Last week, customs officers discovered 63 kilograms of the edible khat drug at Václav Havel Airport in Prague. The drug was smuggled in the luggage of three foreigners aged 23, 24 and 27, who traveled on the regular route Tel Aviv – Prague – London. “The contraband was discovered on the basis of a risk analysis of the passengers on the flight,” said a spokeswoman of the Ruzyně customs officers, Šárka Miškovská. After the discovery of drugs was made, they were taken to the police with a proposal to initiate criminal proceedings on suspicion of committing the crime of illegal production and another handling of narcotic and psychotropic substances and poisons. Edible kata is a tree or shrub grown in East Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. It contains substances that have stimulant effects like those of amphetamines. Long-term excessive use of kata can cause mental problems and other diseases.
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 European Commission will issue “in due time” a payment request calling on Poland to pay the penalties imposed by the EU’s top court in the dispute over the Turow lignite mine, a Commission spokesman said on Monday. Over 1.7 million people have contracted the novel coronavirus in the Czech Republic since the outbreak of the epidemic in March 2020 and while the spread of the virus soared from last September, in the autumn and in winter 2021, the epidemic weakened significantly this spring, data from the health ministry show. The Czech Film and Television Academy (CFTA) has selected Zatopek, a film biography of the legendary Czech runner directed by David Ondricek, as the Czech Republic’s candidate for the Oscar nominations in the category of the Best Foreign Language Film. WORLD Australia’s largest city, Sydney, has emerged from Covid lockdown after almost four months, with locals celebrating a range of new freedoms. Household visits and travel had been banned beyond a 5km zone. The World Health Organization on Monday recommended that immunocompromised people be...
Czech President Milos Zeman’s health condition is stable, a spokeswoman of the Central Military Hospital said on Monday, confirming an earlier report by CTK news agency. Zeman, 77, was taken to the hospital on Sunday and he was receiving treatment in an intensive care unit, fuelling uncertainty at a time when he is due to lead political talks on the formation of a new government following a parliamentary election. Director Miroslav Zavoral of the Central Military Hospital in Prague said Zeman, 77, was admitted due to complications related to an undisclosed chronic condition. “We know the diagnosis precisely, which allows us to target treatment,” Zavoral said, adding that he did not have the president’s approval to disclose details of the diagnosis. If Zeman is not able to act due to his illness or other reasons, the prime minister and the speakers of both houses of parliament will take over his presidential powers. If that happens, the new speaker of the lower house selects the premier. The parliament has to meet within 30 days of the election to select the speaker and other officials. Mr. Zeman is a heavy smoker who has suffered from diabetes. He has trouble walking and has...
Prime Minister Andrej Babiš (ANO) said he would definitely stay in the Parliament, even if his party ended up in opposition. Before the election, however, he claimed the stated opposite: “If I will not retain power after next weekend’s elections, I’m ready to quit politics”, said Babiš to radio station Frekvence 1. “I will not give up. I have bad news for you, I will stay in that Parliament. And if we end up in opposition, I’ll be there. And we will follow all those promises of Mr. Fiala. I devoted ten years of my life to my party, I did it for the sake of this country,” he said on Facebook on Sunday. Babiš now plans to address the ODS for negotiations. “We will see if they want to cooperate or not.” However, the Pirates and Mayors, together with the SPOLU coalition, agreed on a memorandum on Saturday in which they pledged to attempt to form a government and asked President Zeman to name SPOLU leader Petr Fiala prime minister. Spolu consists of the Civic Democratic Party (ODS), KDU-ČSL, and TOP 09. FORMING GOVT MAY TAKE MONTHS Under the constitution, the president can appoint anyone as prime minister and instruct them to...
