Czech Republic

Prague bans rental e-scooters from 2026

Prague will ban electric scooter rentals from January 2026, with the Czech capital's deputy mayor criticising the tourist-friendly transport option for causing chaos on sidewalks. City councillors on Monday approved…

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Babiš Strikes Pro-European Tone at Launch of Czech Government Talks

Leader of the ANO movement and former Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš vowed loyalty to Europe as talks to form a coalition government began. "We were very reliable partner. And…

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China cuts ties with Czech President Petr Pavel over meeting with Dalai Lama

China says it has suspended all ties with Czech President Petr Pavel over his recent meeting with the Dalai Lama, further straining relations between Beijing and Prague. During a private…

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Prague accuses China of hacking Czech foreign ministry

The Czech government on Wednesday condemned China for carrying out a cyberattack against its foreign ministry exposing thousands of unclassified emails. Czechia said that the Chinese state-sponsored group Advanced Persistent…

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Two killed in knife attack at Czech shopping centre

An attacker killed two people with a knife in a shopping centre in the Czech city of Hradec Kralove on Thursday, police said, adding that they had detained the suspected…

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Prague bans night-time pub crawls in bid to attract ‘more cultured, wealthier’ tourists

Prague city councillors have banned night-time pub crawls organised by travel agencies because the city wanted to target “more cultured” tourists. The Czech capital of 1.3 million people has for…

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Floods claim more lives as torrential rain pounds central Europe

The death toll from flooding in central Europe rose to eight on Sunday as thousands of people were evacuated from their homes in the Czech Republic following days of torrential…

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Several killed in Czech train crash, dozens injured

Four people died and more than two dozen were injured after a passenger train collided with a freight train late on Wednesday in the Czech city of Pardubice, the regional governor said. "A…

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Czech Republic struggles to contain surge of whooping cough

Whooping cough is on the rise in the Czech Republic is no exception. In the first week of January, say the Czech authorities, there were 28 registered cases of whooping…

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Czech Senate fails to ratify European treaty on violence against women

PRAGUE, Jan 25 (Reuters) - Lawmakers in the Czech Republic's upper house Senate narrowly voted against ratifying a decade-old international treaty aimed at preventing and combating violence against women. The…

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Czechs extend controls on Slovak border until Feb. 2

PRAGUE, (Reuters) - The Czech government extended temporary controls on the country's border with Slovakia until Feb. 2, Interior Minister Vit Rakusan said, maintaining the measures set up to fight…

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Czech police patrol public areas, university lectures off after shooting

By Jan Lopatka PRAGUE, Dec 22 (Reuters) - Czech police tightened security around schools and other public buildings across the country and Prague's Charles University cancelled all lectures and events…

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Czech Republic in shock after unprecedented mass shooting at Prague university

By Jan Lopatka and Jason Hovet A 24-year-old Czech student shot dead his father, then killed 14 people and wounded 25 others at his Prague university on Thursday before possibly…

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Photo Story: High-wheel cyclists gather for Prague’s Mile race

Participants, wearing historical attire, ride on high-wheels before the traditional 'Prague Mile' race in Prague, Czech Republic, on Saturday. The Czech high-wheel bicycles club was founded in 1880, and its…

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Central Europe’s arms makers scramble for workers as Ukraine boosts business

By Michael Kahn, Robert Muller and Karol Badohal PRAGUE/WARSAW (Reuters) - From building apartments for new employees to offering retired workers free canteen meals to share their expertise, Central Europe's…

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Czech president says Russians in West should be monitored more

PRAGUE, (Reuters) - Russians living in Western countries should come under tighter scutiny from security services as Russia wages war in Ukraine, Czech President Petr Pavel told Radio Free Europe/Radio…

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Czech president: Ukraine could have our L-159 jets

PRAGUE (Reuters) - The Czech Republic could give Ukraine some of its L-159 fighter jets to support its planned counter-offensive, Czech President Petr Pavel was quoted as saying. Prague has…

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Fire in building containers kills eight people in Czech city of Brno

PRAGUE, May 4 (Reuters) - Eight people who were most likely homeless were killed after a fire broke out on Wednesday night in construction containers in the Czech city of…

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Czechs put Russian Patriarch Kirill on sanctions list over Ukraine

PRAGUE, April 26 (Reuters) - The Czech government has made the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill, the first person on its national sanctions list due to his…

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OECD sees Czech economy stagnating this year, tight monetary stance needed

PRAGUE, March 30 (Reuters) - The Czech economy will stagnate this year due to shocks from Russia's war in Ukraine that have boosted inflation, and tight monetary policy needs to…

