching critical levels, the ministry told the Czech News Agency.

    While the number of donors drops during the summer holidays, demand for blood at hospitals is rising. Shortages are affecting transfusion centres across the country. According to the ministry, several major Prague hospitals and the University Hospital Ostrava are reporting critically low supplies.

    The main reason is the regular summer decline in donations as people go on holiday.
    Author: Daniela Lazarová

  • Czech government to debate drought measures on Monday
    08/15/2026

    The Czech ruling coalition will resume work next week after its regular two-week summer break. Monday’s cabinet session is expected to cover next year’s draft budget, the upcoming municipal and Senate elections and emergency measures related to the deepening drought and water management.

    The issue was raised by the prime minister this week, when he announced the revival of a national coalition to fight drought.

    If the government approves the plan on Monday, the relevant ministers will be asked to present their proposals for implementing individual measures. Babiš has promised to increase drought-related spending by four billion crowns.
    Author: Daniela Lazarová

  • Olomouc Archdiocese cancels pilgrimage for LGBT+ Catholics following hate mail
    08/15/2026

    The Olomouc Archdiocese has cancelled a planned September pilgrimage for LGBT+ Catholics. Organisers said on the Archdiocese’s website that hateful reactions had made it impossible to guarantee a safe environment for participants.

    They said, however, that they would continue holding regular small-scale meetings with people of minority sexual orientations. The second annual Pilgrimage Halfway There for LGBT+ believers, their relatives and friends was due to take place in mid-September, Deník N reported.
    Author: Daniela Lazarová

  • Three highest levels of drought affect 88 percent of Czechia
    08/14/2026

    Extreme, exceptional or significant drought, meaning one of the three highest levels of drought, is currently affecting more than 88 percent of the Czech Republic. The figure applies to soil depths of up to one metre. Extreme drought is currently affecting 60 percent of the country. The data comes from the InterSucho portal, run by researchers from the Czech Academy of Sciences’ Global Change Research Institute (CzechGlobe). Bioclimatologist Miroslav Trnka announced that this year, together with last year, is creating a significant dry spell, although it has not yet reached the lows recorded between 2015 and 2019.

    Although the August heatwave has ended, the much-needed rainfall has yet to arrive. Forecast models expect rain from Monday. Only 0.2 percent of the Czech Republic is currently free from drought. A further 0.7 percent of the country has only reduced soil moisture, the second-lowest level on the drought scale being monitored.
    Author: Romana Grajcarová

  • Weather forecast
    08/14/2026

    On Saturday, it will be clear or mostly clear, with high cloud gradually increasing from the west in Bohemia during the afternoon. Highs will range from 31°C to 35°C, reaching up to 36°C in Bohemia.

  • Around 300 Czech citizens evacuated due to fire near Omiš, Croatia
    08/14/2026

    Around 300 Czech citizens have been evacuated in connection with a large wildfire near the Croatian resort town of Omiš, Czech Foreign Ministry spokesman Adam Čörgő told CTK today.

    Croatian firefighters have been battling the extensive blaze since last night. According to local authorities, around 1,000 people have had to leave the area. No fatalities have been reported. The spokesman said there were also no reports of serious injuries among Czech citizens. Some tourists left the area on their own, while others are staying at evacuation centres in Omiš and Split, according to the spokesman. A Czech consul is on site and is in contact with local authorities and security forces.
    Author: Romana Grajcarová

  • Czech Army recruits 2,997 soldiers this year, Babiš guarantees 2% of GDP in funding
    08/14/2026

    The Czech Army is recruiting 2,997 soldiers this year, according to Defence Minister Jaromír Zůna (SPD). The army had originally planned to recruit 2,250 people. Prime Minister Andrej Babiš (ANO) said at today’s military oath ceremony in Vyškov that the army has secured funding at the level of two percent of GDP and that the government will approve next year’s budget by the end of September.

    In 2014, NATO allies committed to spending two percent of GDP on defence by 2025 in response to Russia’s annexation of Crimea. Last year, at the NATO summit in The Hague, they adopted a new target of five percent by 2035, with 3.5 percent allocated to direct defence spending. The Czech Republic failed to meet the two-percent commitment last year, and the government is not currently expecting to meet it this year either. Among NATO allies, the Czech Republic ranks near the bottom in terms of defence spending.
    Author: Romana Grajcarová

  • Banks provided CZK 40.4 billion in mortgages in July, 7% more than last year
    08/14/2026

    Banks and building societies provided CZK 40.4 billion in mortgage loans in July. Compared with July last year, this represents a seven percent increase, while mortgage lending fell by 17 percent compared with June.

    New mortgages excluding refinancing declined by 16 percent month-on-month to CZK 30.8 billion. Average interest rates rose to 4.9 percent, up from 4.79 percent in June. The figures come from the Czech Banking Association’s Hypomonitor statistics.
    Author: Romana Grajcarová

  • Experts: Scrapping ninth grade of primary school would worsen students’ educational outcomes
    08/14/2026

    Scrapping the ninth grade of primary school would likely lead to poorer educational outcomes, increase the number of young people entering the labour market without sufficient qualifications, and place an excessive burden on the education system. Experts from several organisations (EDUin, PAQ Research and IDEA at CERGE-EI) agreed on this in a joint statement.

    The possibility of abolishing the ninth grade of primary schools was recently raised by Chamber of Deputies Speaker and SPD leader Tomio Okamura and Prime Minister Andrej Babiš (ANO). However, Education Minister Robert Plaga (ANO) said the proposal is not currently under consideration.

    In mid-July, Okamura proposed abolishing the ninth grade of primary schools, as is the case in Germany, Poland and Hungary. He said the move could save the state budget CZK 50 million a year. According to Plaga, however, the claimed savings of CZK 50 billion are unrealistic.
    Author: Romana Grajcarová

  • Seemanová wins third European 200m freestyle title
    08/14/2026

    Czech swimmer Barbora Seemanová has won the European title in the 200-metre freestyle for the third time, improving her national record by 0.74 seconds to 1:54.38 in the final in Paris. Her time was also a new championship record.

    The 25-year-old Prague native previously won the event at the 2021 European Championships in Budapest and in Belgrade in 2024. The title is her fourth at the European long-course championships and her sixth medal overall.
    Author: Ruth Fraňková

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