Czech acting Supreme Public Prosecutor Jaroslav Šaroch will ask the lower house of parliament to lift the immunity from prosecution of Prime Minister Andrej Babis (ANO) so he can be tried in the Stork’s Nest case, where he is alleged to have committed fraud with EU subsidies. This vote will take place after the constituent session of the new Chamber of Deputies on November 8, confirmed Ales Cimbala, a spokesperson for the Prague City Prosecutor’s Office, to the Czech News Agency. “The public prosecutor’s office is bound only by the Criminal Procedure Code in its activities, and for that reason it must now respect the fact that one of the accused persons has regained his parliamentary mandate and the immunity that goes with it. No criminal proceedings can currently be taken against this person,” Cimbala explained. Šaroch was originally supposed to make a decision on the police’s motion to file charges by October 20, but given that Babis regained his seat in the house after the general election with an MP´s immunity, his prosecution is now again suspended. Today’s decision to move to lift Babis’ immunity does not necessarily mean that Saroch agrees that there is now enough evidence to go to...
Prague’s LÁHVE wine shop recently revealed the third step in its month-long promotional event. Until October 23, customers can indulge in the “Try Before You Buy” sale, in which visitors can taste wines for free and purchase the ones they like with a 30 percent discount. Six French wines are participating in this week’s promotion; once in the store, customers can peruse the specific brands involved, as they will be marked with a corresponding red sticker. Domaine de la Provenquiere Muscat sec Intense fruity wine with delicate aromas of lychee, mango and passionfruit. The taste is fresh, slightly sour, reminiscent of sweet peaches and apricots. Type: white, dry To Pair with: snacks and desserts Price: 179 CZK / 125 CZK Dopff & Irion Sylvaner Cuvée René Dopff White wine of golden color with silvery shades. The aroma is dominated by white fruits such as apples and pears, while the taste is dominated by mineral notes of elder flowers, gray pepper and lemon on the finish. Type: white, dry To pair with: grilled dishes, seafood (fish, oysters, squid, crustaceans) Price: 225 CZK / 159 CZK Vignerons de Mancey Bourgogne Aligoté Dry, fruity and mineral wine reminiscent of...
The Three Kings, comprised of three brave members called Josef Mašín, Václav Morávek, and Josef Balabán, was a group which risked their lives for the resistance movement when Czechoslovakia was annexed by Nazi Germany. All three of the men would eventually die at the hand of the Nazis, but from the years of 1939 to 1942, they played an enormous part in the contributions to the Czechoslovakian cause through their heroic acts. They spent their time relaying important information to the Czechoslovak government-in-exile in London through radio transmitters- sending news and information about both economic and political developments, as well as sharing vital information about German transports. The Three Kings were also renowned for two bomb assassinations in Berlin which they had carried out against the Germans. One assassination saw a suitcase of explosives successfully placed in police headquarters and at the Ministry of Air Travel. Another saw the successful bombing of German soldier’s transport after they added an explosive to coal. They were also responsible for other bomb attacks in Leipzig and Munich. Further acts of sabotage they were behind included setting fire to factories, collecting weapons for the resistance and helping other resistance agents escape from the Nazis....
On Monday, the Czech government authorized Minister of Finance Alena Schillerová to waive the Value Added Tax (VAT) on energy for November and December because of the rising energy prices. Schillerová announced the decision at a press conference after a government meeting on the issue, adding that it will cost the state budget 1 billion CZK a month. The VAT rate on energy is now 21 percent. With this step, the government is responding to rising electricity and gas prices, which are affecting all of Europe. The typical Czech household, which pays 1,000 CZK a month for electricity, will save about 350 CZK on their bill for November and December, said Schillerová. The tax waiver is made possible by a provision in the Czech tax code that allows the Minister of Finance to collectively waive the payment of tax in the event of extraordinary events, especially natural disasters. According to the minister, this step should be followed by an amendment to the VAT Act effective from Jan. 1, which will extend zero VAT for a necessary period of time. The government should discuss the situation at a special meeting on Wednesday. According to Schillerová, waiving the VAT is an unusual act,...
