Czechia wants to make it possible for other European Union citizens to become members of the police and other security forces. The proposal to make this change has been put forward by the Ministry of Interior of Czechia, with the aim of diversifying the police and security forces members. However, not everyone is eligible to apply. In line with the proposal, only EU/EEA citizens who have been legally residing in Czechia for a minimum period of three years and who are proficient in the Czech language will be eligible to apply to become police and other security officers members. Citizens of other EU and EEA countries will also be able to become members of the security forces if they have lived in the Czech Republic for at least three years and speak the Czech language. However, the Ministry has emphasized that the change in the rules will not extend to intelligence services. This is because the country wants to maintain strict requirements for these roles, Česká Justice explains. In case the proposal is approved, the applicants need to prove that they have no criminal records in their country of origin. The aim of the amendment is to modernize the law,...
Josef Šálek is the proud new Guinness World Record holder for the fastest half marathon completed barefoot on ice/snow, a feat he accomplished in 1:50:42 clad in nothing but a pair of short tights and an ecstatic grin. The Czech therapist, lecturer, and personal development coach bested the previous record of 2:16:34 set by Dutch runner Wim ‘The Iceman’ Hof in 2007. It’s not his first world record either. In 2023, the fitness enthusiast proved his extreme abdominal strength by holding a plank for 9 hours, 38 minutes, and 47 seconds, besting the previous record by more than eight minutes. The new record for the fastest barefoot half marathon on ice was set on an open circuit in a valley near the highest mountain in Czechia, measured by a professional surveyor. Technically, Šálek’s preparation for the record began back in 2013, before he even became a runner. He started hosting workshops where he would walk barefoot over hot coals and glass shards. “I needed to show people how to manage their fears and lack of self-confidence in practice,” he wrote on his website. Then in 2017, after going through a breakup and struggling with unhealthy eating and alcohol and cigarette...
A Czech invention that brings an innovative twist to the concept of urban furniture. They look like black periscopes sticking out of the ground and observing the urban landscape around them. Or they could be confused with an air pipe that connects to some grid hidden in the Netherlands. Meet the Poesiomats – the urban poetry machines that have taken over most of the cities in the Czech Republic, and recently also other places around the world. The idea behind the Poesiomat, invented by café owner and cultural activist Ondřej Kobza, was to create a sort of publicly accessible jukebox for spoken word culture. The first one of this type was installed in Prague’s Namesti Míru in 2015 and since then they have become a common feature in other Czech cities, towns, villages and even castles. The aim of the Poesiomat is to revive the appeal of poetry by making it easily accessible to the masses. According to the initiative’s website, the poetry machines, however, can also contain lyrics, songs, and sounds related to the specific place they are located in. On Tuesday, 12 March, a Poesiomat was erected in Kaznice, Brno-sever district. Reminiscent of a submarine periscope, this machine...
Russia is initiating criminal prosecutions against over 50 politicians from the Czech Republic, Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia for the removal of Soviet-era monuments. Among those targeted are Prague 6 Mayor Jakub Stárek and predecessor Ondřej Kolář for removing a statue of Soviet Marshal Ivan Konev. Mr. Kolář said he was “in good company and that the news had motivated him to continue his work”. He headed the district when a monument to Soviet commander Ivan Konev was taken down in 2020. Russian law provides for up to five years in prison but Czech officials condemn the prosecutions as “unenforceable”. Konev is regarded as a hero in Russia for retaking much of Eastern Europe from Nazi German forces during World War II. But many Czechs view him an enforcer of Soviet rule after the war. He led the Soviet troops that entered Prague after it had been liberated from the Nazis by resistance forces. But he also commanded the troops that crushed the 1956 anti-Soviet uprising in Hungary and helped build the Berlin Wall. Some historians say Konev also participated in planning the 1968 Soviet-led invasion of Czechoslovakia. President Vladimir Putin has accused Russia’s detractors of diminishing the Soviet war...
