• 07/10/2024

    The chair of the Czech Caucus in the US Congress, Lloyd Doggett, praised Czech aid to Ukraine during a bicameral, bipartisan meeting with Czech President Petr Pavel in Washington on Tuesday. Around 10 legislators took part in the meeting, which was held during a NATO summit.

    Mr. Doggett said Czechia was one of the first countries to help Ukraine after the full-scale Russian invasion in February 2022. He praised the way in which the country took care of Ukrainian refugees, as well as the Czech initiative to secure artillery ammunition from outside the European Union.

    For his part President Pavel recalled that his first trip to the West after the Velvet Revolution in 1989 was a visit to Washington. He also discussed the security situation in the world, which he said had become more unpredictable following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

    Author: Ian Willoughby
  • 07/10/2024

    Czech MPs have passed in the first reading a bill aimed at simplifying and accelerating divorce and the process of establishing custody for children from broken marriages.

    The legislation, which should take affect from next year, abolishes the requirement to establish the causes of the breakdown of a marriage and merges divorce and custody proceedings.

    It also enshrines the obligation of parents to ensure that children are brought up without corporal punishment or mental suffering.

    In a lower house session on Tuesday MPs also backed a bill giving greater protection to the victims of domestic violence.

    Author: Ian Willoughby
  • 07/09/2024

    The Czech minister of foreign affairs, Jan Lipavský, on Tuesday summoned the Russian ambassador to Prague, Aleksandr Zmeyevsky, over Russian air strikes on Ukrainian cities. Over 40 people including four children were killed in Monday’s attacks, while nearly 200 people were injured.

    Mr. Lipavský said he had told the Russian diplomat that murderers who attacked children in hospital were the dregs of humanity and that he should relay that message in Moscow.

    The Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the country had attempted to have a representative speak about the matter at the UN Security Council on Tuesday but that this had been blocked by Russia, which is chairing that body this month.

    Author: Ian Willoughby
  • 07/09/2024

    The Czech anti-EU party Freedom and Direct Democracy is set to join the Europe of Sovereign Nations bloc at the European Parliament with Alternative for Germany, the former’s leader, Tomio Okamura, said on Tuesday.

    Europe of Sovereign Nations is set to announce its foundation on Wednesday.

    Most parties that were previously in the Eurosceptic and far-right Identity and Democracy bloc have now moved to the new Patriots for Europe.

    ANO and the Oath and Motorists alliance from Czechia have also joined Patriots for Europe.

    Author: Ian Willoughby
  • 07/09/2024

    The major US fast food chain Wendy’s is set to enter the Czech market, the Czech News Agency reported on Tuesday. The company is planning to open 100 outlets in Europe in the next decade, it said in a news release.

    Wendy’s did not specify when its first branch would open in Czechia, or where exactly it would be located, but a representative said the firm was considering the big cities, including Prague.

    Author: Ian Willoughby
  • 07/09/2024

    Austria is now just as popular with Czechs as Slovakia, after climbing in a regular poll. Both states finished with the exact same points in a survey by the STEM agency quoted by Novinky.cz on Tuesday. Switzerland is the third most liked state by Czechs.

    At the other end of the scale, Palestine received the worst ranking from respondents, with Russia the second from bottom and China third from bottom.

    Author: Ian Willoughby
  • 07/09/2024

    Severe storms are forecast to hit Czechia on Wednesday. The storms will bring heavy rain, strong winds and hail stones and will be less intense in the west of the country.

    As on Tuesday, temperatures in the mid 30s Celsius are also expected around the country, the Czech Hydro-Meteorological Institute said.

    The situation should ease in Bohemia on Wednesday afternoon and evening and in Moravia and Silesia on Wednesday night or Thursday morning.

    Author: Ian Willoughby
  • 07/09/2024

    Between Monday evening and Tuesday morning five people were hit by trains in Czechia, with four of them dying, according to information released by the Railways Administration. The police are trying to ascertain whether the separate incidents were accidents or suicide attempts.

    Another person died on Tuesday after being hit by a train in the Ostrava area.

    Czech Railways said on social media that people should be very careful, especially during the holidays when more people are travelling.

    Author: Ian Willoughby
  • 07/09/2024

    It should be mainly overcast in Czechia on Wednesday, with an average high temperature of 30 degrees Celsius. Temperatures are expected to fall to the mid 20s Celsius later in the week.

    Author: Ian Willoughby
  • 07/09/2024

    Czech tennis player Barbora Krejčíková has reached the quarter-finals at Wimbledon after overcoming Danielle Collins of the United States 7-5 6-3 in the round of 16 on Monday evening.

    Wimbledon was the only Grand Slam tournament where Krejčíková, who is 28, had never made the last eight.

    The Czech, ranked 31st, will now face Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia, ranked 13th, for a place in the semi-finals.

    Author: Ian Willoughby

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