• Budějovický Budvar to prepare gift brew for Pope Francis
    09/01/2017

    Czech brewery Budějovický Budvar is preparing a special batch of its beer for Pope Francis, which the head of the Roman Catholic Church will receive as a gift during a visit by a Czech delegation during the period of Advent this year. The delegation is scheduled to meet with the Pontiff on December 13. The special brew, which will fill 122 bottles, will be blessed in September and gifted to the Pope by Czech Bishop Vlastimil Krocil during the December audience.
    Author: Jan Velinger

  • Ambassador to Amman: Czech humanitarian aid has helped Syrian refugees
    09/01/2017

    Czech humanitarian aid has played a key role in helping Syrian refugees in Jordan, lessening the motivation for them to continue on to Europe, the Czech ambassador to Jordan Petr Hladík has said. In an interview for the Czech News Agency, he added that Czech aid had also led to better conditions for Czech firms exporting to Jordan; in 2016, Czech exports to the country rose by 62 percent year-on-year.

    In total, Czech humanitarian aid to Jordan last year amounted to 75 million crowns – 40 million of which of which went to the second-largest refugee camp in Jordan, Azrak. The funds went towards improving living quarters and capacity at the camp.
    Author: Jan Velinger

  • Number of road deaths over summer lowest since 1990
    09/01/2017

    The number of road fatalities over the course of the summer holidays dropped to its lowest since 1990, according to preliminary statistics released by the police on Thursday. One hundred and two people died in traffic accidents on Czech roads over the course June and July, which is 18 fewer than in the same period last year. The overall number of road fatalities since the beginning of the year is 331, a drop by 12 compared to the same period in 2016.
    Author: Ruth Fraňková

  • Plíšková reaches third round of US Open
    09/01/2017

    World number one Karolína Plíšková advanced to the third round of the US Open on Thursday, after defeating local favorite Nicole Gibbs 2-6 6-3 6-4. Another three Czech players, Tomáš Berdych, Barbora Strýcová and Denisa Allertová, were knocked out of the second round.
    Author: Ruth Fraňková

  • Opera singer Gabriela Beňačková inducted into National Theatre Hall of Fame
    08/31/2017

    The opera singer Gabriela Beňačková has been inducted into a new Hall of Fame at the National Theatre in Prague on Thursday.

    Beňačková, who is 70 years old, is the third person honoured in this way. She was preceeded by actor Vlasta Charmostová and ballet dancer Vlastimil Harapes.

    Beňačková specializes in the music of her compatriots, notably Bedřich Smetana and Leoš Janáček and is considered to be one of the greatest 'Jenůfa's' in Janáček's opera of the same name.

    Speaking at Thursday’s induction ceremony, the head of the national Theathre Jan Burian highlighted Beňačková’s succesfull international career.
    Author: Ruth Fraňková

  • UN welcomes buyout of controversial pig farm at Lety
    08/31/2017

    European Office of the United Nation’s High Commissioner for Human Rights has welcomed the decision of the Czech government to purchase a pig farm at the site where a camp for Roma was created during WWII.

    The office is pressing the government to buy out the farm as soon as possible, the Czech News Agency reported on Thursday. The European High Commissioner for Human rights has also called on the government to compensate Romany women who were sterilised without their consent in the Czech Republic in the 1990s.
    Author: Ruth Fraňková

  • Czech household debt rises to 1.5 trillion crowns
    08/31/2017

    Czech household debt rose in the month of July to 1.5 trillion crowns, according to figures released by the Czech National Bank on Thursday.

    The amount owed by Czech households to banks and financial institutions therefore rose by nine billion crowns in comparison with the previous month and by 113.6 billion crowns compared with the same period in 2016.

    Company debt for the same period has increased as well, by around 10 billion to over one trillion crowns.
    Author: Ruth Fraňková

  • Financial Administration carried out over 55,000 EET checks
    08/31/2017

    Financial Administration officials have carried out over 55,000 checks since the introduction of electronic cash registers, a measure introduced by former Finance Minister Andrej Babiš to counter the grey economy and tax fraud.

    The authorities have issued nearly 1,700 fines to the tune of 15 million crowns. Eight businesses were forced to close down for failing to follow the rules. The first phase of the four-stage measure was introduced in December 2016.
    Author: Ruth Fraňková

  • Transtech to provide 20 rail vehicles to Finland
    08/31/2017

    Finnish Transtech, a subsidiary of Škoda Transportation, will deliver a total of 20 double deck electric carriages to Finland. The price of the contract amounts to nearly 1.4 billion crowns.

    The first double deck coaches were introduced in the Finnish railways in June 1998, and now a total of 152 coaches carry passengers on all main routes in Finland.

    Plzeň-based transport company Škoda Transportation acquired a controlling stake in Finland’s sole manufacturer of rail vehicles and trams in August 2015.
    Author: Ruth Fraňková

  • Weather
    08/31/2017

    Meteorologists have warned of heavy storms due to hit the central and southern parts of the Czech Republic on Thursday evening. Friday will see persistent rain in most parts of the country. Daytime temperatures will range between 13 and 18 degrees Celsius.
    Author: Ruth Fraňková

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