• Sales of e-cars triple over the past nine months
    10/06/2020

    Sales of electric cars in the Czech Republic increased by 195 percent in the first three quarters of 2020 to 1,732 vehicles, according to data released by the Car Importers Association on Tuesday. Meanwhile, the Czech Republic’s automobile market dropped by over 20 percent over the same period.

    Sales of hybrid vehicles grew by 44 percent to 8,310 vehicles, while sales of plug-in hybrids recorded an increase of 360 percent. The highest number of hybrids, over 2,000, was sold by Toyota, followed by Ford and Suzuki. The Czech car-maker Škoda sold 596 of its hybrid Superb models.
    Author: Ruth Fraňková

  • CRIF: number of personal bankruptcies up in September
    10/06/2020

    A total of 1,493 personal bankruptcies were declared in the Czech Republic in September, which is 214 more than in the previous month, according to data from the Czech Credit Bureau CRIF.

    It is the highest figure since March, when the first state of emergency was declared over the Covid-19 pandemic. Overall personal bankruptcy filings have risen to 1,494 from 1,380 in the previous month.

    Most personal bankruptcies were declared in the regions of Moravia-Silesia, Ústí nad Labem and South Moravia.
    Author: Ruth Fraňková

  • Charles University presents new joint test for Covid-19 and flu
    10/06/2020

    Prague’s Charles University presented a new test on Tuesday which can be used for diagnosing both Covid-19 and flu types A and B. According to the university officials, its aim is to speed up the process of testing.

    The test was developed by experts from the Medical Faculty of Charles University in collaboration with private companies. Part of the test, aimed at diagnosing the coronavirus, was presented a month ago and has already been launched on the market.
    Author: Ruth Fraňková

  • Foreign Ministry wants to make February 4 a Day of Czechs Abroad
    10/06/2020

    The Ministry of Foreign Affairs wants to proclaim February 4 a ‘Day of Czechs Abroad’ to highlight the role of Czech communities in shaping the country’s past and present and forge stronger bonds with their homeland.

    The date was chosen in a public poll organised by the ministry among Czech expats. It marks the day the philosopher and educator Comenius was forced to leave the country in 1628.

    The ministry will now launch a process to institute the ‘Day of Czechs Abroad’ as a ‘day of significance ’ in the Czech calendar. The proposal has to be approved by the government.
    Author: Ruth Fraňková

  • Anifilm festival gets underway in Liberec
    10/06/2020

    The 19th edition of Anifilm festival of animated film gets underway in the North Bohemian town of Liberec on Tuesday. Over the next five days, the festival will offer some 500 film screenings, 100 of them in competition.

    The jury members include David Silverman, who directed and produced a number of episodes as well as The Simpsons Movie. While in Pixar, he also worked on films such as Monsters Inc. and Ice Age.

    The event, which previously took place in the South Bohemian town of Třeboň, has moved to Liberec due to capacity reasons. Originally scheduled for May, it was postponed because of the coronavirus pandemic.
    Author: Ruth Fraňková

  • Covid-19 death toll rising
    10/06/2020

    Twenty-four people died with Covid-19 in the Czech Republic on Sunday, the highest number of deaths in the space of 24 hours since the start of the epidemic in March. The second highest death toll in one day was 22 people last Thursday. The number of people who have had to be hospitalized with Covid-19 has also seen a steep increase and is now at 1,242, of which 265 people are in serious to critical condition. Last week alone the number of people hospitalized with Covid-19 reached 400.


     
     

     
    Author: Daniela Lazarová

  • Social Democrat deputy chair Tomas Petříček will not run for re-election
    10/06/2020

    Foreign minister and Social Democrat deputy chair, Tomas Petříček, has said he will not run for re-election to the party leadership in January 2021. Mr. Petříček said he wanted to focus on Prague and would strive to head the Social Democrats' Prague branch. Mr Petříček has served as the party’s deputy chair since March of last year.

    The announcement comes amid calls for a change of guard in the party’s top posts following a poor showing in last weekend’s regional and Senate elections.

    Party leader Jan Hamáček has indicated he will remain at the helm until the party’s election conference in January.
    Author: Daniela Lazarová

  • Kvitova reaches quarter final at French Open
    10/05/2020

    Czech seventh seed Petra Kvitova reached the French Open quarter-finals for the first time in eight years as she overpowered China's Zhang Shuai 6-2 6-4 on Monday. She will next face Laura Siegemund after she won in straight sets against Paula Badosa. The 30-year-old is into the last eight at Roland Garros for the first time since 2012.
    Author: Daniela Lazarová

  • Weather forecast
    10/05/2020

    Tuesday should be partly cloudy to overcast with day temperatures between 14 and 18 degrees Celsius.

  • Government proposing Koudelka’s promotion for fifth time
    10/05/2020

    The government will once again ask President Miloš Zeman to raise the head of the country’s counter-intelligence service BIS Michal Koudelka to the rank of general on the anniversary of Czechoslovakia’s founding, Deputy Prime Minister Karel Havlíček told journalists on Monday .

    The president, who has been highly critical of the work of the counter-intelligence service in highlighting the activities of Russian and Chinese agents on Czech territory, has refused to raise Michal Koudelka to the rank of general four times in the past.

    Other nominees on the government’s list are Police President Jan Švejdar and the head of the Prison Service Petr Dohnal.
    Author: Daniela Lazarová

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