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 Czech President Milos Zeman’s conditions are stable, said the director at the Central Military Hospital in Prague. Hospitalization can last up to three weeks. However, according to spokesman Jiří Ovčáček, this will not endanger post-election negotiations. Czechs abroad voted overwhelmingly in support of opposition coalitions. The Pirates and Mayors received 49 percent of the total diaspora vote, followed by the SPOLU coalition made up of the Civic Democrats, the Christian Democrats and the TOP 09 party with 34.5 percent. The ANO party came in third with just under 6 percent of the vote. The number of fully vaccinated individuals exceeded 6 million in the Czech Republic (57.1%). A further 106,760 people have been partially vaccinated. Currently, there are 306 hospitalized patients infected with the coronavirus. WORLD Austria’s conservative Chancellor Sebastian Kurz resigned on Saturday to pull his coalition government back from the brink of collapse after the junior party demanded his head because he has been placed under investigation on suspicion of corruption. China’s President Xi Jinping has said that “reunification” with Taiwan “must...
Soup festival will take place at Smíchovská náplavka on October 23rd. “Polívkování” (the name comes from Polívka = a soup) offers a huge variety of soups from around the world. You can taste Czech soups such as potato cream, kulajda or tripe soup but mainly soups from all over the world such as Russian borscht, Mexican chipotle and menudo, Malaysian laksa, French bouillabaisse, Vietnamese pho, Japanese ramen. Veggie lovers can look forward to vegetable soups and other vegetarian recipes. There will be an option to buy some freshly baked pastry and something to drink like hot ciders, wines, and Czech beers. Crispy rolls, fresh homemade bread and other savory pastries will complement the soups. Warm cider, mulled wine and, of course, draft beer will be offered. If you would like to have some dessert after lunch, you can choose from a selection of delicious cakes and pies. The event will also feature the “best soup” competition both among professional chefs and amateurs. Free entry. More info here
Czech President Milos Zeman was receiving treatment in an intensive care unit on Sunday, creating uncertainty at a time when he is due to lead political talks about forming a new government after a parliamentary election. Director Miroslav Zavoral of the Central Military Hospital in Prague said Zeman, 77, was admitted due to complications related to an undisclosed chronic condition. “We know the diagnosis precisely, which allows us to target treatment,” Zavoral said, adding that he did not have the president’s approval to disclose details of the diagnosis. Zavoral did not say how serious the president’s condition was. In the Czech Republic, the president leads talks with party leaders after elections to find a workable majority. Under the constitution, his authority to appoint the prime minister passes to the speaker of the lower house if the presidential position is vacated. Reporters saw an ambulance leaving the presidential chateau at Lany, west of Prague, soon after Zeman met Prime Minister Andrej Babis. The presidential office had previously said Zeman had been ill, and he spent eight days in hospital last month. The presidential office said at the time he had no life-threatening condition but was dehydrated and slightly exhausted. Babis’ centrist...
Czech president Miloš Zeman has been taken to hospital, according to a hospital spokesperson. Zeman was taken by ambulance from the castle in Lány to the Central Military Hospital (ÚVN) in Střešovice on Sunday shortly after noon. The first lady Ivana Zemanová and daughter Kateřina arrived at the hospital immediately. The 77-year-old recently cancelled a live television interview scheduled for 10 October over health issues. Just before that, he met with Prime Minister Andrej Babiš. Hospitalization was confirmed by ÚVN spokeswoman Jitka Zinke. The hospital’s director would give a media briefing at 2 p.m. The president plays an important constitutional role during this post-election period, as it is he who names a prime minister to form a government. It is not clear what medical condition the president is currently in and whether there have been any serious complications. “On the basis of a recommendation from his attending physician professor Miroslav Zavoral, Milos Zeman agreed to be hospitalised at the Central Military Hospital in Prague,” Zeman’s spokesman Ovcacek said on Twitter. Zeman spent eight days at Prague’s Central Military Hospital last month after suffering from what his office described as dehydration and exhaustion. Zeman is a heavy smoker who has suffered...
