Russians traveling to the European Union will have to pay more and withstand additional bureaucracy to obtain a short-term visa, according to a compromise solution aimed at allaying member states’ differences on how far restrictions should go. The Czech government, which currently holds the rotating EU presidency, will propose fully suspending visa-facilitation agreements with Russia and Belarus at a meeting of foreign ministers in Prague next week, according to Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky. That move would fall short of a ban for tourists called for by members including Estonia in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. It would still allow Russians and Belarusians to apply for short-term entry. But it would increase processing times for visas, require more documentation and raise costs to 80 euros ($80) from 35 euros. Germany is among governments that have pushed back on the kind of across-the-board visa restrictions backed by the Baltic states, who have complained about an influx of Russian tourists this summer since Moscow lifted Covid-19 restrictions in July. Lipavsky acknowledged this week that member states were divided on this issue. “Receiving a European tourism visa is a privilege, not a human right,” Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas told journalists in Tallinn...
If your day doesn’t start until you’re up to speed on the latest headlines, then let us introduce you to our new morning fix. Czechia wants to help Georgia enter the EU, Czech ambassador to Georgia Petr Mikyska told CTK without specifying what steps the Czech Republic could take as the leading EU country this half-year. Georgia did not gain the status of the EU candidate at the summit this June, unlike Ukraine and Moldova. . The Czech Interior Ministry will give out 200 million crowns to regions for running their assistance centres of aid to Ukrainian refugees that the regions have so far funded from their own budgets, the ministry has written on its website. The Czech Republic has sent military material worth 3.8 billion crowns to Ukraine over the six months of the war and it is also helping the wounded soldiers. Along with the government help, the provisioning of the Ukrainian military has also been joined by Czech firms. Helicopters, tanks, howitzers and missile launchers delivered by the Czech Republic were used in Ukraine in the past months. The Czech Republic has sent 5.9 billion crowns to war refugees from Ukraine in the form...
On Wednesday, August 23, the Czech government approved the so-called “energy tariff” program. It consists of the provision of state assistance to all private consumers with the payment of bills for electricity, gas and heating. On average, households will receive CZK 15,000. Part of the program is the abolition of the mandatory fee for the development of renewable energy (poplatek za obnovitelné zdroje elektřiny). Consumers will be exempt from this fee until the end of 2023. In total, households with low energy consumption should receive CZK 11,000, those with medium consumption around CZK 14,000 to 15,000 and those with the highest rates of consumption CZK 18,000, Industry and Trade Minister Jozef Síkela said on Wednesday. Currently, the government is preparing a website with a special calculator, where residents can find out the amount of assistance specifically in their case. It will be launched on the website of the Czech Ministry of Industry and Trade. The energy-saving tariff will take the form of a subsidy from the state budget intended for energy suppliers, who will then reduce payments to households by this subsidy. Assistance will be provided gradually throughout the winter season. Consumers will notice the first discounts on invoices in...
For a country so rich in traditional handicrafts, it only makes sense that workshops would be offered in various crafts. Such is certainly the case in Prague, which has a number of workshops for adults as well as children. Kavarna Maluj If you would like to paint your own plate, bowl, serving tray, or mug – or a number of other pieces of pottery – this is the place to go. Parents often bring their children here so that the whole family (or a birthday party) can indulge in a painting session. You buy your own piece, then paint it according to your whim. Paints and brushes are provided, as well as stencils. If you’d rather create your own item before painting it, pottery lessons are also offered. Mosaic tile courses are another option at Kavarna Maluj. Corporate events can be arranged through the company, as well as various activities for children. Puppets in Prague Want to create your own marionette? Here’s your chance. This workshop takes 16 days. Students will learn not only to carve marionettes, but to paint them and design their costumes. In addition, they will make short films “starring” their marionettes, assisted by professional filmmakers. This...
