• 09/09/2024

    Tuesday should be partly cloudy to overcast with rain around the country and day temperatures between 17 and 21 degrees Celsius.

  • 09/09/2024

    Detectives are investigating the circumstances surrounding the death of a 19-year-old youth who jumped from a glider in Kladno on Sunday during a training flight. Contrary to initial reports, which spoke of a panic attack, the police have opened criminal proceedings on suspicion of involvement in suicide. The young man jumped out of the glider shortly after the tow plane had disconnected at an altitude of about three hundred metres. His parachute reportedly failed to open. His body was recovered by an emergency crew an hour later. An investigation revealed that he had flown on numerous occasions before the incident and never showed any sign of fear. A post-mortem has been ordered to ascertain whether he had been drinking alcohol or using drugs ahead of the flight.

  • 09/09/2024

    The government is planning on collecting almost 70 billion in windfall tax this year and next, Czech Television reported citing government sources. The national broadcaster said that according to its findings, some companies subject to windfall tax did not expect to be burdened with the tax this year. As the biggest electricity producer in the country, the semi state-owned power utility CEZ pays by far the most in windfall profits tax. Last year it accounted for thirty out of forty billion crowns collected.

  • 09/09/2024

    Visitors to a stamp exhibition in Prague at the weekend could admire a rare artifact from the Titanic, an address label from the ship's mail. The so-called “facing slip” from the Titanic is the only one of its kind in Europe and belongs to Czech collector David Kopřiva. The slip was in the possession of postmaster Oscar Scott Woody, an elite postal clerk from New York who died in the tragedy on his 41st birthday. The artifact belonged to an American collector for over 50 years. David Kopřiva bought it in an auction in Maryland earlier this year. The stamp exhibition in Prague attracted more than 230 collectors and auction house representatives from around the world.

  • 09/09/2024

    Unemployment in the Czech Republic held steady at 3.8% in August, with about 280,000 people out of work. Employers offered over 260,000 vacancies, marking the ninth consecutive month where job seekers outnumbered available positions. However, the number of job openings saw a slight increase compared to July, the first rise since March. The highest unemployment rate was in the Ústí nad Labem region (6%), while Prague had the lowest (2.9%). On average, there were 1.1 job seekers per vacancy, with the most competitive market in Karviná, where 10.5 people competed for each job.

    Author: Vít Pohanka
  • 09/09/2024

    The Czech Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs has not completed key IT projects even after ten years, resulting in manual data entry by officials, according to the Supreme Audit Office (NKÚ). Despite some digital processes being available for citizens, ministry staff still manually input, copy, and print data due to unconnected information systems. The Ministry disputes the NKÚ’s findings, stating that significant progress has been made since the audit period. The NKÚ also highlighted inefficiencies in pension processing and cited a violation of public procurement laws regarding the development of the Jenda web application.

    Author: Vít Pohanka
  • 09/09/2024

    The XVII Paralympic Games in Paris concluded on Sunday with a closing ceremony at Stade de France, where the French organizers handed over the Paralympic flag to their American counterparts from Los Angeles. Czech swimmer David Kratochvíl, a triple medalist, had the honor of carrying the Czech flag during the ceremony. The 16-year-old, who won gold, silver, and bronze, was the most successful athlete of the Czech delegation. Czechs won eight medals in total, placing the country 53rd overall, while China topped the medal table with 220 medals.

    Author: Vít Pohanka
  • 09/09/2024

    The recent heatwave in the Czech Republic is expected to end abruptly, with temperatures dropping by 10 to 15 degrees Celsius. Sunday saw record highs across most meteorological stations, with a peak of 32.9°C in Tuhan, but a cold front will bring cooler weather starting Monday. More rain is expected throughout the country, and another cold front mid-week may even bring snow to the peak of Sněžka. Meteorologists warn of significant temperature changes and anticipate further updates on snowfall by next week.

    Author: Vít Pohanka
  • 09/09/2024

    Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala (ODS) has canceled his scheduled engagements in the Moravian-Silesian and Zlín regions on Monday due to illness, though he reassured the public that it is not serious. Fiala expressed his regret on social media and hopes to return to work soon. It remains unclear whether he will attend the coalition meeting on the state budget set for Tuesday. His canceled schedule included opening a new faculty building at VŠB - Technical University of Ostrava and visits to Opava, Nový Jičín, and Zlín.

    Author: Vít Pohanka
  • 09/09/2024

    Czech scientists have developed a new hydrogen electrolyzer that is faster than current commercial models, helping to store excess renewable energy as hydrogen. The new device, created by the Institute of Chemical Process Fundamentals at the Czech Academy of Sciences, offers quick startup times, low installation costs, and energy efficiency. The electrolyzer can deliver full hydrogen output within three minutes and supports the stability of the power grid. Researchers are seeking commercial partners to license or further develop the technology, which aims to reduce carbon footprints and optimize energy costs for industries.

    Author: Vít Pohanka

Pages