On November 16, buildings in Prague and across the country will be lit for World Prematurity Day. The list of buildings include the Dancing House in Prague, Špilberk Castle and Mahen Theater in Brno, Nová Karolína shopping mall and the Mining University in Ostrava, the Town Hall in České Budějovice, the New Stage of the JK Tyl Theater in Plzeň, Bečov Chateau, the Karlovy Vary Museum, and the 14|15 Baťa Institute in Zlín. Dancing House in purple. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), every year, an estimated 15 million babies (one in 10) are born preterm (before 37 completed weeks of gestation), and this number is rising. The world health body says preterm birth occurs for a variety of reasons. Most preterm births happen spontaneously, but some are due to early induction of labor or caesarean birth, whether for medical or non-medical reasons. Common causes of preterm birth include multiple pregnancies, infections and chronic conditions such as diabetes and high blood pressure; however, often no cause is identified. There could also be a genetic influence. Babies who survive an early birth can face serious health challenges and are at risk for lifelong disabilities including breathing problems, vision loss, cerebral palsy,...
YouTube has long been setting the scene for popular fads and trends, the newest of which is the PRIME energy drink founded by world-famous YouTubers Logan Paul and Olajide William Olayinka, otherwise known as KSI. The energy drink has been promoted extensively by the original creators, as well as other notable personalities from the sports world, however, its suitability for children and composition has raised concerns. It is not just the high content of caffeine, according to a practitioner, but also the large dose of potassium which poses risks. Excessive intake of it could cause a range of health issues such as heart problems, muscle weakness, and overall fatigue. “A lot of my friends drink it, it is a hit in the classroom and at school,” said twelve-year-old Matouš, who attends secondary school to iDNES. Some children even exchange and sell the cans with one another and others drink the energy drink regularly, “I think it is the most popular energy drink in elementary schools right now” adds Matouš. The reason for the popularity of the drink is evident to Matouš, as the brand is promoted by celebrities with millions of followers, especially children. Sweetened coconut water worth CZK...
The Czech Republic has dropped down the rankings of English proficiency since last year, ranking 26th of 113 countries in EF Education First’s annual English Proficiency Index (EF EPI), down from 23rd in 2022. The Czech Republic is still categorised among countries with ‘very high’ proficiency in the English language, but ranks below all its neighbours; Austria is 3rd, Germany 10th, Poland 13th and Slovakia 18th. Among European countries, the Czech Republic ranks 21st. The Netherlands tops the rankings, as last year. Sabina Wyrob, from the Czech office of EF Education First, said Czech children have far fewer private language lessons than children in other European countries. She said the online teaching during the coronavirus pandemic also affected their English skills, as Czech children did not actively use the language and did not try to communicate. Schools and students are trying to catch up on what was missed, but are still not moving forward. Wyrob pointed out that Slovakia had improved its position in the rankings despite the pandemic, even though English skills in Slovakia had been worse than in the Czech Republic until 2020. 2,400 people were tested in the Czech Republic for this year’s rankings. At the regional...
Czech start-up Bene Meat Technologies is the first to win European Union registration for laboratory-grown meat for use in pet food and plans to boost production to make up to several metric tons per day next year, the company said on Wednesday. A number of firms are racing globally to develop commercially viable lab-grown meat and fish products to appeal to consumers concerned about ethical issues and the environmental impact of livestock farming, a major source of greenhouse gas emissions. In the United States, Upside Foods and Good Meat won regulatory approval in June for their so-called cultivated meat, made from animal cells, for human consumption, a second place after Singapore. But large-scale production is yet to begin. Bene Meat has turned its focus to the pet food sector to deliver a product that can be marketed to global pet food makers as a raw material for inclusion in their final products. The product received certification in the European Feed Materials Register, the company said. Bene Meat next plans to test how the product tastes to animals, while scaling up production at its current Prague lab and at new premises it is looking for. The start-up, set up in 2020...
