News

A one-year delay to the launch of ETS 2 is far from sufficient; the incoming Czech government will adopt a resolution calling for a complete withdrawal from the new emissions trading system, designated prime minister Andrej Babiš (ANO) told the Czech News Agency on Wednesday.

According to Babiš, the European Union has chosen to push its green ambitions further instead of first addressing the negative impacts of the Green Deal.

EU Council negotiators and representatives of the European Parliament reached a provisional agreement on Tuesday to postpone the introduction of ETS 2 by one year, from 2027 to 2028.  The package includes a target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 90 percent by 2040 compared with 1990 levels. The changes still require formal approval by the European Parliament and EU member states.

Pro-Russian hackers have stepped up attacks on critical infrastructure in the United States and Western-style democracies the world over, according to a joint warning issued by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and its respective partners in Canada and Europe, among others by the Czech National Cyber and Information Security Agency (NÚKIB) and Military Intelligence (VZ).

The statement lists the pro-Russian hackers groups Cyber Army of Russia Reborn (CARR), Z-Pentest, NoName057(16) and Sector16. According to the report, Russia’s 2022 war against Ukraine has led to a significant increase in activity by pro-Russian hacking groups. Most of their members are individuals who support Russia’s agenda but do not have direct ties to the government.

The UNESCO committee has added the Czech tradition of amateur theatre to the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, the Czech Ministry of Culture announced in a press release. According to the ministry, amateur theatre embodies a tradition that has flourished in the Czech lands for more than two centuries. The tradition remains woven into community life and forms a bridge between generations, the ministry says. Its strength rests on the work of countless ensembles and festivals, supported by a robust network of educational, methodological, and support institutions. This is the tenth Czech entry on the UNESCO list, joining earlier recognitions such as the Ride of the Kings, falconry, and the craft of indigo printing.

Czechia trails its neighbors in funding preventive care and providing advanced diagnostic methods. At the same time, it stands out in availability of modern drugs and treatments, according to the annual Healthcare Readiness Index compiled by the NGO Globsec. The study also highlights positive investment in hospital infrastructure. Out of 26 European countries, Czechia ranked 17th with a score of 55.9; Sweden led with 73.2.

According to OECD purchasing-power-adjusted comparisons, Germany spends 260 dollars per capita on prevention, Austria 208, Czechia invests just under 83. At the bottom of the list are Lithuania (51), Poland (37.5) and Romania (22.3).