The Czech Republic, which holds the European Union’s rotating presidency, is considering whether to call an emergency energy summit for the bloc to tackle soaring power prices, including discussing price caps, a government minister said on Wednesday. The EU is facing a surge in energy prices to record highs, leaving governments scrambling to find ways to help households and businesses feeling the impact. “The market has gotten out of control to a certain extent, market volatility stops reacting to good news and only bad news accumulates and pushes prices up,” Czech Industry Minster Jozef Sikela was quoted by CTK news agency as saying on Wednesday. “It is a problem in all of Europe, and of course if you have a European market and European problem, then the easiest solution can be found on the European level.” Sikela said setting a maximum price on the European level would be one possible measure, and that the Czech Republic would support this if the EU decided to look at this. Europe is facing a sharp rise in power bills driven by sky-rocketing gas prices, as war in Ukraine and European sanctions on Russia heighten concerns over the security of gas supplies. The Czech...
The atmosphere of magical dusk in Prague and thousands of excited runners and spectators. This is going to be an experience to remember. Birell Prague Grand Prix races will take place in the city center on September 3rd and no one should miss them. The 5 km adidas Women’s race will start at 6 pm, followed by the Birell 10K Race at 7:30 pm. “This is the most romantic running event of the season. Runners will enjoy Prague at dusk, so it will enchant them with its mystery. The 5 km adidas Women’s race is perhaps more of an experience than a race. The Birell 10K race brings together runners of all performance levels and also lets them experience something unique,” said Carlo Capalbo, president of the RunCzech organizing committee. The races return after a three-year break caused by the covid restrictions. Those who want to enjoy a sport performance combined with a spectacular experience should take the time to register for one of the two Birell Prague Grand Prix races on the evening of September 3rd. The first one is exclusively only for women. The five-kilometer course of the adidas Women´s race will be an enjoyable running party that participants...
Now an entertainment and shopping complex, the first business located in Lucerna Palace was a Japanese tea house. Because of the ‘geisha’ hostesses, the people of Prague believed the place to be a brothel. Throughout the 125 years of its existence, Lucerna Palace has been home to many restaurants and cafes, but one of the first was the Japanese teahouse Yokohama, created by the Hlouch brothers. The brothers traveled Japan extensively and were great admirers of the country. They first introduced their teahouse at the 1908 Jubilee Exhibition of the Chamber of Commerce and Trade at the Prague Exhibition Centre. Their idea was so popular that they decided to move the teahouse to the Lucerna building. Today, Lucerna Palace is an integral part of the Czech capital. It would likely be difficult to find someone across the country who has not heard of Lucerna. It was built 125 years ago by the grandfather of the first president of the Czech Republic, Václav Havel. Originally, he planned to build an ice hockey and winter sports stadium, but the land was too small for such a huge project, so he decided to build Lucerna. Construction took place over 14 years between 1907...
By attacking Ukraine, Russia gained nothing and lost virtually everything, said Czech President Miloš Zeman, considered one of the Kremlin’s biggest EU friends before the war. Zeman made the comment on Tuesday at a meeting with Czech diplomats at Prague Castle. He said Russia had suffered economic, human, material and reputational losses since invading Ukraine. Putin attacked Ukraine due to NATO’s surrender in Afghanistan, Zeman said, citing the explanation offered by Israeli President Yitzhak Herzog. The Czech president told the diplomats that practically everybody in Czech politics believed the war in Ukraine was Russian aggression. He said he fully supported supplying arms to the Kyiv government and praised the welcoming of Ukrainian refugees to Czechia. The central European country has welcomed some 400,000 people to date. Zeman said he believed Czechia would contribute to the reconstruction of Ukraine but said a long war of attrition could be expected. The government has already stated its ambition to lead the reconstruction efforts and has established a channel for Czech companies to participate. Until the war in Ukraine forced him to change his position, Zeman was considered one of the Kremlin’s greatest friends in the European Union. Notably, he advised Ukrainians to take...
