Yesterday, August 2, the European Commission granted approval to a program aimed at bolstering the Czech railways with a substantial sum of nine billion CZK. The primary focus of these funds will be the modernization of Czech railways, with particular attention to ensuring interoperability, which translates to safe and uninterrupted operations. This support will benefit railway carriers and the Railway Administration until July 2028. The approved program encompasses five sub-programs, each targeting different aspects of railway modernization. One such initiative aims to support the implementation of an automatic digital coupler (DAC), replacing traditional technology and significantly enhancing the automation of freight transport on rails. Among the other sub-programs are the modernization of Czech railway vehicles to the European Train Control System (ETCS) and the introduction of the GSM-R communication system, among others. This program builds upon prior successful measures assessed positively by the European Commission in 2017 and extended in 2020. The project holds immense significance in terms of modernization, heightened railway transport safety, and promoting economic development in regions dependent on railway services. The approval of this program marks a momentous step for Czech railways and the entire transport sector within the country.
The Miners, the largest specialty coffee chain in the Czech Republic, launched their first-of-its-kind Miners Bakery in Karlin in late June 2023. Intrigued by this unique concept, we couldn’t wait to explore it. Entering the coffee shop, you can see the most significant difference between the spot — the open kitchen. Egor Kolpakov, Miners CEO, says that transparency is the main point of such interior decisions. Although, you can spot the similar format of the Miners roastery, found on the DOCK facility. Transparency is the key element of the Miners, Egor says. [”This story is about the transparency overall… I have never seen a business in Czechia where you can find, for instance, an owner-made Telegram channel, where all the insights can be found…”] Raising the trust among the customers helps to maintain sustainable and long-running business, Egor adds. As before, you can find Miners-made production on-site, such as nitro coffee and compostable coffee capsules. Besides, at Miners Karlin, you can find branded reusable coffee bamboo cups, which became an expansion of their merch. Another important aspect Miners Karlin will be dealing with is fresh baked goods delivery across all our facilities, Egor says. While other cafés will be closed,...
The European Union’s unemployment rate remained stable at its historic low of 5.9% in June, according to Eurostat. The unemployment rate for the 20 countries using the euro currency meanwhile stood at 6.4%, the EU’s statistics office said on Tuesday. This means that 12.802 million people in the EU, 10.814 million of them in the eurozone, were unemployed in June 2023. The unemployment rate has steadily declined across the EU since the peak of the pandemic in 2020. Women are more likely than their male counterparts to be out of work in the EU with respective unemployment rates of 6.1% and 5.7%. How EU countries compare Spain continued to register the highest unemployment rate across EU countries in June at 11.7%, followed by Greece at 11.1%. At the other end of the spectrum, Malta registered the lowest unemployment rate at 2.6%, followed by Czechia and Poland, both at 2.7%. Most EU countries saw the unemployment rate stay stable or dip slightly from May, but Bulgaria, Czechia, Croatia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Austria, and Finland all saw the monthly rate increase slightly. Youth unemployment In June 2023, 2.739 million young persons (under 25) were unemployed in the EU, of whom 2.204 million were...
Zoo Prague is celebrating one of its greatest achievements in history! The local keepers have managed to raise a female Chinese pangolin. On August 2, 2023, Prague Zoo proudly celebrates Šiška’s half-year birthday. The female pangolin now weighs over 1.7 kilograms, which is 12 times more than at birth. Soon, her mother won’t be able to carry her on her back, and Šiška (Pinecone) will climb among the branches of the Indonesian jungle exhibit. Currently, the pangolin cub is no longer nursing from her mother but is being fed a special mash made primarily from bee larvae. The raising of Šiška is thus considered completed. Her upbringing, however, was far from simple. The cub that is the first pangolin born in Europe faced challenges right after birth. Her mother, Run Hou Tang, did not have enough maternal milk, so keepers had to provide the baby pangolin with substitute food for kittens. In the end, everything turned out well, and the mother was able to feed Šiška herself. The successful raising of Šiška is crucial for Prague Zoo not only because it was accompanied by numerous obstacles but also because she is the first pangolin cub raised in Europe. Moreover, pangolins...