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Photo Story: Inauguration ceremony of Czech Republic’s elected president

Czech Republic's President elect Petr Pavel arrives at the Prague Castle for his inauguration ceremony in Prague, Czech Republic, 09 March 2023. New president replaces outgoing president Milos Zeman after…

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Czech unemployment rate rises to 3.9% in January; vacancies below jobless

PRAGUE, Feb 8 (Reuters) - The Czech unemployment rate rose to 3.9% of the workforce in January, the highest since May 2021 but below a Reuters poll forecast of 4.0%,…

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New Czech leader says Ukraine deserves to join NATO

Czech president-elect Petr Pavel has told the BBC Ukraine should be allowed to join Nato "as soon as the war is over". Mr Pavel, a retired Nato general, said Ukraine…

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Pro-Western, retired general Pavel sweeps Czech presidential vote

Pavel wins in runaway vote over ex-PM Babis Pavel gives clear support backing Ukraine, West Pledges to end divisions brought by Babis, incumbent Zeman Voter turnout record high in presidential…

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Czech presidential candidates seek calmer tone before run-off vote

PRAGUE (Reuters) - Czech presidential frontrunner Petr Pavel urged his rival, ex-premier Andrej Babis, to stop fanning war fears while Babis said he would halt rallies due to threats against…

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Pavel leads ahead of Czech vote; opponent plays on war fears

PRAGUE, Jan 23 (Reuters) - Retired general and former NATO official Petr Pavel led billionaire ex-prime minister Andrej Babis by a nearly 18-point margin ahead of a Czech presidential election…

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Photo Story: Prague marks Ukraine’s Day of Unity

Two people carry a Ukrainian flag as people form a symbolic human chain across the Charles Bridge to mark the Day of Unity of Ukraine, in Prague, Czech Republic, 22…

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Retired general Pavel leads in poll ahead of Czech presidential vote

PRAGUE, (Reuters) - Retired general Petr Pavel held a 15 percentage point lead over billionaire ex-premier Andrej Babis heading into a Jan. 27-28 presidential run-off vote, a Czech Television poll…

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Czech government survives no-confidence vote

PRAGUE, Jan 19 (Reuters) - The Czech government survived an opposition attempt to overthrow it in a no-confidence vote, a widely expected outcome of the motion which the cabinet had…

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Ex-premier, retired general to square off in Czech presidential vote runoff

PRAGUE (Reuters) - Billioniare ex-premier Andrej Babis held a narrowing lead in the first round of the Czech presidential election on Saturday ahead of retired general Petr Pavel, putting the…

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Retired general, ex-PM lead the field in Czech presidential election

General Petr Pavel, ex-PM Andrej Babis lead polls Pavel seen favourite in second round Czech presidents not executive but hold significant powers All candidates more pro-western than incumbent Milos Zeman…

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Czech presidential election pits combative ex-PM against ex-general

The Czech Republic's presidential election this weekend pits a retired general, a billionaire ex-prime minister and an economics professor in a battle to replace Milos Zeman, the retiring heavyweight of…

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UPDATED: Czech court acquits presidential candidate Babis in subsidy fraud case

PRAGUE, Jan 9 (Reuters) - A Czech court acquitted former prime minister Andrej Babis on Monday of alleged fraud, improving the billionaire's prospects in a presidential election this week in…

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Bird flu spreads in Czech Republic’s largest outbreak

PRAGUE, Jan 4 (Reuters) - Czech authorities will destroy all 750,000 hens on a poultry farm at the centre of its worst outbreak of bird flu so far as the…

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Czech billionaire Babis fights fraud trial alongside presidential contest

PRAGUE, Jan 4 (Reuters) - Czech billionaire and former Prime Minister Andrej Babis returned to court to fight fraud accusations over a 2 million euro subsidy on Wednesday, days before…

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Czech farm to cull 220,000 chickens in country’s largest bird flu outbreak

Czech authorities are preparing to destroy up to 220,000 hens on a poultry farm in the west of the country after bird flu was discovered there last week, in the…

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Czech lawmakers approve windfall tax on energy firms, banks

PRAGUE, Nov 4 (Reuters) - Czech lower house lawmakers have approved a 60% windfall tax on energy firms and large banks, backing government plans to take firms' excess profits to…

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Czech Republic on the way to legalizing cannabis

In the Czech Republic, hemp products like marijuana, hashish and cannabis oil have been available in pharmacies for years. Prague is now planning full legalization for 2023 and wants to…