European finals of the global startup competition Startup World Cup were a part of Prague’s event Startup World Cup & Summit. This SWCSummit was entirely conquered by the Czech projects Tatum and Readmio. The first offers a platform that revolutionizes blockchain creation. The second project makes reading more attractive to children through a mobile application by complementing storytelling with sound effects in real-time. Startup Tatum won the main prize of the jury and the title of European champion with it. Readmio stole the hearts of the spectators and won the audience prize. Both projects continued their successful journey from the previous day when they also dominated the regional competition of the Visegrad Four region. During the continental finals, nine startups from all over Europe fought their way out of other regional rounds and associated startup competitions. Each project had four minutes for its presentation, followed by another four minutes of questions from the jurors. This time, a five-member jury admits to having a hard time determining the winner. “In the regional round of V4, the victory of the Tatum project was unequivocal. In the continental final, however, we considered other candidates until the last second – for example, in the...
According to the Association of Transport Companies, the cost of energy rising significantly by hundreds of millions next year, meaning that the increase in transport fares is possible. They also say that the operations of urban public transport are also at risk due to these higher energy prices. The association says that there is a risk the energy supplies could terminate the current contracts. Therefore the cost of transport in larger cities, mostly Prague, will be increasing in the following years. “Next year, we will pay about 60 percent more for electricity than this year, but with our volumes, this means an additional 560 million crowns. Another negative impact is the rise in oil prices,” says Petr Witowski, the head of the Prague Transport Company (DPP). This is although DPP secures electricity from the Prague Energy Exchange in the form of ongoing purchases of smaller volumes.” Thanks to this purchasing policy, we can compensate for smaller and predictable fluctuations in electricity prices in the markets. However, since August, the electricity market has been completely unpredictable,” says Witowski. Trying to find a solution for the situation on the energy market the largest alternative energy supplier Bohemia Energy has already ended in...
The Czech Republic detected 2,521 new cases of COVID-19 on October 18, the highest daily tally since late April, data from the Health Ministry showed on Tuesday. The Czech government has opted not to tighten anti-epidemic measures, focusing on vaccination instead as data show that most of those infected have not been inoculated. 6.03 million people have been vaccinated as of Monday. The daily count reported for Monday is almost double the reported number for the same day last week. Hospitalizations rose to 544, the highest number since the end of May, but still a fraction of the numbers in March, when the last wave of the pandemic swept over the country. Over the past seven days, 54 people died in connection with COVID-19, more than in the whole month of September. The country now has over 100 new cases per 100,000 inhabitants. The health authorities have urged people who are as yet unvaccinated to consider getting the jab and have shorted the term for Covid booster shots from eight to six months after primary inoculation on the recommendation of the European drug regulator EMA.
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. CZECH REPUBLIC The Czech Health Ministry has changed the conditions for administering Covid-19 booster shots, shortening the interval from eight to six months after primary inoculation, effective immediately. Prague 1 is working on a draft text that would significantly restrict alcohol consumption in public spaces, banning it from 10 pm to 6 am every night. Local councilors are also examining the possibility of introducing a ban on staying in public spaces with an open bottle/container of any type of alcohol beverage. Health problems were preventing Czech President Milos Zeman from carrying out his duties, an official said Monday. The Senate representatives will meet the leaders of the parties elected to the lower house on Tuesday to discuss the temporary transfer of presidential powers. WORLD Hungary should strengthen ties with the European Union, put its economy on a path to adopting the euro currency and join the European Public Prosecutor’s Office to root out corruption, the opposition’s joint prime ministerial candidate told Reuters. Peter Marki-Zay, will challenge Prime Minister Viktor Orban in an election next year after...
