• Speaker Okamura says China visit was coordinated with intelligence services
    07/19/2026

    Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies Tomio Okamura (SPD) says he consulted Czech intelligence chiefs while preparing for his visit to China.

    Speaking on CNN Prima News ahead of his departure on Sunday, Okamura said the trip will focus on boosting Chinese tourism to Czechia, restoring direct flights, supporting Czech businesses, negotiating visa-free travel for Czech tourists and seeking to bring a Terracotta Army exhibition to Prague.

    He also said current consular issues, including the case of a Czech citizen recently detained in China on suspicion of endangering state security, could be discussed.
    Author: Daniela Lazarová

  • New Iron Curtain Trail project to open along Czech-Austrian border
    07/19/2026

    A new Iron Curtain Trail of Remembrance project will officially open on Sunday along the Czech-Austrian border, linking the history of the Iron Curtain with the region's natural heritage and Europe's shared culture of remembrance.

    The innovative Iron Curtain Trail (ICTr-CE) presents modern European history through multimedia and interactive features, offering visitors an insight into the legacy of the former Cold War divide.

    The project is supported by the Interreg Central Europe 2021–2027 programme and involves partners from eight countries. It covers the EuroVelo 13 Iron Curtain Trail, a 3,000-kilometre route that includes the Czech Republic.
    Author: Daniela Lazarová

  • Colours of Ostrava to remain in Ostrava, festival director says
    07/19/2026

    The future of the international Colours of Ostrava music festival remains tied to the city of Ostrava, festival artistic director Filip Košťálek said, dismissing speculation that the event could be relocated to another city in future years. Even if changes to the Dolní Vítkovice industrial complex force organisers to find a new venue, the festival would remain in Ostrava, he said.

    The uncertainty stems from plans to build residential housing on part of the current festival site. In recent years, speculation has repeatedly surfaced that the festival could move outside Ostrava, possibly to Prague.

    The 2026 edition of the popular music festival concluded on Saturday night with performances by New Zealand singer Lorde and American artist Teddy Swims.
    Author: Daniela Lazarová

  • President Pavel to announce re-election decision next year
    07/19/2026

    President Petr Pavel says he will announce whether he intends to seek a second term "at an appropriate time" next year.

    Speaking during a debate at the Colours of Ostrava festival, Pavel said it was still too early to make such a decision. The next Czech presidential election is scheduled for early 2028.

    Petr Pavel was elected president in January 2023, defeating Andrej Babiš in the run-off. He took office in March 2023 for a five-year term. Under the Czech Constitution, no president may serve more than two consecutive terms.
    Author: Daniela Lazarová

  • Railway Inspectorate blames Transport Ministry failings and human error for 2024 Pardubice train crash
    07/18/2026

    A draft report by the Czech Railway Inspectorate concludes that systemic failings at the Transport Ministry, in addition to human error, contributed to the fatal train collision in Pardubice in 2024, according to the Zdopravy.cz news website.

    The report says a decision by the ministry prevented the activation of a train protection system that could have averted the crash. The Transport Ministry declined to comment on what it described as a leaked, unfinished and non-public working version of the Railway Inspectorate's report.

    Four people were killed in the collision, which caused damages of more than CZK 150 million (about €6 million).

  • Weather forecast
    07/18/2026

    A cold front moving over the Czech Republic from the north-west should bring rain showers and storms with day temperatures between 19 and 24 degrees Celsius.

  • Czech government to discuss pension boost for working retirees, delays indexation reform
    07/18/2026

    On Monday, the cabinet will discuss measures to increase pensions for working retirees and older pensioners. The proposed amendment would restore annual pension increases for retirees who continue working, granting them an additional pension boost for each extra year of employment.

    The government will postpone planned changes to the formula used to calculate the annual January pension increase. The proposal, which was part of an amendment to the Pension Insurance Act, was opposed by the Finance Ministry in its present form. Labour and Social Affairs Minister Aleš Juchelka said the planned revision of the indexation formula remais a key priority.
    Author: Daniela Lazarová

  • ANO and SPD to field rival senate candidates despite earlier cooperation talks
    07/18/2026

    ANO has unveiled candidates for nearly all Senate constituencies where elections will be held this year, while its coalition partner Freedom and Direct Democracy (SPD) is expected to do the same. Although the leaders of the governing parties had until recently spoken of cooperating in the autumn vote, the plans have been abandoned and the two parties will now compete against each other.

    According to the Novinky news website, ANO has distanced itself from its smaller coalition partner. ANO deputy leader and Deputy Prime Minister Karel Havlíček defended the move, saying the party was simply making use of its position as the Czech Republic's strongest political force and was confident in putting forward its own candidates.

    Meanwhile, the Motorists' party has decided to largely forgo Senate ambitions and instead focus on this year's municipal elections.
    Author: Daniela Lazarová

  • Forty-seven injured in head-on bus crash near Brno
    07/18/2026

    Forty seven people were injured when two buses collided head-on near the village of Oleksovice in the Znojmo region on Saturday at around 9:30 a.m.

    Emergency services deployed a major response, including a mass-casualty ambulance, a rescue helicopter and an operations inspector.

    According to rescue service spokeswoman Michaela Bothová, seven people suffered serious injuries, the rest were moderate to minor.

    The injured were transported to hospitals in Brno and Znojmo which activated a trauma plan to deal with the emergency.

    The circumstances of the accident are being investigated.
    Author: Daniela Lazarová

  • Seznam Zpravy: SPD omitted from Interior Ministry's extremism report
    07/18/2026

    The Czech Interior Ministry's annual report on extremism no longer mentions the governing Freedom and Direct Democracy party (SPD), which had been repeatedly included in previous editions, according to the news website Seznam Zprávy.

    The report's final version is due to be discussed by the government on Monday. Two of its authors are also leaving the ministry. While they have not publicly explained their departure, Seznam Zprávy suggests that the report's final wording was among the reasons.

    In June, a court fined SPD three million crowns for incitement to hatred over controversial election campaign posters. The party's leader, Tomio Okamura, has also been indicted in connection with the case, but the criminal proceedings remain suspended because of his parliamentary immunity.
    Author: Daniela Lazarová

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