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The European Canoe Slalom Championships will take place in Prague in September. The event was due to be held in London in May but was postponed due to the coronavirus crisis.

The new venue at Prague’s Troja had been due to host the sport’s world championships between 18 and 20 September. However, the International Canoe Federation decided to put that event back to October, which the Czech organisers rejected.

The speaker of the Czech Senate, Miloš Vystrčil, says he will visit Taiwan at the end of August. Mr. Vystrčil said the reasons he had decided to go included Chinese pressure aimed at discouraging such a trip and other attempts at interference on the part of Beijing.

The Civic Democrat politician will head a delegation of Czech business people on the visit to Taiwan, which China regards as its sovereign territory.

Earlier this year China put pressure on Mr. Vystrčil’s predecessor as Senate speaker, Jaroslav Kubera, to abandon a plan to visit Taiwan. Mr. Kubera died of a heart attack soon afterwards.

The government has approved a proposal to increase this year's state deficit to 500 billion crowns in view of the additional expenditures relating to the coronavirus crisis. It is the third increase in the budget deficit proposed since the start of the coronavirus crisis.

In April the Chamber of Deputies agreed to increase the 2020 deficit to 300 billion crowns. Prior to the pandemic the budget deficit was projected at 40 billion crowns.

The proposal is to be debated by the lower house on June 16 in a state of legislative emergency. Finance Minister Alena Schillerová said it would definitely be the last increase proposed, but added that she expects large budget deficits in the years to come as well.

So far the country’s highest state deficit was 192 billion crowns in 2009 due to the global economic recession.

A further easing of restrictions aimed at curbing the coronavirus epidemic came into effect on Monday June 8. As of that day public events and gatherings may involve up to 500 people, opening the way for weddings, exhibitions and fairs.

Cinemas, theatres and concert halls are no longer bound to respect strict social distancing rules that severely limited the size of the audience and pubs and restaurants no longer need to close by 11 pm.

Face-masks remain compulsory in enclosed public spaces such as public transport, shops, hospitals and institutions. Schools have reopened for secondary school students, although attendance is not compulsory.