• Lower house supports changing definition of rape
    02/07/2024

    The lower house of the Czech parliament has supported changing the definition of rape in Czech law to sex without consent rather than sex by force or physical coercion. The government proposal to redefine rape using a consent-based definition received support on Wednesday in the Chamber of Deputies in its preliminary reading. Another change proposed by the draft law is that all sexual activity with children under 12 years of age always be treated as rape or assault, rather than the less serious criminal offence of sexual abuse. The bill is now awaiting review by the Constitutional-Legal committee.
    Author: Anna Fodor

  • Weather forecast
    02/07/2024

    Thursday should continue to be overcast with a chance of rain throughout the day. Daytime temperatures should range between 3 and 7 degrees Celsius.
    Author: Anna Fodor

  • Five places in east Bohemia still on flood alert but water levels receding
    02/07/2024

    Flood alerts were still in place in five spots on the Elbe River in the Hradec Králové and Pardubice regions on Wednesday morning. However, all five were at the lowest of the three alert levels and the water levels were gradually receding.

    Rivers and streams in eastern Bohemia reached flood levels due to heavy rains overnight between Sunday and Monday, even reaching the highest of the three levels in several places.
    Author: Anna Fodor

  • Biathlon World Championships opening ceremony held in Nové Město na Moravě
    02/07/2024

    The Biathlon World Championships officially kicked off in the central Czech town of Nové Město na Moravě on Tuesday evening. The event, which runs until February 18, was ceremonially launched by the president of the International Biathlon Union, Olle Dahlin.

    Some 27,000 spectators are expected to attend the opening competition, the mixed relay, which starts at the Vysočina Arena at 5:20 pm on Wednesday.
    Author: Ian Willoughby

  • Fiala: Dvořák will not have euro adoption commissioner
    02/07/2024

    The minister for European affairs, Martin Dvořák of the Mayors, will not have his own commissioner for euro adoption, Prime Minister Petr Fiala of the Civic Democrats said on Tuesday evening after a special meeting of coalition government leaders.

    The previous day Mr. Dvořák had announced that he was naming economist Petr Zahradník in that position. Mr. Fiala said Mr. Zahradník would continue in his role as an advisor to Mr. Dvořák.

    Government leaders the Civic Democrats are the only grouping in the five-party coalition opposed to the adoption of the single European currency at present.
    Author: Ian Willoughby

  • Media: Blinken set for major NATO meeting in Prague in May
    02/07/2024

    US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is expected to attend an informal meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Prague in May, Seznam Zprávy reported.

    The news site said the size of the event was reflected in the CZK 100 million budget that had been set aside for it.

    The gathering will be the biggest NATO event in Prague since a summit in 2002 and comes as Czechia marks 25 years of membership and the alliance marks 75 years of existence.
    Author: Ian Willoughby

  • Czech mountaineers rescued from Austrian mountain
    02/06/2024

    Two Czechs were rescued from the Austrian mountain Grossglockner by helicopter on Tuesday morning. The mountaineers, aged 25 and 29, contacted the mountain rescue service on Sunday night, saying they had been injured by a falling rock on Grossglockner's north face but had managed to reach their tent. Because of adverse weather conditions a rescue helicopter could not be sent out on Monday.
    Author: Ian Willoughby

  • TOP 09 chief: Talks should focus on coalition in general, not just euro commission appointment
    02/06/2024

    The leader of TOP 09, Markéta Pekarová Adamová, says she would like to discuss the overall functioning of the five-party government in planned talks.

    The prime minister, Petr Fiala of the Civic Democrats, called a special meeting of the coalition partners after the minister for European affairs, Martin Dvořák of the Mayors, appointed his own commissioner for euro adoption. The Civic Democrats are not for euro adoption at present.

    Ms. Pekarová Adamová said on Tuesday that the talks should not focus on that matter alone. She warned against following the “Slovak path”, in which she said quarrels in a coalition government paved the way for a populist takeover.
    Author: Ian Willoughby

  • Local Prague politician facing court over hate speech against Palestinians
    02/06/2024

    A Prague local politician, Pavel Novotný, is facing court over comments he made about Palestinians on the internet, Czech Television reported on Tuesday. The Civic Democrat mayor of the Řeporyje district said on X (formerly Twitter) in December that Palestinians were nothing but monkeys. In response to a reply he said the Palestinians should be bombed.

    Mr. Novotný, who later deleted the post and apologised for it, faces charges of defamation and hate speech.

    Seznam Zpravy reported that the Czech minister of defence, Jana Černochová of the Civic Democrats, was among those who had liked the tweet.
    Author: Ian Willoughby

  • Flood level recorded in many places but waters gradually receding

    02/06/2024

    The levels of streams in Czechia, especially in the north and east of Bohemia, remained at flood levels on Tuesday morning. However, water levels were gradually receding in some parts, according to data from the Czech Hydro-Meteorological Institute.

    At 9am on Tuesday 16 locations were reporting various levels of flood alert. However, the highest level was in place in only one of them.
    Author: Ian Willoughby

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