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Czechs tighten entry rules for Russian tourists

PRAGUE, (Reuters) - The Czech Republic will turn away Russian tourists holding Schengen-zone visas issued by any country from Oct. 25, the foreign minister said, as it joined other European…

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UPDATED: Europe’s new 44-nation club underlines Russia’s isolation

PRAGUE, Oct 6 (Reuters) - Leaders of the European Union and neighbours from Britain to Turkey met on Thursday to discuss security and energy emergencies plaguing them all since Russia's…

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Czech government extends Slovak border checks by 20 days

PRAGUE, Oct 5 (Reuters) - The Czech government extended its checks on the border with European Union neighbour Slovakia by another 20 days, seeking to control a spike in the…

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Czech opposition party wins most major cities in local election

PRAGUE, Sept 25 (Reuters) - Former Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis's opposition ANO party won most of the country's major cities in municipal elections seen as a test for the ruling coalition's…

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Czechs will not issue humanitarian visa to Russians fleeing mobilisation

PRAGUE, (Reuters) - The Czech Republic will not issue humanitarian visas to Russian citizens fleeing mobilisation orders, Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky said. Many Russians are trying to leave their country…

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Czech billionaire ex-PM stands trial accused of EU subsidy fraud

PRAGUE, Sept 12 (Reuters) - Former Czech prime minister Andrej Babis stood trial on Monday over fraud accusations connected to a 2 million euro ($2 million) European Union subsidy that…

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EPA’s Eye In The Sky: The Sky Bridge 721, Czech Republic

A view of the newly completed world's longest suspension bridge, the 'Sky Bridge 721,' in Dolni Morava, Czech Republic. The structure connecting the ridges of two mountain peaks is 721…

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UPDATED: EU to propose price cap on Russian gas, von der Leyen says: Plans non-gas power price cap of 200eur/MWh

BRUSSELS, Sept 7 (Reuters) - The European Commission will propose a price cap on Russian gas, alongside measures including a mandatory EU cut in electricity use and a cap on…

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Tens of thousands protest in Prague against Czech government, EU and NATO

PRAGUE (Reuters) - An estimated 70,000 people protested in Prague against the Czech government on Saturday, calling on the ruling coalition to do more to control soaring energy prices and…

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Some Czechs sending 1,968 crowns to Ukraine in memory of 1968 Soviet invasion

PRAGUE, (Reuters) - Czech nationals have been sending exactly 1,968 crowns ($80) to Ukraine to help it defend itself against Russia and to commemorate the 1968 invasion of then Czechoslovakia…

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Czech windfall tax would affect energy, banks and maybe another sector -finance minister

PRAGUE, Aug 19 (Reuters) - The Czech government will decide in three weeks whether to impose a windfall tax on large energy companies and banks and may include one more sector if it goes…

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UPDATED: Czech president released from hospital

PRAGUE, Aug 19 (Reuters) - Czech President Milos Zeman was released from the Central Military Hospital in Prague on Friday after a one-day stay, news agency CTK said. Zeman, 77,…

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Photo Story: Opening of Central European Jamboree in Prague

Scouts take part in opening of the Central European Jamboree in Prague, Czech Republic, on Tuesday evening. Over 1200 scouts from many countries around the world, mainly the Czech Republic,…

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Czech wildfire spreads as situation tense on both sides of border

Prague (dpa) - Germany and the Czech Republic continued to fight forest fires on Sunday, with the situation tense on both sides of the border on Sunday. The fire burning…

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Czech government backs plan to help protect Slovakia’s air space

PRAGUE, July 27 (Reuters) - The Czech government has backed allowing its fighter jets to protect neighbouring Slovakia's air space from September, the Defence Ministry said on Wednesday. Slovakia has…

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Photo Story: Foundation of Charles Bridge in Prague commemorated

An actor dressed as King Charles IV (C-R) walks as history enthusiasts take part in the celebrations of the 665th anniversary of the foundation of the medieval Charles Bridge, at…

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Czech Republic to protect Slovakia’s airspace from September

The Czech Republic will send fighter jets to protect Slovakia’s airspace starting in September, Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala said on Sunday. “We will help Slovakia until it has new…

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Photo Story: Czech Presidency of the EU Council starts

Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala (L) welcomes European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen (R) prior to College of the European Commission visit on the very first day of the…

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Prague Airport halts flight departures over system glitch

PRAGUE, June 15 (Reuters) - Prague Airport said it had postponed all departing flights on Wednesday due to a glitch in its air traffic control system. "The Top Sky air traffic control…

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