• 09/24/2024

    The police have arrested and charged a 26-year-old foreign national who killed a man on Prague’s Národní třída on Saturday night. According to a police report, cited in Novinky.cz, the incident took place between two groups of tourists in the city centre, when one of them smashed a bottle of vodka over the other’s head. The injured man was rushed to hospital where he later died. The incident was caught on a security camera and the aggressor was tracked down and detained at a hotel in Prague 2 where he was staying. He has been charged with grievous bodily harm resulting in death. The police did not disclose the nationality of the victim or aggressor.

  • 09/24/2024

    The flood damage estimate in Czechia, based on insured property claims, has now reached CZK 19.3 billion, the CTK news agency reported, citing financial companies. The estimate for business insurance claims accounts for 61 percent of the total. According to insurance companies, this year’s floods were the second-largest natural disaster since the founding of the independent Czech Republic in 1993. Only the massive floods that hit the country in August 2002 caused more damage. According to Bloomberg, the insured losses caused by the floods in Central Europe will amount to two to three billion euros.

  • 09/24/2024

    Wednesday should be partly cloudy and dry with day temperatures between 18 and 22 degrees Celsius.

  • 09/24/2024

    More and more Czechs are choosing to live in rented accommodation because of the high cost of housing, which is leading to a steady rise in rent prices, the news site Novinky.cz reported. The demand is so great that tens of people come to see one property in the big cities. According to KPMG, rents in Prague have risen by an average 10  percent year-on-year, and will continue to rise if the long-term imbalance between supply and demand continues. According to real estate agencies, up to 70 people apply to view one flat-to-rent in Prague, and around 40 do so in Brno.

  • 09/24/2024

    As water levels recede around the country local authorities are gradually dismantling flood barriers. In Prague, the flood gates to the Čertovka canal will open on Tuesday and the last remaining flood barriers in Zbraslav and Divadelní Street will also be dismantled in the course of the day. As of midday Wednesday, the Vltava embankments will reopen to the public and navigation on the Vltava River will be fully restored. According to the river management authorities the situation should be back to normal by the end of the week.

  • 09/24/2024

    Charity organizations and NGOs have raised more than CZK 370 million to date to help people hit by the recent floods in Czechia. Most of the money raised was collected by the largest Czech charity organization People in Need, while tens of millions were raised by Charitas Czech Republic and ADRA. Some NGOs have also announced material collections or are involved in providing volunteers to help in the affected areas. People have also been donating to food banks. Both Czech Radio and Czech Television organized charity concerts in aid of the flooded regions.

  • 09/24/2024

    The Pirate Party will not be leaving the government in the wake of its poor showing in the weekend regional and Senate elections, outgoing party chair and Deputy Prime Minister Ivan Bartoš said after a meeting with Prime Minister Petr Fiala on Tuesday. Bartoš said they had agreed that it was now important for the coalition to pull together and work to deliver on its promises ahead of next year’s general elections. He said he would remain in the post of deputy prime minister and minister for regional development.

    The entire leadership of the Pirate Party announced its resignation late on Sunday in the wake of the party’s humiliating defeat in the elections. Commentators speculated on whether the Pirate Party would want to leave the government and attempt a restart under a new leadership ahead of next years’ general elections.

  • 09/24/2024

    Ukrainian leaders need to be realistic about their war objectives and accept that some of their territory might remain under Russian control, at least temporarily, said Czech President Petr Pavel in an interview with The New York Times. He noted that both Ukraine and Russia are unlikely to achieve their maximalist goals, and the war’s outcome will likely be a compromise.

    Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský echoed Pavel's sentiments, acknowledging that Ukraine cannot currently retake all its land but emphasized that this does not mean ceding territory to Russia. Both leaders reaffirmed support for Ukraine’s territorial integrity.

    Author: Vít Pohanka
  • 09/24/2024

    President Petr Pavel stated that questions regarding potential changes in the government following the Pirate Party leadership's resignation are legitimate. Speaking to Czech journalists in New York, Pavel emphasized that while it’s up to the government to decide how to respond, the election results are a reason for reflection for both the government and other parties.

    Author: Vít Pohanka
  • 09/24/2024

    Prime Minister Petr Fiala will meet today with Deputy Prime Minister Ivan Bartoš to discuss the Pirate Party's leadership resignation following its poor performance in the regional elections. They will also address issues with the digitalization of construction permits, which falls under Bartoš's Ministry for Regional Development. Bartoš has stated he will bring a list of changes needed for the coalition to make sense to Pirate voters, as the party faces internal debate about remaining in the government. The Pirates lost 96 of 99 regional council seats.

    Author: Vít Pohanka

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