The fate of Mucha’s Slav Epic hangs in the balance as a draft agreement with the painter’s descendants is now being considered. The agreement aims to secure a location for the Slavic Epic within the Savarin Palace near Wenceslas Square. Jiří Pospíšil (TOP 09), Deputy Mayor of Prague, led the negotiations with the heirs of Alfons Mucha and the Crestyl company, but he refrained from disclosing the specifics until the agreement is officially approved. The proposal is currently undergoing a comment procedure within the municipality before Pospíšil plans to present it to the city council in early September. The Slavic Epic is a significant series of 20 large canvases that Alfons Mucha devoted 18 years to creating, starting in 1910. His generous donation of the artwork to Prague was made on the condition that an appropriate exhibition space would be provided, although no specific timeframe was stipulated. This condition has become the subject of contention in court, where John Mucha – the grandson of the famous Czech Art Nouveau painter – claims that Prague has failed to meet the requirement. In the meantime, the city council has authorized the loan of the canvases to the chateau in Moravské Krumlov, where...
Shared electric scooters in Prague 1 will soon be restricted to designated parking spaces, starting from September. The decision comes as a response to the issues arising from customers leaving e-scooters in inappropriate locations, including sidewalks and other public areas. The plan entails creating approximately 140 designated spots for scooter parking, with each location capable of accommodating up to 10 scooters. Additionally, a monthly fee for each scooter will be collected from the operators. Prague City successfully negotiated this agreement with all four vehicle operators, namely Lime, Bolt, Nextbike, and Rekola. As of now, e-scooters can be left anywhere within the operators’ designated zones, leading to disorderly parking practices. The city hall has already constructed around 40 designated parking areas for scooters, and this number is expected to increase to 70 by the end of the holiday season. Most of these spots will be strategically placed near pedestrian crossings, while an additional 70 locations, known as virtual spots, will not have any signage, ensuring that scooters won’t impede the flow of traffic. During the peak season, the downtown area is populated with approximately 2,500 scooters, a number expected to decrease to 1,500 once the new regulations are adhered to. Operators...
The Czech Republic is looking to expand its use of nuclear power, with utility CEZ launching another tender looking for companies to bid on construction of new reactors and generators at the country’s two existing nuclear power stations. The tenders come as a new research reactor, designed as a teaching tool for nuclear engineering students, has entered service in the country. The VR-2 research reactor was built in about a year, and comes online just less than a decade after the project was launched in 2014 by the Faculty of Nuclear Sciences and Physical Engineering (FNSPE) at the Czech Technical University (CTU) in Prague. CTU said the VR-2 reactor is located “in the same reactor hall as the VR-1,” a lightwater, zero-power research reactor using enriched uranium that has operated since 1990. CEZ in May of this year launched a tender to add two generators to the Temelin Nuclear Power Station, a 2,056-MW facility with two VVER-1000 units designed by Russia’s Gidropress. The units came online in 2000 and 2002. CEZ said its wants construction of the new generators at Temelin, representing an investment of about $160 million, to take place between 2028 and 2030. CEZ in March 2022 announced...
The Czech Interior Ministry is set to extend temporary protection for Ukrainian refugees, offering them the possibility to remain in the country for another year until the end of March 2025. The proposed amendment, known as lex Ukraine, was presented today for inter-ministerial comments. This extension grants refugees access to public health insurance, education, and job opportunities. The authors of the proposal stress that due to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, it is improbable for these individuals to return home anytime soon. Working groups within the EU are reportedly supportive of extending temporary protection until March 2025. A political decision at the EU level is expected by the end of October. However, given the timeframe, the legislative process cannot wait for the official decision of the Council of the European Union, necessitating the timing of the amendment. Approximately half a million Ukrainian refugees have already been granted temporary protection in the Czech Republic, with about one-third of them having returned to their home country. As of June 18 this year, 344,800 people, primarily women and children, have been granted protection visas from Ukraine. Earlier reports indicate that around one-third of the refugees are children and young people under 18, while...
