Hundreds of firefighters are continuing their efforts to tackle a wildfire that has been burning in the Czech Republic’s Bohemia Switzerland National Park for a week. So far around 1100 hectares have been destroyed. Some 700 emergency service workers are on the scene, including Swedish firefighters who arrived in the Czech Republic on Friday to help using firefighting aircraft. Slovakia, Poland and Italy have also been assisting. A firefighter was seriously injured while working at the fire on Saturday afternoon after he fell off a cliff. A helicopter transported him to the hospital. He is not in life-threatening danger. Two other firefighters were also injured the same day and taken to seek medical attention. According to Martina Gotzová, the spokesperson for the Hradec Kralove region’s fire brigade, they have deployed all the aviation equipment they have to tackle the fires. This includes six helicopters and five aeroplanes. However, there is some optimism. A few areas have been given the all clear and the 500 people who had to evacuate Vysoká Lípa have been allowed to return. The local fire brigade is also making progress in reducing the blazes. In Germany’s nearby Saxon Switzerland natural reserve, authorities are also dealing with fires....
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 board of the Czech National Bank will most likely decide to keep the base interest rate at 7 percent at a meeting scheduled for next Thursday. However, the situation is hard to call and some predict that a further rise may in fact be announced. The current interest rate is the highest seen in the country since 1999. . The average old-age pension could increase by about CZK 850, regularly indexed from January. With child-raising bonuses, it could total around CZK 19,500. According to the Labour Minister Marian Jurečka, it will be clear in September how much of the added amount should go to the solidarity and merit part of the pension. The Municipal Court in Prague declared bankruptcy on the property of Čezeta Motors. The company produces electric scooters Čezeta in Prostějov and has been in insolvency proceedings since last February due to millions of dollars in debts. The European Commission has approved a multi-year €152 million Interreg program meant to foster cooperation and development between the German state of Saxony...
Fire crews are continuing to battle a blaze in eastern Germany’s Saxon Switzerland national park after the forest fire spread further. Thomas Kunz, spokesman for the regional council of the Saxon Switzerland park, said on Friday that pockets of fire were discovered on Thursday evening and extinguished beyond the Kirnitzsch tributary to the River Elbe, which firefighters had hoped would act as an natural barrier to the fire. More than 220 firefighters were battling the flames in the morning, with additional forces expected to arrive from other parts of the country during the day. Seven firefighting helicopters are deployed with two helicopters carrying out reconnaissance flights with thermal imaging cameras. Two more helicopters will be sent over the weekend to help extinguish the flames, and satellite images will be evaluated. Some 250 hectares of forested area are burning, according to the authorities. A fire in southern Brandenburg, also in the country’s east, is now under control, local authorities said. It prompted the evacuation of around 700 people earlier this week. Rain showers on Saturday were not enough to keep the flames at bay. The fire broke out last weekend in the Bohemian Switzerland national park in the Czech Republic and...
Over 120 meters of surface, three and a half days of work, seventy cans of paint. The new mural in Karlín is ready. In Křižíkova Street, the artist Michal Škapa completed a giant mural on the facade of house number 61. It is the second mural that appeared on the streets of Prague as part of the Wall Street Festival. Three more will be added to the city during the summer, one of which will again be created by Skapa alias Tron. “I really liked the wall here, so I wanted to do create something new. It was a great wall for a more detailed painting like this. I am glad that it is in Karlín, in this great location. It’s a very busy street and I have a personal relationship with that place,” Škapa said. He started work on the forklift on Monday, and finished it on Thursday. “We start at night and use a projector to outline the reference points in one color on the wall. The next day, we started painting and coating, making shapes, adding other elements,” Škapa described, adding that he used about seventy cans of paint for the mural. During the Wall Street festival,...
