Daily news summary

Czech PM blames failure of EU budget summit on wealthier states

Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš has said the result of the European Union summit in Brussels on the bloc’s 2021–2027 budget, which ended on Friday with no deal, will not threaten Czech economy or Czech firms as the country was eligible to draw EU funds until 2023.

Speaking after the summit, Mr Babiš blamed the failure to reach agreement on the wealthier member states, accusing them of refusing to reach a compromise. The Czech Prime Minister said a group of net contributors have obstructed any further progress by unfair requiremen

Victims of communism commemorated in Želiv

A mass was celebrated in the Želiv monastery on Saturday to commemorate the victims of the communist regime. The mass, celebrated by Hradec Králové bishop Jan Vokál, was part of a two-day conference focusing on Josef Toufar, a priest tortured to death by the communist secret police for allegedly faking a “miracle”.

The Monastery in Želiv was turned into an internment camp in the 1950s. Over 460 priests ad monks were imprisoned there, including Cardinal František Tomášek and Archbishop Karel Otčenášek.

Tatra Around the World expedition sets off from Prague

An expedition called Tatra Around the World set off from Prague’s Rudolfinum on Saturday afternoon. The trip around the world in a specially adapted Tatra T 815 truck is expected to take three years, covering 270,000 kilometers across 70 countries and five continents.

The project follows up on a similar expedition undertaken in the late 1980s and early 1990s and one of its aims is to promote Czech industry abroad. The costs of the expedition are estimated at CZK 25 million.

Matějská pouť funfair opens in Prague

The Czech Republic's biggest funfair Matějská pouť opens its gates at Prague’s exhibition grounds in Holešovice on Saturday. Originally a pilgrimage to the nearby church of St Matthew, the fair now offers some 115 attractions including a giant water slide, a 55-meter Ferris wheel, bumper cars and shooting galleries.

In the past years, the event attracted between 100,000 and 200,000 visitors annually. The highest attendance, over 215,000 visitors, was recorded in 2011.

Meteorologists issue high wind warning

Meteorologists have issued a high wind warning for most parts of the Czech Republic. The warning is valid from 11am on Sunday until Monday morning for the regions of Karlovy Vary, Pilsen, South Bohemia, Prague and Centra Bohemia, where winds can reach a force of 70 to 125 km per hour.

Meteorologists have also warned of rising water levels on most of the country’s rivers following heavy rainfall on Sunday.

Weather

Sunday is expected to be mostly overcast with occasional rain showers and daytime highs ranging between 9 and 13 degrees Celsius.