• 10/13/2023

    The heads of 31 Czech cinemas have written an open letter of support for equal marriage for LGBT+ people to Prime Minister Petr Fiala. The head of the Bio Central cinema in Hradec Králové, Petr Vítek, who kickstarted the initiative, said that they want to show people that cinemas will not tolerate the division of the Czech population into two groups.

    Czech theatres and private companies have also written similar open letters to the prime minister calling for marriage equality recently.

    Author: Anna Fodor
  • 10/13/2023

    The sixth and final plane carrying Czechs returning from Israel landed in Prague on Friday morning at around 10.40 am. A total of 228 Czech citizens have now been flown home on six repatriation flights in the wake of Saturday's attacks by Hamas on Israel. Meanwhile, 74 Israelis were taken back to Israel on some of these same repatriation flights.

    Author: Anna Fodor
  • 10/13/2023

    Czechia were beaten 3:0 in Albania on Thursday night in a qualifying game for football’s Euro 2024 competition. The Czechs played the whole of the second half with 10 men after Mojmír Chytil was sent off at the end of the first.

    The result complicates their efforts to reach the European Championship. Albania lead the group on 13 points, ahead of Poland on nine. The Czechs are in third, on eight points, but have played one game fewer.

    Author: Ian Willoughby
  • 10/13/2023

    Fourth and fifth planes carrying Czechs wishing to return from Israel in the wake of the Hamas attacks on that country landed in Prague on Friday morning. A total of 66 Czech citizens were on board both flights. One more such flight to Israel is planned, making a total of six. To date about 180 citizens have returned to Czechia from Israel on repatriation flights.

    The Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs said late on Thursday that places on the planes had been found for all Czechs who had asked at the country’s embassy in Israel to be repatriated.

    Author: Ian Willoughby
  • 10/12/2023

    Two more planes carrying Czechs wishing to return from Israel in the wake of the Hamas attacks on that country landed at Prague’s Kbely airfield on Thursday. Both the government planes were carrying around 40 Czech nationals. Three further repatriation aircraft are due to be leave for Israel in the course of Thursday, with a view to picking up around 130 more Czechs.

    On Tuesday night Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský brought 34 Czechs back from Israel on a government plane, after meeting senior local officials on a surprise visit to the country.

    The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Prague has set up a help line for people seeking to return to Czechia from Israel.

    Author: Ian Willoughby
  • 10/12/2023

    It should be mainly overcast in Czechia on Friday, with an average high temperature of 22 degrees Celsius. Temperatures are expected to fall to around 11 or 12 degrees Celsius from Sunday.

    Author: Ian Willoughby
  • 10/12/2023

    The head of a group representing Sudeten German expellees from Czechoslovakia, Bernd Posselt, has criticised a statement by Miloš Zeman. The former Czech president said in an interview that Israel should take inspiration in its dispute with the Palestinians from the way Czechoslovakia had “successfully” expelled Sudeten Germans after WWII. Mr. Zeman said he had previously suggested this idea on a visit to Israel.

    By contrast Sudetendeutsche Landsmannschaft leader Posselt thanked the current Czech president and the country’s prime minister for their approach to the Israel situation.

    Author: Ian Willoughby
  • 10/12/2023

    Ten thousand people have signed a petition calling for the abolition of the famously difficult Taxis jump at Pardubice race track in East Bohemia. The petition was first launched in 2020 following the death of a horse taking part in the venue’s Velká pardubická steeplechase. The small Democratic Green Party – For Animal Rights is behind the campaign.

    It was revived following the death of another horse in last weekend’s edition of the race, which is considered one of the toughest steeplechases in Europe.

    The race’s operators say a review of this year’s edition will be carried out.

    Author: Ian Willoughby
  • 10/12/2023

    The Czech minister of foreign affairs, Jan Lipavský, has summoned the Russian ambassador to Prague, Aleksandr Zmeyevsky, over the recent bombing of civilians in the Ukrainian village of Hroza, the Czech News Agency reported on Thursday, citing the Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

    Fifty-five people were killed while three people are still missing after the missile attack on the village in the east of Ukraine last Thursday.

    The last time Mr. Lipavský summoned the Russian ambassador to his office was last October, over flagrant violations of international law and the illegal annexation of Ukrainian regions.

    Author: Ian Willoughby
  • 10/12/2023

    A plane carrying Czechs wishing to return from Israel in the wake of the Hamas attacks on that country landed at Prague’s Kbely airfield at 3:40 am on Thursday. The aircraft was carrying around 40 Czech nationals, including children. More such planes are expected to repatriate Czechs during the day.

    On Tuesday night Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský brought 34 Czechs back from Israel on a government plane, after meeting senior local officials on a surprise visit to the country.

    The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Prague has set up a help line for people seeking to return to Czechia from Israel.

    Author: Ian Willoughby

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