Slovak soldiers will join the international effort to extinguish the fire that’s been raging in the Czech Switzerland National Park. On Thursday in Bratislava, the government approved the dispatch of 30 members of the Slovak Armed Forces for the purpose of humanitarian aid in managing the fires and eliminating their consequences. They will go to the Czech Republic together with a Black Hawk UH-60M helicopter and appropriate equipment. Slovak Defense Minister Jaroslav Naď believes that the situation in Czech Switzerland will be under control within a short time. The Black Hawk helicopter arrived at the deployment site yesterday, July 29. An area of approximately 1,000 hectares is burning in the Czech Switzerland National Park, and Slovak firefighters are already participating in the effort to extinguish it, who were sent along with a helicopter provided by the Interior Ministry. Five helicopters and eight helicopters are also being used to combat the fire, which has been contained to a certain area in the national park. At one point smoke from the fire could be smelled in Prague and other parts of Czechia. Officials say human carelessness appears the most likely cause. The weather, especially the changing direction of the wind, has complicated...
For Czechs, buying used goods has typically been taboo and while second-hand stores aren’t uncommon, few people readily admit to shopping in them. “People usually share their enjoyment of shopping for second-hand clothes only with a circle of family and close friends,” concluded a 2019 study on Czech shopping habits, authored by the analyst Marketa Rulikova. “Not wearing brand new (and brand-named) garments also suggests, for many Czechs, an inability to provide for the family, a too familiar distress remembered from the socialist past.” But the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, topped by spiralling inflation and energy prices, has led to a second-hand shopping spree. “We have never had such takings as in these past few months,” says Monika van den Berg, of Moment Czech Republic, an NGO that runs several second-hand, charity shops across the country. Second-hand sales have increased threefold nationwide since last year, the Association of Social Responsibility, an industry body, told local media earlier this month. What’s changed? Some think it’s taste. Czechs are increasingly eco-conscious while buying second-hand often means quality. “We think that the boom is partly caused by our offer,” says van den Berg. “We sell clothing of the best quality and...
Czech Republic police have confiscated a Ferrari 458 from criminals and revamped it into a police car that can drive up to 202 miles per hour. The car will aid police in fighting crime nationwide, or potentially even abroad. Police who have undergone special training will be operating the car. Before its seizure, the 2011 Ferrari 458 Italia (Type F142) originally had a racing red color. However, the car has now been revamped with stripes of blue and yellow paint over a gray base, with new flashing lights mounted on the car roof. “It used to serve criminals, now it will protect Czech roads. What are we talking about? Today, a new special in the colors of the Police of the Czech Republic—Ferrari F 142 – 458 Italia—begins its service,” police said in a statement. “The vehicle will be deployed against the most aggressive drivers on Czech highways, when chasing stolen vehicles or during surveillance at the locations of reported tuning events.” Due to being a formerly criminal asset, the Ferrari was bought by the Czech police for a price much cheaper than market value. “This vehicle is one of many seized as criminal property each year,” said police. “Thanks to the excellent work of our...
Czech police cars and a Prague tram in an American film. The action blockbuster The Gray Man is the number one most watched title on Netflix. The attempt at a “Mabe-by-Netflix” James Bond builds primarily on spectacular and spectacular action dominated by Prague locations. The filmmakers, led by Avengers directors Joe and Anthony Russo, left nearly CZK 300 million in Prague during the fortnight-long shoot, according to Collider magazine. The espionage thriller set in the US Secret Service, starring Ryan Gosling, Chris Evans and Ana de Armas, had a budget of $200 million and was produced by Stillking Films for the Czech side. Prague has portrayed Bangkok, Vienna, Berlin, but also itself. You will see some scenes here: the Vítkov Memorial, the Square of the Republic, the Trade Fair Palace and the Dukla Heroes’ Avenue. “A mysterious CIA agent uncovers secrets that could destroy the agency. A former colleague gone mad then puts a bounty on his head and chases him around the world,” Netflix beckons with its new action-packed masterpiece that’s shaking up social media. “One of the biggest and most impressive of the nine incredible action sequences takes place in Prague. In the sequence you have Gosling under...
