Daily news summary

Exports expected to slow down in Q2

Exports from the Czech Republic are likely to slow down in the next quarter, the Czech News Agency reported on Sunday, citing the Export Index put together by Raiffeisenbank and the Association of Exporters.

Among the main factors behind the negative development is the slowdown of German economy, uncertainty regarding Brexit and the threat of US President Donald Trump to impose a 25 percent tax on European cars.

Exports from the Czech Republic increased by 2 percent year-on-year in December to 316.1 billion crowns.

Around fifty percent of Czech doctoral students drop out

Doctoral students in the Czech Republic are complaining that they don’t receive sufficient financial support from the state, Czech Radio reported on Sunday. Although the government recently raised the monthly payment to PhD students by almost 50 percent, up to 11,000 crowns (around 428 euros) per month, many of them still have to seek extra income.

According to the data released by the Ministry of Education, the drop-out rate among PhD students is around fifty percent. Nearly 10,000 students started their doctoral studies in the Czech Republic in the academic year 2014-2015, but only 4,749 of them graduated in 2017-2018.

Spell of warm weather set to continue into next week

Above-average temperatures are expected in the Czech Republic in the next week. According to a long-term forecast by the Czech Hydro-Meteorological Institute, we can expect day-time highs of up to 18 degrees Celsius.

In the following three-week period, average daytime temperatures will drop to around 10 degrees Celsius. Rainfall over the next month should be average for the time of year.

Speed skater Sáblíková sets new world record in 3,000 meters

The Czech speed skater Martina Sáblíková won the 3,000 meters race at the World Allround Championships in Calgary on Saturday, improving the almost 13-year-old world record held by Canadian Cindy Klassen.

The 31-year-old Czech covered the distance in a time of 3.53.31, three hundredths of a second below the time Klassen put down in March 2006. 

The three-time Olympic champion also holds the world record on the 5 kilometers, which she set in February 2011 in Salt Lake City with a time of 6.42,66. Sáblíková is currently second in the overall competition, 2.8 seconds behind Miho Tagaki of Japan.

Czech skier Kateřina Smutná takes bronze at Vasaloppet

Czech skier Kateřina Smutná defended the bronze medal at the traditional 90km Vasaloppet race in Sweden on Sunday. The women’s race was won by Sweden’s Britta Johansson-Norgren.

In the men’s race, Stanislav Řezáč of the Czech Republic finished in the sixth place. It was the 21st start at the Vasaloppet for the 45-year-old marathon skier, who won a total of four medals over the years. Norway's Tore Berdal took the win, finishing ahead of his compatriot Stian Holegaard.

Czech Zdeněk Štybar wins Omloop Het Nieuwsblad

Czech Zdeněk Štybar, riding for Deceuninck-Quick Step, has won the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, the traditional 200 km opening race of the classic season.

The former cyclo-cross specialist attacked from a select lead group of five with three kilometers to go, leaving behind Belgium's Greg van Avermaet and Tim Wellens, who also reached the podium.

Saturday's victory is one of the greatest triumphs in Štybar's career.

Weather

Monday is expected to be mostly overcast with some sunny spells and daytime highs ranging between 9 and 13 degrees Celsius.