The Czech Republic, famous for its beer culture, is seeing a shift in pub culture. Rising costs and changing customer habits are forcing traditional pubs to adapt. The price of a pint in the Czech Republic is expected to climb above 100 CZK. However, pubs that weathered the recent crisis are unlikely to go out of business entirely. Following the January tax hike, nearly two-thirds of Czech restaurants raised draft beer prices. Increases varied, ranging from 3 to 10 crowns per pint. Despite this, fears of widespread closures have subsided in the gastronomy sector. In recent years, many classic pubs and “fours” (pubs focused on cheap beer and spirits) have disappeared. The decline is attributed to a shift in social habits. The days of after-work pints with colleagues seem to be fading. “We used to get a bunch of regulars every afternoon,” says Stanislav Petřík, a 50-year-old bartender. “They’d all have several beers and a nightcap. That was a steady income. Now they’re gone, due to age or tighter budgets.” Luboš Kastner, a board member of the Association of Small and Medium Enterprises, suggests a new business model for rural pubs. This could involve limited hours or weekend-only operations, especially...
Young people in the Czech Republic are more tolerant of ethnic and national minorities than they were in 2020, and perceive the social exclusion of minority groups, which they believe politicians should address, said Sona Polak from the Culture Ministry, speaking to CTK. The findings came from research by the Czech Council for Children and Youth (CRDM), which surveyed 1,000 respondents aged 15 to 29. The survey focused on young people’s attitudes towards various ethnic, national, religious or sexual minorities. According to the poll, 44% of respondents would be bothered by having a Roma as a neighbour, and around a third said the same of Muslims and immigrants in general. The percentage of young people who would rather distance themselves from Roma people has decreased by 14 percentage points since the last survey; the figure has dropped by 18 percentage points for Muslims and 13 percent for immigrants in general, according to the survey. According to the survey, young people perceive the social exclusion of minorities as an issue. The largest number (64%) perceive the exclusion of former prisoners or juvenile delinquents, while 61% of respondents perceive the exclusion of immigrants and foreign workers. The respondents also perceived problems for...
Pyszková is Czech Republic’s second Miss World, after Taťána Kuchařová earlier won the title in 2006 Czech Republic’s Krystyna Pyszková is the 71st Miss World, besting 111 other contestants from around the world during the pageant’s finals night on Saturday, March 9, in Mumbai, India. She replaced outgoing titleholder Karolina Bielawska of Poland. Born in Třinec, Pyszková is Czech Republic’s second Miss World, after Taťána Kuchařová earlier won the title in 2006. The new Miss World titleholder is also the third winner of a “Big 4” pageant crown for the Czech Republic. In 2012, the European country bagged the Miss Earth crown courtesy of Tereza Fajksová. Miss World is part of the elite “Big 4” pageants in the world, along with Miss Universe, Miss International, and Miss Earth. In the last years, Miss World had delays in staging its pageant. After the 2019 pageant was held in the United Kingdom, it took three years before the pageant was held again in 2022, due to COVID-19 restrictions. The 71st edition was supposed to be held in December 2023 but was later moved to March this year. Visualizza questo post su Instagram Un post condiviso da Miss World (@missworld)
Despite a slight rise in the number of unemployed people, the Czech Republic’s unemployment rate stayed unchanged at 4% in February compared to January, according to data released by the Czech Labor Office. While the number of unemployed individuals increased slightly by 561 to 296,107, job vacancies also went up by 1,796 to 268,579. However, analysts warn of a potential economic slowdown due to a decrease in job vacancies compared to the previous year. “The decline in job vacancies suggests a drop in demand across various sectors,” noted Miroslav Novák, an analyst at Akcenta. Despite this concern, experts predict the unemployment rate will remain below 4% for the rest of 2024. They attribute this to cautious employers and a generally positive economic outlook. Ústí nad Labem Region has the highest unemployment rate at 6%, while Prague boasts the lowest at 2.9%. Most job openings require basic education levels, and around two-thirds are suitable for foreign candidates. Prague leads in job demand, offering nearly 80,000 vacancies. On International Women’s Day, the gender gap in the labor market came into focus. Analysts highlighted the higher unemployment rate faced by women compared to men. Martin Jánský, General Manager of Randstad Czech Republic, emphasized...
