• 01/12/2024

    The number of charging stations for electric cars in Czechia increased by hundreds last year to over 2,400, according to data from large operators. Along with that, the number of recharges and energy consumption grew by tens of percent.

    Despite the increase, the size of the infrastructure is still considerably smaller than in other countries, such as Germany or the Netherlands. However, given the low number of registered electric vehicles, experts say the domestic charging network is still sufficient.

    Around 22,000 electric cars were registered in the country at the end of last year, along with tens of thousands of hybrids.

    Author: Ruth Fraňková
  • 01/12/2024

    Czechia’s Jiří Lehečka has reached the finals of tennis’s Adelaide International. The seventh-seeded Czech overcame the third-seeded American Sebastian Korda 6:2, 6:1 in just over 70 minutes to advance to his second ATP Tour final.

    The 22-year-old Czech will next face the winner of the match between UK’s Jack Draper and Alexander Bublik of Kazakhstan.

    Author: Ruth Fraňková
  • 01/11/2024

    President Petr Pavel is planning a visit to Israel and Qatar, his office informed on Thursday. The Czech head of state will meet with the countries’ top political leaders, including his Israeli counterpart Yitzhak Herzog and Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad Sania. The date of the trip has not yet been disclosed.

    In Israel, the Czech head of state will hold talks with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana, Defence Minister Yoav Galant and War Cabinet member Benny Gance. He will also meet with some of the released hostages and their families.

    In Qatar, the Czech head of state will hold talks with deputy prime minister and minister of defence, Khalid bin Muhammad Attiyah, and meet with Czech expats at the Czech Embassy in Doha.

    Author: Ruth Fraňková
  • 01/11/2024

    Reconstruction work at the Masaryk Railway Station in Prague got underway on Thursday. The reconstruction will involve building a platform above the track, providing better connection with Florenc metro and bus station and adding two more tracks to the current seven.

    The redevelopment, which is expected to cost some CZK 3.4 billion, is due to be finished in 2027. The construction was officially launched on Thursday afternoon by Transport Minister Martin Kupka, head of the Railway Administration Jiří Svoboda and Prague City Hall representatives.

    Masaryk railway station is the oldest railway station in the capital, with up to 30,000 passengers passing through every day. After the reconstruction of the line from Prague to Kladno and Václav Havel Airport in Ruzyně, the station will be the starting point of the railway to the airport.

    Author: Ruth Fraňková
  • 01/11/2024

    Friday will be mostly cloudy with occasional snow showers in the mountain regions. Day temperatures are expected to range between -2 and 2 degrees Celsius.

    Author: Ruth Fraňková
  • 01/11/2024

    Czechia’s Jiří Lehečka has reached the semi-finals of tennis’s Adelaide International. The seventh-seeded Czech overcame Nicolás Jarry of Chile 6:4, 7:5. Lehečka, who is 22, will play for the second final of his career against the third-seeded American Sebastian Korda.

    Author: Ruth Fraňková
  • 01/11/2024

    The Prague High Court has agreed to extradite Indian citizen Nikhil Gupta to the US, where he faces charges of conspiring to assassinate a Sikh separatist leader in New York, Seznam Zpravy reported on Thursday, citing the judicial database Infosoud. The extradition still requires the approval of Justice Minister Pavel Blažek.

    Gupta was detained in Prague in June on the basis of a US-Czech extradition treaty. According to Seznam Zpravy, he is now in Prague's Pankrác prison. The High Court upheld the decision of the first instance court in a closed hearing this week.

    Author: Ruth Fraňková
  • 01/11/2024

    The number of Czechs who never follow political events in the media has significantly increased, suggests a new survey conducted by the CVVM agency at the end of last year.

    According to the poll, some 20 percent of respondents never follow political news in the media, which is 11 percentage points more than in 2020, and the highest figure in two decades.

    Nevertheless, following political issues in the media remains the most common activity of the Czech public in relation to politics. The second is discussing politics with friends and the least frequent activity is working for a political party.

    In terms of public engagement, most Czechs (26 percent) participate in sports organisations, followed by civic and interest associations and charitable activities, in which less than a fifth of citizens are involved.

    Author: Ruth Fraňková
  • 01/11/2024

    Czechia is preparing to reopen its Consulate General in Mumbai, which was closed in 2011, Prime Minister Petr Fiala said in a speech at the NIMS University in Jaipur, India, on Thursday.  According to the Czech prime minister, the reopening of the Czech Consulate General in India's financial capital should also help Indian scientists and students, whose number at Czech universities is growing.

    The Czech prime minister also inspected the construction of a centre for artificial intelligence, robotics and cybernetics in Jaipur, named after Czech scientist Vladimír Mařík. The foundation stone of the centre was laid last March and its official opening is planned for the end of the year.

    Fiala concluded his visit to Jaipur by meeting with representatives of the university, local government, business community and start-ups. He is expected to return to Czechia shortly before midnight.

    Author: Ruth Fraňková
  • 01/11/2024

    Czechia and Poland violate the EU election law as their national laws do not enable citizens of other EU countries to join Czech, respectively Polish political parties, preventing them from running in local or European elections, the Court of Justice of the European Union Advocate-General, Jean Richard de La Tour, said on Thursday.

    According to the European Commission, which turned to the European Court of Justice in June 2021, this entails discrimination on grounds of nationality. The executive claims Czechia and Poland are the only two EU countries where such restrictions apply.

    While Mr. La Tour backed the European Commission’s position, his view may not coincide with the ruling of the court.

    Author: Ruth Fraňková

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