The Czech authorities have announced that the country will extend its internal border control with Slovakia once again.

According to the Minister of Interior of Czechia, Vit Rakusan, the border controls with Slovakia will remain in place until January 3, 2024.

Commenting on the extension of the measure, Minister Rakusan said that by keeping stricter rules in place, the country wants to combat irregular migration into Czechia.

He further stressed that border controls are necessary as there is a lack of common EU policies aimed at guarding the external borders of the EU and dealing with migration, Reuters explains.

In addition, Minister Rakusan said that it only makes sense for Czechia to keep border controls in place as long as the neighbouring countries do the same.

Czechia initially introduced internal border controls with Slovakia on October 4 after an increase in irregular border crossings and in an attempt to put an end to people smuggling activities.

Since then, the country has continuously extended the measures and has stressed that apart from the Czech-Slovak border,  random checks will also be carried out along the whole border section.

Poland has also extended its internal border controls with Slovakia. However, unlike Czechia, Poland has extended the measures for a period of 11 days until December 3.

The extension of the border measure with Slovakia was signed by the Minister of Interior of Poland, Mariusz Kaminski. According to the Polish authorities, the measure has been extended amid an increase in irregular migrants trying to cross the border.

Just like Czechia, Poland also initially introduced its border controls with Slovakia on October 4 and has been extending them since then.

Several other Schengen Member States currently have internal border controls in place, including Austria, Germany, and Slovenia, among many others.

Benjamin restaurant in Vršovice pleasantly surprises visitors not only with quality products and a minimalistic menu, but also with the presence of only two employees: chefs.

Benjamin is located at Norská 14 in Vršovice. It is owned by successful chef and restaurateur Jakub Červenka, who also runs Café Buddha and Pru 58, where you can sample high-quality Asian street food.

Červenka worked in a Michelin-starred restaurant in England, where he gained valuable experience.

The layout of the restaurant is very unusual and does not look like other restaurants in Prague. Everything in the restaurant is imbued with minimalism, from a single table to a limited 8-course tasting menu.

Minimalism does not end there. The restaurant employs only two people: two chefs, Jakub Červenka and Claudio Sejkati, an Italian chef.

The restaurant does not have waiters, or sommeliers, that we are used to seeing in restaurants. There are only two people who communicate directly with customers and make the atmosphere special.

The dishes are brought to the table by the chefs, who also present the dishes and pour wine for the guests during the wine pairing.

The dishes themselves are also quite surprising and innovative. Although Červenka and Sejkati use more or less a dozen ingredients, you can taste a small tartlet filled with mushrooms and eel. Or a fresh tomato variation with tabasco called Bloody Mary, served in combination with marinated tomatoes and brynz dumplings.

For the next course, the chefs bring marinated artichokes with a slightly sour taste, accompanied by Jerusalem artichokes and sunflower seeds. Then comes one of the highlights of the whole dinner: duck liver and duck hearts seasoned with sea salt, fermented currant dust, and popcorn.

Benjamin is open from 10 am to 6 pm Wednesday – Saturday.

Exquisite tastes will not leave anyone indifferent and even a shared table and a limited menu will pleasantly surprise you.

Yesterday, September 13, the first stone was laid, which served as the beginning of the construction of a new bridge across the Vltava, which will connect the Zlíchov and Dvorce districts (Prague 4 and 5), and relieve traffic on other bridges.

Dvorecký most will be built for public transport, pedestrians, motorcyclists and rescue vehicles.

“Trams will run on it, but it is too early to talk about the number of lines. Buses should also use it, which can significantly relieve the pressure on Barrandovský most, where bus traffic had relatively big problems in the past due to the density of car traffic,” says DPP CEO Petr Witowski.

The bridge will be 388 meters long and 16 meters wide. Under the bridge, on both banks, there will be a recreation area and a cafe where local residents can spend their leisure time.

The design of the project was developed by the Czech architectural firms Tubes and Atelier 6, and the construction will be carried out by the winning companies Metrostav TBR, Strabag and Firesta-Fišer. The value of the contract is CZK 1.075 billion.

“The Dvorecký Bridge will be of great importance for tram transport as it will allow the interconnection of Prague 4 and Prague 5. It will be followed by so-called southern tram tangents, will connect important tram lines from Barrandov and Modřany and will allow the public transport system to implement some connections outside the traffic congestion the central area of the city, which is a plus for Prague,” architect Roman Koucký from the Prague Institute of Planning and Development (IPR) said.

However, it is not yet clear what name the bridge will bear. According to Transport MP Adam Scheinherr, “Zlíchovský most” would be a better name, but the final decision has not yet been made.

Completion of construction is planned for the end of 2024 – the beginning of 2025.