If you are planning to visit a different country, learning a few words and phrases can make things a lot easier. Knowing the language and even different dialects could also help you integrate better if you choose to move. But where in Europe is it easiest to learn the local language? Learning platform Preply looked at 29 European countries to discover which were the easiest to visit and live in when it comes to languages. They ranked the nations from most challenging to least based on criteria including their English proficiency scores, native languages, accents, dialects and the average cost of a language lesson. What are the least challenging countries for languages? Serbia comes in third place thanks to its cheap language lessons. These cost on average €19 per session. It has just two official languages, Serbian and Albanian. When it comes to dialects and accents, eight in total are recognized including Shtokavian, Eastern Herzegovina and Šumadija–Vojvodina. Its lowest score came in English proficiency where it came 13th out of the 29 countries analysed. In joint third place is Portugal, mostly due to its only spoken language being Portuguese. But, if you are thinking of visiting or moving there, there are ten...
The European Investment Bank (EIB) has signed its largest-ever loan agreement in the Czech Republic, with a CZK 24 billion contract with the Ministry of Finance to support the upgrade of the country’s rail network. The loan will finance the modernisation and retrofit of trans-European networks (TEN-T) railway lines in the country, enabling the deployment of the European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS). EIB Vice-President Kris Peeters: “This is the largest EIB loan ever signed in the Czech Republic and the funds will greatly benefit rail transport usage in the country.” This investment is expected to improve rail connectivity, increase maximum speeds and capacity, and promote a modal shift from road to rail, reducing emissions and contributing to sustainable transport in line with EU objectives. In addition, the loan will support improvements to level crossings, retrofit maintenance vehicles with ERTMS equipment, strengthen cyber-security, and enhance accessibility for people with reduced mobility and those traveling with children. “The use of a loan from the European Investment Bank is the most economical and efficient solution to obtain funds for a strategic investment such as the digitalisation and automation of railway transportation.”, commented Czech minister of finance Zbyněk Stanjura. 🇨🇿🇪🇺With @MinFinCZ, we support...
The northern lights (or aurora borealis) visual phenomenon was partially visible in the Czech Republic after dark this afternoon and will be in the early evening, according to the Czech Hydrometeorological Institute (ČHMÚ). A solar eruption earlier in the day disrupted Earth’s geomagnetic field, raising hopes for aurora sightings. Several users have already shared their catches on social network X. People have taken photos of the clearly visible aurora near Říčany, in Ostrava or in Vysočina. #polarnizare #Auroraborealis #bilovicenadsvitavou pic.twitter.com/hwuYA2EpZ3 — Petr Sycha (@petr_sycha) November 5, 2023 Tehov u Rican, prave ted. pic.twitter.com/euO4dcEObJ — Ondra (@SkalaOndra) November 5, 2023 Experts say it’s best to view the aurora from an open horizon to the north, preferably in the mountains or other places where the sky is dark. Residents of areas with clear, cloudless skies will have the best chance of observing. “You will have a better chance if you live in the southern regions of the Czech Republic – southern Bohemia, Vysočina and southern Moravia,” they added. In northern countries, auroras are visible across the sky, but in the Czech Republic, they appear low on the northern horizon, so an inexperienced observer may mistake them for the glow of...
The District Court for Prague 3 today sentenced former MP Dominik Feri to three years in prison for two rapes and one attempted rape. He was found guilty on all counts. The decision is not final, but Feri is expected to appeal it to the Prague City Court. The former politician has repeatedly denied his guilt. “The court established that the defendant committed sexual violence against all three victims,” said Judge Lenka Hájková. The prosecutor accused Feri of three acts, two of which she said occurred in March and November 2016 at his Prague 3 apartment. One of the girls was 17 years old at the time, and the prosecutor alleges that Feri gave her a soft drink when she wanted to leave, after which she became “partially unconscious.” Mr. Feri – then a high-profile member of the TOP 09 party – resigned in 2021 after media outlets carried a series of allegations of sexual impropriety against him. The third incident happened in 2018, according to the prosecution, when Feri invited a woman to the Chamber of Deputies for a possible internship. Investigators stated that he attempted to kiss and grope the woman, but she managed to leave. The prosecution...