Following outrage from Czech and international producers, the Czech Republic is bringing back its film production incentives – but at a reduced rate that’s being called a stop-gap measure until a new law can fully restore them. Czech President Milos Zeman has signed a new act to keep the incentives at 20% of rebate on cash spent – lagging behind the 30% rate now in play in Hungary and Poland and also trailing Slovakia and Germany, who each offer 25%. The new law also caps the fund available for rebates at about $6 million per project, a limit that the head of the Czech Film Commission, Pavlina Zipkova, says “is going against the pure sense of production incentives, which is to attract inward investment.” Zipkova adds that industry officials are at work on an improved version of the incentives law to create more competitive conditions to keep the recent flow of mega-productions such as Netflix’s “The Gray Man” and Amazon’s “The Wheel of Time” coming. Details of the draft measure are still under wraps but Zipkova says it’s expected to pass and take effect in 2024 ideally. This summer, with incentives depleted, Vratislav Slajer, the head of the country’s main producers’ association, the...
If your day doesn’t start until you’re up to speed on the latest headlines, then let us introduce you to our new morning fix. The Czech Health Ministry has signed a contract with the Pfizer US firm for the supplies of the Paxlovid antivirotic used for the treatment of COVID-19 until the end of this year and its first supply is to arrive in Czechia in September, ministry spokesman Ondrej Jakob told CT today. . The number of illegal migrants entering Czechia across the Slovak border has increased this year. Mostl of them are Syrians coming from Turkey and heading for Germany and Austria. The Interior Ministry increased the number of places in the refugee facilities and wants to tighten the penalties for people-smugglers. Frozen wages will be raised by 10 percent as of September not only for people working in the public sector but also for civil servants, trade union leaders and government party heads agreed today. This pay rise will cost the Czech state 1.1 billion crowns by the end of the year. The Czech Republic has sent 5.9 billion crowns to war refugees from Ukraine in the form of humanitarian benefits in the six...
Writing scientific papers has always been one of the major struggles for students of all majors. Yet, the assignments that cause the most confusion are the ones centered around tech topics. Clearly, if you are studying math or engineering, you may not be naturally good at writing. So, when assigned to craft a research paper on your subject, you can face quite a lot of challenges and misunderstandings. But, since there is no way to avoid this type of academic activity, you must learn how to deal with such tech assignments effectively. If you are not sure where to start, we have you covered! In this article, an expert research paper writer will share with you a step-by-step guide on how to handle college tech tasks on the example of an engineering research paper. Let’s dive in! Study the Assignment Thoroughly First of all, before you get straight to your tech assignment, you want to ensure that you know all the demands well. As a rule, when assigning you a task, teachers will provide you with a set of rules, requirements, and guidelines that explain what exactly is expected from you, as well as how your work will be assessed...
Czechia would like to be a leader in the post-war reconstruction of Ukraine, and the key task is to secure European finances for this purpose, Industry and Trade Minister Jozef Sikela said on Monday. According to Czech News Agency, Sikela, while talking to a meeting of Czech ambassadors in Prague, said the Ukrainian side presented a document defining their needs related to the renewal of critical infrastructure in the wake of the Russian invasion. Sikela added that his Ministry has established “Business Club Ukraine” as a platform to connect the information about Ukraine’s demand with Czech companies’ offers. “We are also cooperating with the Foreign Ministry on a joint document concerning the reconstruction,” he said. Other countries have started to help as well. In early August, the reconstruction of Ukrainian schools and kindergartens began during a visit by Estonian Foreign Minister Urmas Reinsalu to Kyiv. The Albanian capital of Tirana will also assist in rebuilding schools and providing expertise gained following the 2019 earthquake which destroyed hundreds of educational institutions. Moreover, last week President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Turkey’s Recep Tayyip Erdogan signed an agreement deal that will provide for the participation of the Turkish side in the reconstruction process of...
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