• 11/12/2024

    Wednesday will be mostly overcast with occasional fog and day temperatures ranging between 1 and 5 degrees Celsius.

    Author: Ruth Fraňková
  • 11/12/2024

    Legendary American musician Patti Smith is set to perform in Prague's Forum Karlín next July, marking the 50th anniversary of her debut album, Horses. The concert, which is part of her European tour, marks Smith's first Prague appearance in three years. Tickets go on sale on November 13.

    Released in December 1975, Horses is regarded as a landmark punk rock album, with Smith’s unique style influencing countless artists. The album was recorded at Electric Lady Studios and produced by John Cale of The Velvet Underground, featuring Czech-American guitarist Ivan Král, Smith’s collaborator and friend who passed away in 2020.

  • 11/12/2024

    The 26th annual Poetry Day festival gets underway on Tuesday in more than 50 towns and cities across Czechia in celebration of the great Czech Romantic poet Karel Hynek Mácha.

    Running until November 23, this year’s festival is inspired by the Year of Czech Music and celebrates key literary anniversaries, including those of Ivan Diviš, Franz Kafka and Jiří Wolker.

    The event combines local events in schools, libraries and cultural centres with readings by leading Czech, as well as international, poets, and includes some English-language events.

    Author: Ruth Fraňková
  • 11/12/2024

    CzechTrade, the Czech government's trade promotion agency, plans to open a new office in Malaysia next year, its director Radomil Doležal said at the Future of Export Summit 2024 in Prague on Tuesday. The initiative is part of CzechTrade's strategy to strengthen the Czech export presence in Southeast Asia, one of six priority regions for expanding Czech exports. The agency aims to further build its network in the region by 2026.

    According to Mr. Doležal, the strategic shift is already yielding results. While exports to the European Union grew by 0.2% last year, exports to countries outside the EU rose nearly 3%. This trend has accelerated in 2023, with non-EU exports up 16.5% in the first three quarters. Some 22% of Czech exports are currently destined for markets outside the EU, with the remaining 78% directed to EU member states.

    Author: Ruth Fraňková
  • 11/12/2024

    Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala successfully intervened to secure the release of a Czech citizen imprisoned in Azerbaijan earlier this year, following a diplomatic appeal to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev. The incident took place amid ongoing tensions between Azerbaijan and Armenia, which have yet to establish a formal peace deal after their 2020 conflict.

    The Czech mountaineer reportedly entered Azerbaijan from Armenia outside an official border crossing, navigating snow-covered minefields on skis and carrying two passports along with a telephoto camera. Detained by a military patrol, he was sentenced to 18 months in prison, though similar cases typically result in fines.

    Fiala briefly referenced the case before departing for the COP29 climate conference in Baku, with additional details provided to the Czech News Agency by an anonymous source.

    Author: Ruth Fraňková
  • 11/12/2024

    Prime Minister Petr Fiala (ODS) had a phone conversation with US President-elect Donald Trump, congratulating him on his election victory. They discussed topics including Ukraine and the Middle East, Fiala shared on the X network on Monday evening.

    Fiala stated that their shared goal is to maintain relations between their countries despite the change in administration and to continue strengthening these ties for the benefit of their citizens. Fiala previously met with US President Joe Biden at the White House in April, describing the meeting as a testament to the excellent state of Czech-American relations.

  • 11/12/2024

    According to an election model by the Median agency, the ANO movement leads the October parliamentary elections with 33.5% of the vote, followed by the Civic Democrats with 12% and Mayors and Independents with 11%. Support for the Pirates and Freedom and Direct Democracy has declined, while both the Motorists and the Communist Party have gained enough votes to enter the lower house. The Christian Democrats and TOP 09, however, fell short of the five-percent threshold required for entry, though their leaders signed a memorandum with the Civic Democrats in late October to run together as the "Together" coalition.

  • 11/11/2024

    At first foggy. For the rest of the day, it will be mostly cloudy with isolated drizzles. Temperatures will range between 1 °C during the night and 5 °C during the day.

  • 11/11/2024

    The Ústí nad Labem office has dismissed a criminal complaint submitted by the Presidential Office, which sought an investigation into payments made for legal services by the Castle during Miloš Zeman's presidency. According to the police, no crime was found, as confirmed to iROZHLAS.cz by both the Castle office and Jaroslav Ibehej, spokesperson for the National Center Against Organized Crime (NCOZ). The elite investigators also reviewed payments related to a criminal complaint filed by Vratislav Mynář against Džamila Stehlíková.

  • 11/11/2024

    The annual COP29 climate conference began today in the Azerbaijani capital Baku, with representatives of some 200 countries, including Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala. Delegates will discuss ways to limit climate change and how to prepare for it.

    A key conference topic is securing $100 billion annually to help developing countries combat climate change and transition from fossil fuels. These nations seek trillions, preferring grants over loans. Wealthy countries, including the US, Japan, and the EU, had pledged this funding by 2020, first achieving the target in 2022. However, much of the support has come as high-interest loans, drawing criticism. Meanwhile, the EU and US are urging China and Gulf nations to join as donors.

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