• Czech FM discusses shared interests and bilateral ties with US top officials
    02/20/2026

    Czech Foreign Minister Petr Macinka (Motorists) met US Secretary of State Marco Rubio at the inaugural meeting of the Peace Council in the United States on Thursday. He also held talks with Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau on further development of Czech-American relations.

    According to a statement from the US State Department, Landau and Macinka discussed shared interests of the Czech and American people rooted in a common heritage. “Both agreed on the importance of boosting bilateral ties to promote growth in both countries while reducing unnecessary regulation,” the statement said.

    On X, Landau wrote that he appreciated Macinka’s pragmatic approach to the challenges facing both countries. “The only way to get our economies firing on all cylinders is to cut bureaucratic red tape,” he added.

    Minister Macinka is on a six-day working visit to the United States, during which he will attend an extraordinary session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, meet with UN Secretary-General António Guterres and visit the Heritage Foundation and Hudson Institute.
    Author: Daniela Lazarová

  • Another bird flu outbreak confirmed in Hradec Králové region
    02/19/2026

    Veterinarians have confirmed bird flu at a commercial egg-laying hen farm in the municipality of Kosičky in the Hradec Králové region. The facility houses more than 230,000 laying hens. All poultry will have to be culled. Due to the large number of birds and complex logistics, the culling will begin early next week.

    In recent years, this is the largest farm affected. The previous biggest outbreak in the Czech Republic was discovered at the end of December 2022 at a large-scale poultry farm in Brod nad Tichou in the Tachov region, where all 742,000 hens were culled due to the H5N1 virus subtype.

    Veterinarians also confirmed bird flu in Kosičky a week ago at a duck farm. It was the first outbreak in a commercial breeding facility this year. The new outbreak is located approximately 500 meters away. Veterinarians will establish a three-kilometer protection zone and a ten-kilometer surveillance zone around the site.
    Author: Romana Grajcarová

  • President to appoint Igor Červený as environment minister
    02/19/2026

    President Petr Pavel will appoint MP Igor Červený (Motorists Party) as Minister of the Environment on Monday, 23 February 2026. The head of state announced the decision just hours after their Thursday morning meeting.

    According to the Presidential Office, the president and Červený discussed nature conservation, climate change, and the need to better communicate with the public about the designation of large-scale protected areas.

    With Červený’s appointment, the government will be complete. The party’s original nominee for environment minister was MP Filip Turek (Motorists Party), whom the president refused to appoint due to numerous controversies, despite pressure from party leader Petr Macinka.
    Author: Romana Grajcarová

  • Weather forecast
    02/19/2026

    Friday will bring clear to partly cloudy skies and day temperatures between -3 and 2 degrees. There may be snow or sleet showers in the evening hours.

  • Foreign Minister Macinka on official visit to the United States
    02/19/2026

    The Czech Foreign Minister Petr Macinka (Motorists' party) is currently on an official visit to the United States, where he will attend the opening session of President Trump’s Peace Council as an observer on Thursday.

    According to Černín Palace, the minister’s six-day visit will include meetings with representatives of the U.S. administration and officials from the think tanks Heritage Foundation and Hudson Institute. In New York, Macinka will take part in UN meetings and hold bilateral discussions, including a meeting with UN Secretary-General António Guterres.
    Author: Romana Grajcarová

  • Czech Foreign Ministry confirms it is handling case of citizen sentenced in China
    02/19/2026

    The Czech Foreign Ministry confirmed on Thursday that it is dealing with the case of a Czech citizen sentenced in China in 2019. On Wednesday, former president, Miloš Zeman, discussed the case with the Chinese ambassador.

    During the meeting, Zeman asked Chinese President Xi Jinping for a humanitarian gesture for the Czech student. It is not clear what the Czech student was convicted of.

    The Czech foreign ministry has said it will not provide further details for the time being.
    Author: Romana Grajcarová

  • Snow warning issued for southern Bohemia and Moravia
    02/19/2026

    The Czech Hydrometeorological Institute has issued a snow warning for the southern parts of Czechia where fresh snow fall is expected between Thursday night and Friday morning. Forecasts estimate that up to 12 cm of snow may fall in some areas. The bout of cold weather may complicate rail and road traffic.

    Drivers are advised to follow traffic updates, ensure their vehicles are equipped for winter conditions and carry snow chains when heading to the mountains.
    Author: Romana Grajcarová

  • Czech opposition aims to restrict lawmakers’ immunity
    02/19/2026

    The opposition Mayors and Independents (STAN) will prepare a proposal that would significantly limit the immunity of deputies and senators. It should protect only political work, statements, and opinions, STAN chairman Vít Rakušan told reporters in the Chamber of Deputies. The move comes in connection with Tuesday’s recommendation by the Chamber’s immunity committee to deputies not to allow the criminal prosecution of Prime Minister Andrej Babiš and speaker of the chamber of deputies Tomio Okamura.

    According to Rakušan, people prosecuted for crimes unrelated to their political functions should be held accountable for their actions in court like any other citizens in the country.
    Author: Romana Grajcarová

  • Trump praises Czech Foreign Minister Macinka
    02/19/2026

    U.S. President Donald Trump praised Czech Foreign Minister Petr Macinka (Motorists' Party) for his performance in a debate with Hillary Clinton on his social media platform, Truth Social. The exchange between Macinka  and former U.S. Secretary of State took place over the weekend at the Munich Security Conference.

    At the conference, the Czech foreign minister and the American politician faced off in an open panel discussion covering topics such as gender, the war in Ukraine, and the broader direction of Western civilization. Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski also joined the debate.

    “Czech Deputy PM Petr Macinka: Great job on your debate against Hillary Clinton on various subjects, including her ridiculous views on gender. Say hello to everyone in your wonderful country!’” Trump wrote.
    Author: Hannah Vaughan

  • Czech airports surpassed pre-pandemic passenger record
    02/19/2026

    Last year, Czech airports saw a total of 19.28 million passengers - eight percent more than the year before. The figure surpassed the previous pre-Covid record set in 2019 by 2.4 percent, according to an analysis by ERV Travel Insurance.

    Václav Havel Airport Prague handled 17.75 million passengers last year, an 8.5 percent increase year on year. The country’s largest airport thus reached virtually the same passenger volume as in 2019, with the difference amounting to just 0.3 percent.

    Departures from regional airports are also growing in popularity. While passenger numbers remained roughly the same as the year before - at around 1.53 million - they were still 49 percent higher than in 2019.
    Author: Hannah Vaughan

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