• Weather forecast
    07/22/2017

    It should be quite sunny with the chance of storms in the Czech Republic on Sunday, with daytime highs of up to 27 degrees Celsius expected. Temperatures are set to fall to the low 20s Celsius during the week.
    Author: Ian Willoughby

  • Senior Czech justice officials denounce Polish judicial reforms
    07/22/2017

    Top Czech judges have denounced judicial reforms in neighbouring Poland as an attack on the rule of law. In a statement published on Friday, the Czech constitutional and supreme courts, supreme state attorney and Ombudswoman said that they could not remain silent in the face of steps that undermined the values of European civilization, humanism and fundamental rights and freedoms. Polish lawmakers have approved a bill from the governing Law and Justice party under which all current judges will be forced into retirement and the president given powers to choose which ones to reinstate.
    Author: Ian Willoughby

  • Kubera refuses to confirm presidential run despite collecting signatures
    07/22/2017

    Veteran Civic Democrat politician Jaroslav Kubera has refused to confirm whether he will stand for president, despite the news this week that he had collected the necessary signatures from other senators to enter January’s election. In an interview with Lidovky.cz on Saturday, Mr. Kubera said his current activities a “probe” and could help provoke another candidature that he himself would support. Aged 70, Mr. Kubera is a former mayor of Teplice and is known as a strong advocate of smokers’ rights.
    Author: Ian Willoughby

  • Colours of Ostrava music festival draws to close
    07/22/2017

    The four-day Colours of Ostrava music festival is drawing to an end, with UK artist Jamiroquai set to headline Saturday’s closing night. The Australian band Midnight Oil were the biggest draw on Friday, when they played their first ever show in the Czech Republic, while fans at the festival’s venue in Ostrava’s ex-industrial Vítkovice district have also got to see the likes of Norah Jones and Alt-J. This year’s has been the 15th edition of Colours of Ostrava, which is one of the biggest events of its kind in Central Europe.
    Author: Ian Willoughby

  • Innovation and research diplomat says opportunities need to be capitalised upon
    07/21/2017

    The country’s diplomat tasked with boosting Czech innovation and research, Ludek Moravec, has told the Czech News Agency that while the Czech Republic does not lack quality infrastructure or excellent scientists, greater awareness of the country’s capabilities is needed. He made the statement a week before taking up his post in Washington. A number of memoranda cover Czech-US cooperation in scientific research; what was important, the diplomat stressed, was that existing opportunities be used to the fullest. Mr Moravec, who is 37, previously worked in the security, research and education department of the Interior Ministry.
    Author: Jan Velinger

  • UK’s Brexit secretary to meet with Czech foreign minister
    07/21/2017

    David Davis, the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, will meet with Czech Foreign Minister Lubomír Zaorálek in Prague next Tuesday. The Brexit secretary will travel to the Czech capital after a second round of talks with the EU, the Czech Foreign Ministry confirmed. In a statement, it said that the Czech Republic supported a balanced deal based on rights equality, and stressed that it was important to uphold excellent mutual ties even after Great Britain’s departure from the EU.
    Author: Jan Velinger

  • Weather
    07/21/2017

    Saturday is expected to be mostly cloudy with a chance of thunderstorms. Daytime temperatures should reach highs of around 29 degrees Celsius.
    Author: Jan Velinger

  • President nominates Srp to join Council of the Institute for the Study of Totalitarian Regimes
    07/21/2017

    President Miloš Zeman on Friday nominated former dissident and former Jazz Section head Karel Srp to join the Council of the Institute for the Study of Totalitarian Regimes. His nomination needs to be approved by the Senate. Earlier this year, Mr Srp was rejected by Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka as the president’s nominee for a commission examining who should be recognised as a member of the anti-Communist resistance during the previous regime. At the time, the prime minister praised Srp for having done much for independent culture under communism. However, he said, public information showed that the candidate had repeatedly informed to the StB secret police. A court ruled in 2000 that his name had wrongfully been listed in StB records, but former members of the pre-1989 underground maintain Mr Srp had informed on them during the former regime.
    Author: Jan Velinger

  • Video of Čech, warning fellow Arsenal players not to lift trophy, gains attention of fans
    07/21/2017

    A video of Arsenal goalkeeper Petr Čech warning players not to lift a trophy in the International Champions Cup in Shanghai has gotten wider attention online, to the delight of Arsenal fans. The cup, awarded in the pre-season tournament, was won by the Gunners in their defeat of Bayern Munich on penalties. Both the British and Czech press described Čech, who was captain for the match, as admonishing the players for wanting to lift a trophy in a tournament which was, in effect, meaningless. Arsenal last won the Premier League in 2004, and are aiming to rebound after finishing fifth last season.
    Author: Jan Velinger

  • Officials seize thousands of fake brand-name goods at Prague market
    07/21/2017

    Officials seized almost 9,000 fake brand-name items during a raid at Prague’s Vietnamese market, Sapa, this week, a customs official confirmed on Friday. According to the calculations, the items represented potential losses equalling a total of almost 14 million crowns (the equivalent of just under 540,000 euros). Fake goods seized carried the logos of a number of international brands including Adidas, Gucci, Ray-Ban and Rolex.
    Author: Jan Velinger

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