• 11/02/2024

    Top officials from the Ukrainian Armed Forces met with a Czech Armed Forces delegation led by Chief of General Staff Karel Řehka. Announced by Kyiv on social media, the statement did not specify the meeting’s date or location.

    According to the Czech Armed Forces, Řehka and Ukrainian Army Commander Oleksandr Syrsky discussed the security situation and possibilities for greater military cooperation.

    The Ukrainian General Staff shared on Facebook that they briefed their Czech counterparts on challenging front-line conditions, expressing gratitude for Czechia’s consistent support.

    The Czech Republic, through its Ammunition Initiative, has been supplying Ukraine with artillery rounds, with plans to fulfil a 500,000-round commitment by the end of the year.

    Author: Ruth Fraňková
  • 11/02/2024

    An 18th-century Torah scroll, which survived the Holocaust and decades of neglect under the communist regime, has found a new home in the Liberec synagogue.

    Known as Torah scroll number 108, the rare artifact is on permanent loan to the Jewish community in Liberec from the Memorial Scrolls Trust, a London-based organization dedicated to preserving Torah scrolls by the Nazis from Jewish communities in Bohemia, Moravia and Slovakia.

    The scroll originally belonged to the Jewish community of Nymburk, where it was in use until 1942 before being confiscated during Nazi occupation. Jeffrey Ohrenstein, chairman of the Memorial Scrolls Trust, personally delivered the scroll to Liberec on Saturday.

    This is only the third Czech synagogue to receive one of the Trust's 1,564 preserved Torahs, which survived wartime confiscation and were later safeguarded in London.

    Author: Ruth Fraňková
  • 11/02/2024

    A 43-year-old Czech woman has died while paragliding in northern India, the Czech News Agency reported on Friday, citing Indian media. The accident took place on Wednesday in the Manali area in the Western Himalayas.

    According to the website indiatimes.com, the woman lost control of her glider in strong winds and crashed into a mountainside. She was pronounced dead after being taken to a hospital in Manali.

    Author: Ruth Fraňková
  • 11/02/2024

    People across Czechia are visiting cemeteries to honour their departed loved ones on Dušičky, also known as All Souls' Day. This Roman Catholic holiday, which falls on November 2, involves visiting and tending graves and lighting candles.

    In Prague, several commemorative events and ceremonies are scheduled throughout the weekend. Among them is a special mass in memory of the departed to be held on Saturday evening at the Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul in Vyšehrad.

    To accommodate visitors, all Prague cemeteries have extended their hours, remaining open until 7:00 pm.

    Author: Ruth Fraňková
  • 11/02/2024

    The Czech Chamber of Deputies once again failed to conclude final discussions on the controversial pension reform bill proposed by the government. Tensions in Friday’s debate led to a procedural standoff after nearly five hours of discussion.

    According to Czech Television, at least five MPs from the Christian Democrats, who are part of the government coalition, reject the proposed bill, which aims to gradually increase the retirement age and lower new pension calculations to ease the deficit in the pension system.

    The lawmakers are expected to resume the final debate next Wednesday, where government leaders hope to push the reform forward despite ongoing opposition.

    Author: Ruth Fraňková
  • 11/02/2024

    Literary scholars, students, teachers, and poetry enthusiasts can now explore thousands of Czech poems from the 19th and early 20th centuries online at ceska-poezie.cz. Hosted by the Czech Electronic Library, the database provides 1,700 poetry books by 748 authors, with advanced analytical tools enhanced by artificial intelligence (AI). Developed by the Institute of Czech Literature at the Czech Academy of Sciences in partnership with the Czech Technical University, the database uses machine learning to cluster poems by shared themes, revealing new insights. The resource includes works by renowned poets and lesser-known writers, complete with full-text and structured search options.

    Author: Vít Pohanka
  • 11/01/2024

    The Czech state budget deficit grew by CZK 19 billion in October, reaching CZK 200.7 billion, according to the Ministry of Finance. Although this is the best October result since the COVID-19 pandemic, it remains the fifth deepest in Czech history. Last year’s October deficit was CZK 210.7 billion. Finance Minister Zbyněk Stanjura expects spending pressures in the final two months, partly due to flood damage repairs, but anticipates meeting the projected CZK 282 billion deficit target. By the end of October, budget revenues were CZK 1.602 trillion, up 1.5% year-on-year, while expenditures rose by 0.8% to CZK 1.803 trillion.

    Author: Vít Pohanka
  • 11/01/2024

    Cloudy to overcast today, occasional light rain or showers, mainly from the northeast. Daytime highs will range from 8 to 12 °C, reaching up to 14 °C in southern.Moravia, and around 6 °C at 1000 m altitude in the mountains. Moderate northwest winds will shift to north-northeast at 2 to 6 m/s, weakening in the evening.

    Author: Vít Pohanka
  • 11/01/2024

    The Czech Constitutional Court dismissed a post-election complaint against the SPD party's campaign in regional elections, deeming it unfounded. Filed by attorney Pavla Krejčí, the complaint argued that certain campaign materials, which featured racially charged imagery, violated democratic principles. The court ruled that electoral justice should remain cautious, emphasizing that invalidating elections should only occur if proven campaign misconduct significantly impacted results. Krejčí criticized current electoral law for insufficiently addressing hate speech in campaigns. The SPD and affiliated parties saw significant gains, securing 41 mandates across 12 regional councils in this year’s elections.

    Author: Vít Pohanka
  • 11/01/2024

    The Czech National Development Bank is developing a new program to support investment projects by Czech-Ukrainian firms in Ukraine. Oganized in partnership with the Ministry of Industry and Trade and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the program will be funded by national sources. Initially, the program would receive CZK 1 billion from MPO and MZV budgets, with an additional CZK 3 billion from the European Commission, pending approval. The initiative will provide loan guarantees for medium-sized strategic projects, especially in energy, with a maximum implementation period of 15 years. Applications are expected to open in the third quarter of next year.

    Author: Vít Pohanka

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