• George Thompson, US veteran who helped liberate Plzeň, dies at 99
    07/13/2024

    George Thompson, a US soldier who took part in the liberation of Plzeň in 1945, died on Friday at the age of 99, the West Bohemian city’s town hall announced on Saturday. Mr. Thompson, who a member of the 16th Armoured Division, began taking part in annual celebrations of the end of the war in Plzeň in 1991 and later attended whenever his health permitted.

    A memorial event in his honour will take place at the Thanks, America! monument in Plzeň on Monday, local officials said.
    Author: Ian Willoughby

  • Barbora Krejčíková wins women’s singles title at Wimbledon
    07/13/2024

    Barbora Krejčíková has won the women’s singles title at Wimbledon. The Czech, who is 28, overcame Jasmine Paolini of Italy 6-2 2-6 6-4 in Saturday’s dramatic final.

    Krejčíková, who was seeded 31st, broke the serve of her opponent, seventh, in the first game and dominated the opening set. In the second set her opponent took control, before the Czech again gained the advantage in the final set, a break of Paolini’s serve proving the breakthrough.

    Prior to this year Krejčíková had never got past the round of 16 stage at Wimbledon.
    Author: Ian Willoughby

  • Czech women stun Spain in Euros qualifier
    07/13/2024

    The Czech women’s international football team stunned world champions Spain in a European Championship qualifying game in Chomutov on Friday evening. The Spanish, who had already reached the Euros before the game, opened the scoring after 15 minutes. However, the hosts replied shortly before half-time through Kateřina Svitková and again found the net with an Eva Bartoňová penalty a few minutes after the break for a 2:1 victory.

    Despite the win the Czechs remain third in their four-nation qualifying group and will have to go through a playoff to make it to the Euros.
    Author: Ian Willoughby

  • Karel Gott to be remembered on 85th anniversary of birth Sunday
    07/13/2024

    Tributes are planned for the most successful Czech pop singer ever, Karel Gott, who would have turned 85 on Sunday. Czech Television is running a number of programmes dedicated to the multi-million selling artist over the weekend, while radio stations said they would play his hits. Some fans plan to visit his grave in Prague.

    Meanwhile a large Karel Gott tribute concert is planned for Prague’s O2 Arena in November, featuring such artists as Lucie Bilá, Michal David and Richard Krajčo.

    The singer died of leukaemia in October 2019 at the age of 80.
    Author: Ian Willoughby

  • Army chief: Russia undeniably gravest threat to Europe
    07/13/2024

    The head of the Czech Army says nobody can deny that Russia is currently the most urgent, direct and grave threat to Europe. Karel Řehka made the comment in a discussion in the US city of Houston on Friday reflecting on 25 years of Czech membership of NATO and the 75th anniversary of the foundation of the alliance.

    The head of the General Staff of the Czech Army said that a NATO summit in Washington during the week had shown that the organisation was essential for security and defence.
    Author: Ian Willoughby

  • Pavel discusses energy security with top firms in US
    07/13/2024

    The Czech president, Petr Pavel, met with representatives of major US energy companies in the US city of Houston on Friday. Speaking afterwards, he said he had discussed energy security and possible sources of oil and gas from countries other than Russia with executives from ExxonMobil and Chevron. More such talks will be held in future, he said.

    The Czech head of state said that he believed that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had been satisfied with the outcome of a NATO summit in Washington during the week. Mr. Pavel also said that Czechia had offered Ukraine medical assistance following a Russian attack on a children’s hospital.
    Author: Ian Willoughby

  • Weather forecast
    07/13/2024

    It should be mainly overcast in Czechia on Sunday, with an average high temperature of 25 degrees Celsius. Similar weather is expected on the following days.
    Author: Ian Willoughby

  • Siniaková through to Wimbledon women's doubles final
    07/12/2024

    Czech tennis player Kateřina Siniaková and her American doubles partner Taylor Townsend have made it to the finals of the women's doubles tournament at Wimbledon. The pair beat Belgium's Elise Mertens, the current world No. 1 in doubles, and her Taiwanese partner, Hsieh Su-wei, 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 in the semi-finals on Friday.

    Siniaková and Townsend will next face Canada's Gabriela Dabrowski and New Zealand's Erin Routliffe for a chance to be the overall winners and take home the prize money.
    Author: Anna Fodor

  • West Ham’s Tomáš Souček wins Golden Ball for fourth time
    07/12/2024

    West Ham midfielder Tomáš Souček has been awarded the Golden Ball for Czech football player of the year for the fourth time. The 29-year-old Czech national team captain beat Ladislav Krejčí, who recently signed a contract with Spanish club Girona, by 280 points. Souček's West Ham teammate, right-back Vladimír Coufal, came third in this year’s competition.

    Souček previously clinched the prize in 2020, 2021 and 2023. While last year he won by just a single point ahead of Fiorentina midfielder Antonín Barák, this time he had a significant lead.

    The Golden Ball is awarded each year to the best Czech footballer as decided by a poll of the country’s sports journalists. The results of the poll, now in its 28th year, were announced on Friday in Prague.
    Author: Anna Fodor

  • Weather forecast
    07/12/2024

    Rain is expected on Saturday morning, turning into cloudy or overcast skies in the afternoon. Daytime temperatures are predicted to range between 19 and 25 degrees Celsius.
    Author: Anna Fodor

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