• 07/14/2024

    The Czech government has discussed a new strategy aimed at making better use of wood harvested in the country, Czech Television reported on Sunday. Under the plan, wood produced in Czechia would be increasingly processed directly in the country and the rules for constructing wooden buildings would be simplified.

    Environmentalists complain that at present wood harvested in Czechia is often exported in a raw state. Greenpeace activists told Czech TV that they had tracked wood by GPS and found that even valuable varieties often ended up being used in an inadequate manner.

    The minister of agriculture, Marek Výborný, said his officials were planning a marketing drive presenting wood as the material of the future.

    Author: Ian Willoughby
  • 07/14/2024

    The Czech police’s protection service say they have no plans to increase the number of officers assigned to protected persons in the wake of an assassination attempt on US presidential candidate Donald Trump on Saturday.

    The police said on social media on Sunday that the special unit was gathering and processing available information in connection with the incident in Pennsylvania, which it would draw on in training.

    Author: Ian Willoughby
  • 07/14/2024

    Kateřina Siniaková has won the women’s double at tennis’s Wimbledon for the ninth doubles Grand Slam title of her career. The Czech and her partner Taylor Townsend, seeded fourth overcame the Canadian-New Zealand pairing of Gabriela Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe, the second seeds, 7-6 7-6 in Saturday night’s final.

    The win came just hours after Barbora Krejčíková, a former long-time doubles partner of Siniaková’s, won her first Wimbledon women’s singles for her career second major title.

    Author: Ian Willoughby
  • 07/14/2024

    It should be mainly overcast in Czechia on Monday, with an average high temperature of 28 degrees Celsius. Similar weather is expected on the following days.

    Author: Ian Willoughby
  • 07/14/2024

    The Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs says that humanitarian benefits for Ukrainian refugees in Czechia should be increased from August. This will involve a rise in housing allowances and comes in response to the discontinuation of free emergency accommodation from September. Officials said ministers would choose between two plans drafted by Ministry of Labour officials.

    Some refugees aid organisations say the proposed housing benefit increases are insufficient and will lead to a deterioration in living conditions for Ukrainian refugees.

    Author: Ian Willoughby
  • 07/14/2024

    The Czech prime minister, Petr Fiala, has condemned an assassination attempt against US presidential candidate Donald Trump at a rally on Saturday.

    In a statement on social media, Mr. Fiala said politics ought to be a battle of opinions and that there was no place in it for violence. He said he thoroughly condemned the attack on Mr. Trump and wished him a speedy recovery.

    The Czech minister of foreign affairs, Jan Lipavský, said it was another tragic day for democracy. Resorting to violence to settle political disputes is cowardly and unacceptable, he said, adding that his thoughts were with the dead and injured.

    One spectator was killed and two critically injured in the shooting incident at the election rally in Pennsylvania. Mr. Trump himself was slightly injured when a bullet hit his ear.

    Author: Ian Willoughby
  • 07/13/2024

    George Thompson, a US soldier who took part in the liberation of Plzeň in 1945, died on Friday at the age of 99, the West Bohemian city’s town hall announced on Saturday. Mr. Thompson, who a member of the 16th Armoured Division, began taking part in annual celebrations of the end of the war in Plzeň in 1991 and later attended whenever his health permitted.

    A memorial event in his honour will take place at the Thanks, America! monument in Plzeň on Monday, local officials said.

    Author: Ian Willoughby
  • 07/13/2024

    Barbora Krejčíková has won the women’s singles title at Wimbledon. The Czech, who is 28, overcame Jasmine Paolini of Italy 6-2 2-6 6-4 in Saturday’s dramatic final.

    Krejčíková, who was seeded 31st, broke the serve of her opponent, seventh, in the first game and dominated the opening set. In the second set her opponent took control, before the Czech again gained the advantage in the final set, a break of Paolini’s serve proving the breakthrough.

    Prior to this year Krejčíková had never got past the round of 16 stage at Wimbledon.

    Author: Ian Willoughby
  • 07/13/2024

    The Czech women’s international football team stunned world champions Spain in a European Championship qualifying game in Chomutov on Friday evening. The Spanish, who had already reached the Euros before the game, opened the scoring after 15 minutes. However, the hosts replied shortly before half-time through Kateřina Svitková and again found the net with an Eva Bartoňová penalty a few minutes after the break for a 2:1 victory.

    Despite the win the Czechs remain third in their four-nation qualifying group and will have to go through a playoff to make it to the Euros.

    Author: Ian Willoughby
  • 07/13/2024

    Tributes are planned for the most successful Czech pop singer ever, Karel Gott, who would have turned 85 on Sunday. Czech Television is running a number of programmes dedicated to the multi-million selling artist over the weekend, while radio stations said they would play his hits. Some fans plan to visit his grave in Prague.

    Meanwhile a large Karel Gott tribute concert is planned for Prague’s O2 Arena in November, featuring such artists as Lucie Bilá, Michal David and Richard Krajčo.

    The singer died of leukaemia in October 2019 at the age of 80.

    Author: Ian Willoughby

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