• 09/04/2024

    The Czech Constitutional Court has ruled that authorities can no longer deduct unpaid fines from social benefits, responding to a petition by 17 senators. The court deemed the practice, which affected entire households, as collective punishment and unconstitutional. The law had allowed deductions from benefits like living allowances and housing supplements for unpaid fines, including public order violations. The court emphasized that this could lower people’s living standards below the subsistence level and violate the principle of individual responsibility. The senators who initiated the petition stressed the need for prevention and support, rather than punitive measures, to address such issues.

    Author: Vít Pohanka
  • 09/04/2024

    The Supreme Court rejected the appeals of former Prime Minister Petr Nečas and former Deputy Minister of Agriculture Roman Boček. The case, which led to the fall of the government in 2013 and caused a political earthquake, has been in and out of courts for years. It involved offering positions in exchange for dissenting MPs stepping down from parliament in order to pass a tax bill. Both Nečas and Boček received suspended sentences and financial penalties. Nečas was sentenced to 2.5 years and fined CZK 1 million, while Boček received a two-year sentence and a CZK 300,000 fine. Their last legal option is to file a constitutional complaint.

    Author: Vít Pohanka
  • 09/04/2024

    Prague has a street named after Nicholas Winton. It is dedicated to pedestrians and cyclists, and was ceremonially opened by city representatives on Tuesday to honor Winton’s efforts during World War II, when the British stockbroker and humanitarian organized the rescue of nearly 700 children, mostly Jewish, from Nazi-occupied Czechoslovakia. The opening date commemorated the start of the war and the last Winton train from Prague on September 1, 1939. This new street symbolizes both the tragic history of Jewish transports from the nearby Bubny station and and the heroism of Winton.

    Author: Vít Pohanka
  • 09/04/2024

    Some schools in the Czech Republic have once again received threatening emails today, similar to those sent on Tuesday. Police announced that they will take measures that minimally disrupt classes. According to police spokesperson Ondřej Moravčík, the current threat targets various types of schools, not just elementary schools. On Tuesday, hundreds of schools across the country received messages claiming the buildings were rigged with explosives, leading some to end lessons early. Authorities are working with the National Centre for Combating Terrorism, Extremism, and Cybercrime, and collaborating with Slovak counterparts, who faced a similar threat.

    Author: Vít Pohanka
  • 09/04/2024

    The 2024 International Documentary Film Festival Elbe Dock gets underway in Ústí nad Labem on Wednesday with presenting the annual Pavel Koutecký Award for the most distinctive Czech documentary film of the year.

    The event, which is now in its seventh year, is a competitive showcase of the best short films from Central Europe and Scandinavia. One of its main goals to connect Czech and German culture. The festival will run in the north Bohemian city until September 7, before moving on to Dresden.

    Author: Ruth Fraňková
  • 09/04/2024

    Czech Constitutional Court will rule on deductions from social benefits for unpaid fines. It will announce Wednesday its decision on a proposal by a group of senators to abolish certain provisions in the Law on Assistance in Material Need and the Law on Certain Misdemeanors. These provisions allow authorities to deduct unpaid fines for selected misdemeanors from social benefits. Senators argue that such deductions affect not only the offender but also other household members, constituting an impermissible collective punishment. The law enables deductions from social benefits, such as the subsistence allowance and housing supplement, to cover unpaid fines for offenses like disturbing public order or neglecting compulsory school attendance. However, the law ensures that if there are dependent children in the household, the benefit cannot fall below their minimum subsistence level.

    Author: Vít Pohanka
  • 09/04/2024

    Blind teenage swimmer David Kratochvíl completed his medal tally at the Paralympic Games in Paris, after winning bronze in the 200 positional race on Tuesday. It is the 16-year-old’s third medal in his fourth start at the Games.

    On Friday he won Czechia’s first gold in the 400m breaststroke and on Sunday silver in the 100 mark. Kratochvíl is set to appear in two more races, the 100m breaststroke and 100m butterfly.

    Author: Ruth Fraňková
  • 09/04/2024

    The Czech government will today discuss nearly half a billion CZK in aid for fruit growers whose crops were damaged by spring frosts, reducing this year's harvest by up to 74% compared to last year. The aid package includes 375 million CZK from the EU budget and an additional 100 million CZK from Czech sources. Ministers will also consider increasing the state's payments for health insurance for children, seniors, and the unemployed, with a proposed total of 154.6 billion CZK next year. The monthly payment per person will rise to 2,127 CZK, reflecting inflation. Additionally, the government will examine the creation of a Public Health Council to address health issues such as obesity and heart disease.

    Author: Vít Pohanka
  • 09/03/2024

    Record-high temperatures for the month of September were registered on Tuesday at 33 measuring stations across Czechia keeping record for at least 30 years, the Czech Hydrometeorological Institute has announced. Over 140 stations saw a new record for September 3.

    The warmest temperature, 35.1 degrees Celsius, was recorded in Strážnice in south Moravia. Another seven stations, all of them in southern or central Moravia, saw temperatures exceeding 34 degrees, all in southern and central Moravia.

    Author: Ruth Fraňková
  • 09/03/2024

    European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen has already decided on the key positions in her new team, Die Welt reported on Tuesday, citing senior EU diplomats and European Commission insiders. According to the German daily, the energy portfolio will go to Czech Industry and Trade Minister Jozef Síkela. Die Welt also said that von der Leyen could announce the composition of the new Commission as early as this week.

    Author: Ruth Fraňková

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