Tourism in Prague is making a strong recovery, approaching pre-Covid levels. František Cipro, director of Prague City Tourism (PCT), reported that this year, the number of tourists could reach 85 percent of the pre-Covid year in 2019, when almost eight million tourists visited the capital. Deputy Mayor Jiří Pospíšil (TOP 09) added that it may take about three more years for the number of visitors to Prague to fully reach the pre-pandemic level. The Covid-19 epidemic caused a significant decline in tourism, with a 73 percent drop in visitors in 2020. However, the city’s efforts, together with PCT, to promote domestic tourism have been successful, leading to an increase in the number of Czech tourists in the last year. In 2020, Prague welcomed 2.18 million tourists, about 27 percent of the number in 2019. However, the domestic tourism campaign led to a surge in tourists, reaching 5.98 million last year. Mr. Cipro mentioned that, based on their findings, they expect about 85 percent of the 2019 visitor numbers this year, although the exact figures for July are not available yet. Looking ahead, Prague anticipates an uptick in visitors with the opening of direct air links from Seoul and Taipei. However,...
The mayor of Brno, Markéta Vaňková of the Civic Democrats, says she is ready to resign from the post in connection with a photograph of her and a white powder reminiscent of cocaine. Speculations about the substance being cocaine have surfaced, yet the photo’s authenticity remains unclear, with some claiming it might be a photo-montage. When asked about the photo on Monday, Vaňková stated that she was uncertain about its genuineness. Additionally, she admitted to occasionally consuming the legal substance HHC. The photo in question emerged on a Facebook account named “It’s a good thing Brno wasn’t hit by a car,” where Mayor Vaňková is seen standing alongside a group of individuals, including Brno city councillor Robert Kerndl, with a mobile phone containing white powder. Vaňková mentioned in an interview with TN.cz on Monday evening that she couldn’t determine the content of the powder or its authenticity. She further acknowledged that a similar situation might have occurred two or three years ago during a social event that went on late into the night. She told the station that if her colleagues at Brno City Hall believed she should quit she would do so. In concluding her statement, Vaňková disclosed her...
BNI, the world’s leading business networking organization, announced the highly anticipated Summer Networking Evening in Prague. This event aims to bring together entrepreneurial minds from the Czech Republic and abroad for an evening of networking, inspiration, and business growth. Scheduled to take place on August 17 th, at Spojka Karlin, the BNI Summer Networking Evening promises to be a gathering of like-minded individuals who are eager to unlock new opportunities, forge valuable connections, and propel their businesses to new heights. With the motto “Connect, Collaborate, Succeed,” the BNI Summer Networking Evening offers a comprehensive program designed to facilitate interactions and drive impactful business outcomes. The evening will kick off with a brief introduction session, providing each participant with an opportunity to showcase their entrepreneurial ventures and connect with fellow attendees. To maximize networking opportunities, the event will feature two highly interactive sessions of guided speed networking. These focused sessions will allow guests to delve deeper into specific aspects of their businesses, exchange ideas, and establish valuable contacts within their industries. “We are thrilled and very much looking forward to the Summer Networking Evening” said Diana Masopust, National Director at BNI Czech Republic. “This event represents a unique opportunity for entrepreneurs...
The Railway Administration recently unveiled visualizations of the upcoming Prague-Bubny railway station, set to be completed within two years. The station will be an essential component of a new district that is planned for the area. By 2025, the new station building will be fully constructed. Looking further ahead, Bubny has grand plans for the future, envisioning a substantial district development by 2040, which will also include a new railway line connecting the area. However, before the district comes into existence, the focus is on the timely completion of the Prague-Bubny station, and construction has already commenced this year. The Railway Administration released new visualizations, demonstrating the progress made. Jiří Svoboda, the director general of the Railway Infrastructure Administration, provided updates on the station’s development, assuring that construction is proceeding smoothly and according to plan. Presently, construction workers are diligently working on the station’s foundation, employing various techniques like drilling and laying concrete. The modern and architecturally designed station by Jakub Cigler aims to enhance accessibility, fostering better connectivity with the city and facilitating seamless transfers to the metro and tram services. Apart from the station, there will be significant upgrades to the railway infrastructure. Specifically, the Prague-Bubny section will...
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