• Avalanche in the Austrian Alps kills three Czechs
    01/18/2026

    Three Czech ski mountaineers were killed in an avalanche in the Austrian Alps on Saturday, according to the Austrian Press Agency APA. The incident occurred in the Murtal region of Styria, when an avalanche struck a group of seven near Pusterwald, completely burying three of them.

    Rescuers recovered the victims’ bodies at the scene, while the remaining four people were evacuated safely and given medical assistance.

    The circumstances of the accident and the identities of the victims are under investigation.
    Author: Hannah Vaughan

  • Reshtenko wins sensational European bronze for Czech figure skating
    01/17/2026

    Czech figure skater Georgii Reshtenko has won a surprise bronze medal at the European Championships, securing the country’s first medal at the event in 13 years. The free skate category in Sheffield lifted him from eighth place after the short programme to the third. Reshtenko is only the fourth Czech medallist in the history of the European Figure Skating Championships since 1993.
    Author: Hannah Vaughan

  • Weather forecast

    01/17/2026

    Sunday will be largely overcast, with low cloud or patches of fog. In western Bohemia there will be light drizzle or even snow. Daytime temperatures will reach between –2 and +2 °C.

  • Director of Prague hospital resigns amid bossing allegations
    01/17/2026

    The director of Prague’s Na Františku Hospital, David Erhart, has resigned following allegations of bossing. On Friday, he had signed a statement with the hospital dismissing claims of conflicts of interest, workplace bullying, and “ghost” payments as media fabrications. Hours later, he stepped down at a meeting of Prague 1’s municipal council.

    The resignation follows a series of reports by news site Seznam Zprávy detailing the director’s private clinic, and multiple accounts of him humiliating staff, including doctors. Prague 1 councillors are set to meet on January 19 to decide on an interim hospital head.
    Author: Hannah Vaughan

  • More foreign workers in Czechia, but labour shortage remains
    01/17/2026

    The number of foreign workers in the Czech Republic continues to rise. According to the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, last year there were 935,000 people from abroad legally working in the country – an 11% increase on 2024.The largest group comes from Ukraine, with nearly 360,000 people.

    Despite this, firms still face a shortfall, with the Czech Chamber of Commerce estimating a need for around 250,000 more workers. Employers are keen to hire from abroad, and faster work permit processes could help.

    There has been an increase in people coming from the Philippines, driven by high demand and strengthened bilateral ties with the Czech Republic.
    Author: Hannah Vaughan

  • Czech doctors perform record number of transplants
    01/17/2026

    Czech doctors carried out a record 975 organ transplants last year, mainly kidneys, livers and hearts, news website Seznam Zprávy has reported. The result was made possible by around 400 donors, whose numbers have continued to rise since the Covid-19 pandemic.

    The national transplant waiting list is at its shortest in 17 years, with 849 patients currently listed, 74 fewer than a year ago. International registry IRODaT places the Czech Republic among the world’s ten most active countries by donors per capita, helping to keep waiting times significantly shorter than elsewhere.
    Author: Hannah Vaughan

  • Metro line B closed between Florenc and Vysočanská this weekend
    01/17/2026

    Metro services on Line B will be suspended in both directions between Florenc and Vysočanská from Saturday to Sunday due to renovation works at Českomoravská station.

    Prague’s public transport operator (DPP) will run replacement tram service XB during the closure. Passengers can also use regular tram lines 3, 8 and 12 as alternative routes.
    Author: Hannah Vaughan

  • Czech passport ranks 6th for travel freedom
    01/17/2026

    The Czech passport allows visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 183 countries, placing it joint sixth in this year’s Henley & Partners ranking. It shares the position with Croatia, Estonia, Malta, New Zealand and Poland.

    Although the number of destinations accessible without a visa has fallen by four compared with last year, the Czech Republic has moved up two places. Slovakia ranks joint fifth, alongside Hungary, Portugal, Slovenia and the United Arab Emirates.
    Author: Hannah Vaughan

  • Civic Democrats elect new leader
    01/17/2026

    The Civic Democrats (ODS) have elected a new leader on Saturday, bringing to an end Petr Fiala’s 12-year tenure. Around 550 delegates attended the party congress in Prague. Former deputy leader Martin Kupka, backed by 11 regional nominations, has won the vote, beating Radim Ivan, deputy mayor of the Ostrava-Jih district.

    Kupka, the former Minister of Transport, wants to build on Fiala’s work and today thanked Fiala for his service to the ODS. According to Kupka, the party must now focus on its role in opposition. Within the next few weeks, he will introduce a shadow cabinet following the Spolu coalition’s defeat in October’s parliamentary elections. ODS holds 27 seats in the new lower house.
    Author: Hannah Vaughan

  • Czech Pirate Party re-elects Hřib as its leader

    01/17/2026

    The Czech Pirate Party has opened its national forum in Prachatice, bringing together members from across the country to elect a new leadership. Party leader and MP Zdeněk Hřib has won the vote, beating David Witosz, deputy mayor of Moravská Ostrava and Přívoz.

    Hřib told the Czech News Agency that he aims to make the Pirates the main opposition force and a key part of the next government. He took over the leadership from Ivan Bartoš in November 2023.

    The party is also voting for deputy leaders, with MPs Olga Richterová and Martin Šmída defending their posts.
    Author: Hannah Vaughan

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