What makes one passport more powerful than another? The best-known passport ranking, from London-based investment migration consultancy Henley & Partners, focuses solely on visa-free travel. Essentially, the more countries a citizen can visit without a visa, the better. In that ranking, six nations—France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Singapore and Spain—tie for the top position, with 194 visa-free destinations apiece. But Dubai-based immigration and tax consulting firm Nomad Capitalist believes evaluating passport strength is far more complicated. “While most indices—and most people—think of a passport only in terms of travel privileges, we understand that citizens of different countries deal with very different requirements to pay tax, live freely, comply with regulations, and avoid scrutiny when traveling,” according to the 2024 Nomad Capitalist Passport Index, which weighs five criteria: visa-free travel (50%), taxation of citizens (20%), global perception (10%), dual citizenship (10%) and personal freedom (10%). In Nomad Capitalist’s eighth annual ranking, all of the top five passports and eight of the top 10 belong to European nations. Switzerland jumped from No. 3 last year to take the top spot in 2024, with Nomad Capitalist noting the country’s “exceptionally high levels of liberty and privacy.” Furthermore, “the country’s neutrality ensures that Swiss nationals...
The Czech Parliament’s upper house, the Senate followed the lower house on Wednesday to approve changes in the gun law that tighten requirements for owning a weapon following the worst mass killing in the nation’s history. The legislation now must be signed by President Petr Pavel before becoming law, which is expected. On Dec. 22, a lone shooter killed 14 people and wounded dozens before killing himself at a Charles University building in downtown Prague. The assailant was a 24-year-old student who had a proclivity for firearms and a license to own eight guns, including two long guns. Authorities said he had no criminal record and therefore did not attract the attention of the authorities. The lower house gave the green light to the new law on Jan 26. Under the new law, gun owners would have to undergo a medical check every five years, not every 10 years, as they do now. Businesses would be required to report suspicious purchases of guns and ammunition to the police, while doctors would gain access to databases to find out if their patients are gun owners. Parliamentary debate on the legislation had already begun before that shooting. Interior Minister Vit Rakusan said...
The Czech Republic will have a brand-new free-to-air TV channel next month as Warner TV launches on 2 April. It will be managed as part of the local Czech linear Warner Bros. Discovery portfolio. Vaclav Palecek, Distribution and Business Development at Warner Bros. Discovery in the Czech Republic & Slovakia, said: “Starting April, Czech viewers will be able to enjoy the wide range of content, including movies and series, on Warner TV. We are close to launching our first free-to-air channel in the market and we will bring a great content library on-air for all the viewers, from classical films to popular series.” Warner TV’s television signal will be distributed by Ceské Radiokomunikace. In the Czech Republic, Warner Bros. Discovery operates 18 pay-TV linear channels (Discovery, Eurosport 1, Eurosport 2, Eurosport 4K, HGTV, TLC, Travel Channel, Investigation Discovery, Cartoon Network, Cartoonito, CNN, Food Network, Animal Planet, HBO & HBO 2 & HBO 3, Cinemax & Cinemax 2) and the HBO Max streaming platform. Last March, Radiokomunikace started broadcasting the AMC channel and later the domestic channel A11. In December they launched Hit TV and Sporty TV. Currently, České Radiokomunikace operates over three dozen TV channels.
Czech banks are urging customers to think twice before using Euronet ATMs, citing concerns over unclear fees charged for displaying account balances. Reporter Janek Rubes has been raising concerns about Euronet’s practices for some time, and recently highlighted a new fee that some customers may be unknowingly paying. Several banks are advising against using Euronet ATMs due to a fee charged for displaying account balances, even if the customer doesn’t request it. Ondřej Kozák, director of Euronet ČR, claims the banks themselves set these fees, and Euronet has no control over them. However, the banks argue that Euronet’s service is not transparent to their customers. In a recent video, Rubes pointed out that Euronet ATMs charge customers for balance information without displaying it after they enter their PIN. Customers are presented with two options: “Cash & Balance” and “Other.” Selecting “Cash & Balance” under the assumption it simply displays the balance triggers a fee before any money is withdrawn. “We introduced this feature in good faith, believing it would be convenient for customers to see their balance along with their withdrawal,” said Kozak. “Euronet doesn’t charge for this service. Fees are always determined by the customer’s bank, and in...
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