The new voice of Prague public transport will be the actor and voiceover artist Jan Vondráček, who is known for dubbing in the series “The Simpson”. Actor and dubber Vondráček also won the iDNES.cz reader’s poll, with 62 percent of people voting for him. The results of the survey were announced by Deputy Mayor for Transport Adam Scheinherr. “The people of Prague have decided on the new voice of Prague’s buses and trams. It will be the dubber, broadcaster, and actor Jan Vondráček. I wish Mr. Vondráček good luck in his new job”, he tweeted. A recording with his voice is available here. Vondráček and The Simpsons or The Mentalist The actor has had countless dubbing roles, but the most famous are probably two – the character of the pub owner Moe from the American TV series The Simpsons and the role of Patrick Jane in the TV series The Mentalist. In the poll, which was launched in May and ended in June, ladies and gentlemen were represented by two votes each. “They will probably seem familiar to you, you have heard them in dubbing or at theatre performances”, the Prague City Transport Company said, adding that it would reveal their...
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. Two Czech citizens have been found dead in the French Alps. The French police found their bodies around noon on Thursday at the bottom of an approximately 30-meter-deep crack on the north face of the Barre des Écrins, the highest mountain in the Dauphiné Alps, at an altitude of approximately 3,900 meters. . Four new cases of monkeypox were recorded in Prague on Thursday, the second highest number in one day so far. This brings the total number of confirmed cases in the Czech Republic up to 20. The increase in the sum for film incentives, as anchored in the draft amendment to the Czech state budget for 2022, will continue in 2023 and 2024, with the cap of 150 million crowns per film, which means a chance for more projects, Culture Minister Martin Baxa told media today. PM Petr Fiala bestowed the Karel Kramar Medal, the Czech prime minister’s award, on the outgoing Ukrainian ambassador Yevhen Perebyinis today. Perebyinis became the ambassador to the Czech Republic in 2017. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy dismissed him from the post a few weeks...
On Saturday, September 10 you can experience Americká street (and now also Záhřebská) differently. Zažít Americkou Jinak returns for its annual day full of concerts, workshops, theatre, dance, delicious food and refreshing cocktails from around the world. Come and experience the city from a different perspective- a fun, international multicultural street party awaits you. Stalls will be there to tempt and dine you with their delicious cuisines. Americká has many international restaurants so it’s the perfect location to try different foods. Throughout the street, you will also find several stands of non-profit organizations that you can support. Other stores will be open so there is the opportunity to buy a memento from your day out at Americká Street Festival. Among other activities, the neighborhood festival will include a traditional multicultural festival – the Mexican ‘LA CALLE MEXICANA’. Look forward to a great Mexican party with traditional decorations, authentic Mexican food and refreshing cocktails with 100% agave tequila and mezcal. There will also be an entertainment program with traditional music and folk dances, as well as other activities for both parents and children. Throughout the day you can sample delicious street food from Black Sheep bar, Las Adelitas, Pink Floyd Café, Sapori, La Cave d’Adrien, and many...
A large wildfire on the German-Czech border is spreading and threatening to destroy a forested national park popular with tourists. The fire in the region called Bohemian Switzerland on the Czech side and the Saxon Switzerland National Park on the German side, which started at the weekend, had seemed to be under control but spread again early on Thursday, German news agency dpa reported. Hundreds of firefighters on both sides of the border, with help from neighbouring Poland and Slovakia, were battling the flames, while local authorities warned tourists to stay away. About 250 hectares of forest are currently burning and eight firefighting helicopters were helping to douse the flames, dpa reported. Another large forest fire in the Elbe-Elster district in the eastern German state of Brandenburg also flared up again on Wednesday evening, local authorities said. Fire brigades have been on the scene since Sunday with officials saying the wildfire, which has led to evacuations and the destruction of some homes, was most likely caused by human carelessness. Earlier in the week smoke from the fire could be smelled over large parts of the Czech Republic, including Prague, which is 100 kilometres away from the national park. Germany’s minister...
Don’t have an account? Register
Already have an account? Log In
How Would You Like to Promote Your Business? PR ArticleDisplay bannersVideo productionNewsletter adsJob ListingsInfluencer Marketing
Your Email
We will come back to you within 24 hours with our proporsal