The Museum of Senses, which welcomes visitors to challenge their perception through extraordinary illusions and exhibitions for the ultimate sensory awakening, had extended with some new, mind-blowing exhibits. The Museum is a unique experience, and they have plans to continue growing worldwide as a company and with support of investors and franchise partners. Best and most valuable proof of Museum of Senses visitor’s experience is an amazing response from visitors that has been confirmed by recently winning a 2021 TripAdvisor ‘Travellers Choice Award”. Based on thousands of reviews and opinions from travelers and visitors from around the world, this annual award recognises the very best tourism establishments in terms of service, quality, customer satisfaction and more, across a range of categories. Gabrijela Bartowski, chief executive officer of the museum, explained that they are planning to remodel, refurbish and expand concept in several stages during the upcoming year as they continue to grow. “We are continuously upgrading the content, by researching and carefully listening to our visitors what they like the most and enhancing the visitor experience,” she said. “We eventually want to expand 1/3 of the museum experience.” A distorted gravity room and an interactive ‘Return of Golem’ experience are just some...
Czech opposition parties seeking to form a new government will aim to rework the 2022 budget to cut the planned deficit to below 300 billion CZK, a top party leader said on Sunday. Petr Fiala, leader of the centre-right coalition Together which defeated Prime Minister Andrej Babis’s ruling ANO party in an Oct. 8-9 election and plans to form a new government with the Pirate/Mayors group, told a Czech Television debate show that they would reject the current administration’s budget plans. That means the budget is unlikely to be approved before year-end, causing the country to revert to a provisional plan that limits discretionary spending. Fiala said a provisional budget for up to two months would not cause a problem. Babis’s government has proposed a 376.6 billion CZK deficit in 2022, similar to the record gap seen in 2020 after the start of the coronavirus pandemic and the expected gap seen in 2021 as spending stays high. “A deficit like this is not possible,” Fiala said. “We have to count on a provisional budget, but of course it is in everybody’s interest to have the amended budget accepted at the soonest.” He said changes could be done in weeks. When...
The hospital will create a medically integrated trans-national region between Austria and the Czech Republic On 16 October, the European Union’s first cross-border hospital opened for patients in both Lower Austria and South Bohemia. It is called the ‘Healthacross Health Centre’ and is located in the Austrian town of Gmünd. As TheMayor.eu reports, the hospital will also provide care for the Czech town of České Velenice, right across the border. České Velenice has around 3,500 inhabitants, and a hard time providing healthcare services. The nearest hospital is in České Budějovice, a full 60 kilometres away. Gmünd has 5,500 inhabitants and a similar problem with access to healthcare. However, together they form a patient pool big enough to warrant the creation of a hospital. The project cost around 434,000 euros and was financed through the ‘Interreg V-A – Austria-Czech Republic’ Operational Programme by the EU’s Regional Development Fund. It was developed in close cooperation between the two municipalities. Construction of the new hospital, as well as insuring that all staff speaks both Czech and German began in 2019, and the facility is set to service roughly 9,000 cross-border patients. According to Czech Minister for Health Adam Vojtech, cross-border hospitals are a...
Do you consider the “green credentials” of a place when you’re planning a trip? Clean air, pure water, pedestrian-only streets, bike paths, parks, botanical gardens and other public green spaces, green trains, eco-hotels, rivers, lakes, hiking trails, good public transportation and quality vegetarian dining are all among the environmental strides towards sustainable tourism now implemented by some of the most beautiful capitals of the world. In Europe, from Finland and Slovenia to Italy and France, many cities are making efforts to tackle the climate crisis and assume the lead on environmental action. Cities such as Grenoble and Budapest have mayors elected with eco-platforms and are leaders in sustainability projects. To determine its new list of 20 Best Green Capitals in Europe, the European Best Destinations (EBD) organization considered criteria including air and water quality, public transport with zero CO2 emissions, green spaces per inhabitant, percentage of people who walk, cycle or take public transport to work, quality of life and the number of kilometers of cycle paths. It also included destinations awarded the title of European Green Capital by the European Commission for Environment, as well as those designated as a European Destination of Excellence (Eden) by the European Commission. Prague is also among the Greenest cities in Europe by many rankings....
Don’t have an account? Register
[swpm_registration_form level=”6″]
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