Prague Morning has launched a brand new WhatsApp Channel, bringing you the latest breaking news, and dayly top headlines. To sign up for our free service all you need to do is follow the simple steps below: If you are reading on your mobile phone – in our app or in a web browser – you can sign up by pressing this invite link. If you are reading on desktop you can use your phone to scan the QR code above. Once you’ve scanned the code, you’ll be taken to a page to join our channel. Channels appear under ‘Updates’ tab. On an iPhone, that’s at bottom-left of the menu bar, while Android users will find it in the middle at the top of the screen. If you can’t find the tab on your device try updating the app. You will then need to close WhatsApp and then open it again. If you would to receive notifications from Prague Morning’s WhatsApp Channel you will need to unmute it by pressing the bell at the top of the Channel. You can also mute and unmute by toggling the button under ‘Channel information’. You can navigate here by pressing on...
In this interview, we uncover the story of a Czech fintech startup revolutionizing healthcare access for foreigners. Frenkee is a Czech fintech startup built on years of experience in distributing financial products and developing services using modern technologies. It aids foreigners residing in the Czech Republic in securing health insurance online and in English. Currently, it operates in the Czech Republic and Slovakia, with the aim of demonstrating that even negotiations involving financial products can be conducted fairly and with flair. Here you can find our interview with Frenkee’s founder, Jiří Hluchý. Q: Why and how was the Frenkee platform created? The development of Frenkee began in 2019, culminating in a live launch in early 2022. The origins date back to the chytrecestovko.cz app, which originally helped travellers select and arrange suitable travel insurance based on their planned activities and holiday destinations. With time, however, other opportunities in the digital financial world became apparent, leading to the creation of a comprehensive financial e-commerce ecosystem. Frenkee leverages its knowledge and queries to provide guidance and facilitate customers to find the optimal solution for their needs. Q: Are expats using Frenkee more interested in Insurance Loans or Investments? So far, foreigners are...
The following two weeks will develop at least two powerful Atlantic cyclones impacting Western Europe. A powerful storm Ciaran will bring violent winds, huge amounts of rain, and increasing flooding. The UK, Ireland, France, and Benelux will be in the hot spot this week and the next weekend. The unusual weather pattern established over the North Atlantic and Europe over the last few weeks will continue and worsen as we head into November. The historically warm North Atlantic ocean water temperatures will support violent extratropical storm development towards Europe. The first Atlantic storm Ciaran is coming up Thursday this week, with rapid cyclogenesis occurring before the major impact with violent, hurricane-force winds and heavy rain squalls blast into Ireland, the UK, the English Channel, northern France, and Benelux on Thursday. Storm Ciarán will also affect the Czech Republic with strong south-easterly winds, particularly in the eastern half of the country, later on Thursday and into the night on Friday. “The maximum wind gusts should be between 55 and 70 kilometres per hour, and around 90 kilometres per hour in higher and mountainous areas,” the CNMI said, adding that the forecast would be refined according to the situation.
The first-ever flight of Czechoslovak air carrier ČSA took off on October 29, 1923. On board the first-ever flight of Czechoslovak State Airlines – which was from Prague to Bratislava – were pilot Karel Brabenec and the editor of the Brno-based daily Lidové noviny Václav König. In the early 1990’s, it was operating five daily flights between the two cities, before the country split in 1993. Facing, among other challenges, the development of high-speed railways, the air route was eventually closed in 2011 for two years but reopened in 2013, along with the opening of a direct route between Bratislava and Kosice. The early years of Czech Airlines were marked by significant growth, with the airline quickly expanding its routes and fleet. During World War II, Czech Airlines was nationalized and temporarily ceased operations, but resumed services after the war. In the post-war period, Czech Airlines continued to expand its route network, adding destinations in Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. The airline also modernized its fleet, introducing jet aircraft in the 1960s and 1970s. By the 1980s, Czech Airlines had become one of the largest airlines in Eastern Europe, serving over 50 destinations and carrying millions of passengers annually....
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