News

A Zimbabwean court has acquitted a Czech citizen accused of spreading false information, leading to his unconditional release. The man was arrested on August 1st in Masvingo Province, about 300 kilometers south of Harare, after police overheard him recording a video in English describing Zimbabwe's poor economic conditions and frequent power and water outages. The police, responding to a nearby traffic accident, detained him on the spot. Local media initially reported that the man faced up to 20 years in prison if convicted. However, the court found no unlawful intent or evidence of disturbing public order.

The Czech government is likely to lend part of its emergency fuel reserves to Orlen Unipetrol to compensate for a production shortfall caused by the discovery of the unexploded bomb at the Litvínov refinery. The loan, pending government approval, would ensure no fuel shortages occur. Pavel Švagr, head of the State Material Reserves Administration, confirmed that the state's fuel reserves are sufficient to cover the gap, dismissing concerns about fuel shortages or price increases. Orlen Unipetrol is coordinating with state institutions and partners to maintain supply continuity.

State-owned company Čepro will finalize the integration of Robin Oil gas stations into its management by the end of August. So far, over two-thirds of the 75 stations have been transitioned. Once complete, all Robin Oil stations will supply the same fuel as EuroOil stations and offer electronic toll stickers. The process, which involves several hours of work per station, is being carried out primarily at night to minimize sales disruption. Čepro acquired Robin Oil earlier this year and now operates a total of 285 stations, making it the third-largest network in the Czech Republic after Polish owned Benzina - Orlen and Hungarian MOL.

Liberty Ostrava, a steel plant in financial distress since June, has started issuing layoff notices to around 1,600 employees. The affected workers have been offered two-month notice periods or the option to leave by mutual agreement. The plant, which had about 4,000 employees, was one of the major remaining employers in a region that had undergone a painful economic transformation in the 1990s with many people losing jobs in heavy industry and mining. It has largely been inactive since December due to halted energy supplies it was unable to pay for. Earlier this year, the company announced plans to close its coke plant and reduce its workforce by 2,600 employees by fall. Many workers have already left voluntarily, with over 600 resigning in July alone.