Prime minister Andrej Babiš appears to have lost his grip on power after his populist party failed to win a majority in Saturday’s nail-bitingly close election. The results mean opposition coalitions could now join forces to grab power after a dramatic day at the ballot box. With 100% of the votes counted, the center-right alliance Spolu (Together) won the most votes with 27.79% of the ballots, followed by Babiš’s ANO party with 27.12%, and the centrist PirStan coalition on 15.62%, according to a tally of votes on the statistical office’s website. While Babiš’s party ANO won the most votes of any single party, it does not have any clear path to a majority after Saturday’s vote. “We are the change. You are the change,” Spolu coalition leader Petr Fiala said Saturday, claiming victory before a cheering crowd. The leader of the PirStan coalition, Ivan Bartoš, said talks with Spolu “on the possibilities of forming a new government” would likely begin on Saturday. “The dominance of Andrej Babiš is over, and the democratic parties have shown that the era of chaos will probably be behind us,” Bartoš said. The memorandum was a challenge to President Miloš Zeman who has said prior...
With nearly all votes counted, the opposition coalition appears to have secured a slim majority, overtaking Prime Minister Andrej Babis’ ANO party. Czech Television predicts two opposition coalitions will win 108 of 200 seats. Opposition leader says they will start talks on forming a government. Both groups have said they will not work with Babis. The Czech centre-right and liberal opposition groups were set to gain a majority in the lower house holding a narrow lead during Saturday’s parliamentary election. With 99.6% of voting districts reporting results, premier Andrej Babis and his ANO party have fallen behind, holding 27.27% of the vote in the two-day election to determine 200 seats in the lower house of parliament. Meanwhile, the Pirates/Mayors coalition leader Ivan Bartos said they will begin talks of forming the next government. However, Czech President Miloš Zeman is still widely expected to task Babiš with forming a new government because he leads the individual party with the most votes. Zeman has said he believes election coalitions are “a scam.” With both the Communists and the Social Democrats out of parliament, it seems unlikely that Babiš will be able to find enough support to remain in power and a period of political...
Great news for Christmas lovers – the famous Prague Christmas Markets are set to make their return this year. The markets will officially be open to the public on Wenceslas Square and Old Town Square from Saturday 27 November to Thursday 6 January. Last year’s markets in 2020 were, unfortunately, cancelled due to the pandemic that put all our lives on hold. “We are glad that this year we will be able to offer Praguers and tourists to the traditional Advent celebrations in the center of Prague, and thus contribute to the rebirth of tourism in the capital,” said Libor Votruba, board chairman of Taiko, which organizes markets. “People will just want to get together in a safe way. We’ll make sure that it’s safe – and just enjoy being human again and enjoying Christmas,” added Votruba. Christmas markets (Vánoční trhy) are a key ingredient of the festive magic in the Czech Republic, and the Prague markets are the most impressive in the country. You can find goods such as handmade soaps and lotions, jewelry, wooden toys, ceramic decorations, crystals, scarves and so on. Food stands are offering grilled meat or sausages; please your sweet tooth with apple strudel, gingerbread, cookies, waffles, roasted almonds, cotton candy.
The oldest part of the Orloj, the mechanical clock and astronomical dial, dates back to 1410 when it was made by clockmaker Mikuláš of Kadaň and Jan Šindel, then later a professor of mathematics and astronomy at Charles University. The first recorded mention of the clock was on 9 October 1410. Later, presumably around 1490, the calendar dial was added and the clock facade was decorated with gothic sculptures. The Prague Astronomical Clock is a unique medieval monument. It was built during the last breaths of the cultural boom in the Bohemian lands that began under the reign of Charles IV, Bohemian king and Holy Roman Emperor, who transformed Prague into a European centre of learning, culture and power. The Old Town Astronomical Clock was built as one of the last medieval archaic astronomical clocks. These served a different purpose and were of a different character than the modern astronomical clocks that emerged in Europe with the onset of the Renaissance. Its main dials – astrolabes – were not designed to work like accurate astronomical instruments, but were to be used above all for astrological purposes. Their design is also fundamentally opposite to the construction of astronomical astrolabes. Unlike most astronomical clocks of the...
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