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The European Commission has reprimanded the Czech Republic for delays in adopting a new cyber law and implementing the NIS2 security directive. Czechia’s Office for Cyber Security plans to request an extension for the law’s implementation.
The new legislation is to strengthen cybersecurity and was due for adoption last October. Currently, a draft is under review in the Chamber of Deputies. It seeks to expand the number of organizations requiring enhanced cyber protection, focusing on preventive measures and incident reporting.
The Czech government approved a new system for assessing the threat of terrorism in Czechia at today's meeting. The system will have four levels, ranging from low to critical threat, and will replace the current system, which has been in place since the beginning of 2016. The old system includes a zero level for the ideal state and three levels of threat. Interior Minister Vít Rakušan told journalists that the cabinet also decided that the second level, representing a moderate threat, will remain in effect until the end of 2025. This corresponds to the first level of the old system, which has been in place since March 2016.
Soviet-era Russian dissident Tatiana Bayeva, one of the eight people who risked their lives in 1968 to oppose the Soviet-led invasion of Czechoslovakia, has died at the age of 77.
On August 25, just four days after the invasion, Bayeva joined seven other dissidents on Moscow’s Red Square, holding banners that read, “Hands off Czechoslovakia!” and “Shame to the Invaders!” Their peaceful protest was swiftly suppressed by Soviet authorities.
Bayeva, who was 21 at the time, was fired from her job as a result. A year later, she signed a declaration condemning the Warsaw Pact’s invasion of Czechoslovakia on its first anniversary. In 1992, she emigrated to the United States but later returned to Moscow.
In June 2018, she was honoured with the Czech Foreign Ministry’s Gratias Agit award on behalf of the ‘Eight Brave Ones’ for promoting the Czech Republic’s reputation abroad. According to available information, only Litvinov, now 84 years old, remains alive today.
Doctors in Czechia have reported 1,167 cases of whooping cough since January, nearly 2.5 times more than in all of 2023, according to fresh data released by the National Institute of Public Health on Thursday. This marks a sharp rise from last year when over 37,000 people fell ill. The disease is especially dangerous for infants under one, with 37 cases already recorded this year.
According to experts, the number of cases is unusually high for this time of year, showing the infection is still spreading. Cases peaked last May with over 6,000 infections before declining. Whooping cough, which young children are vaccinated against, tends to resurface in five-year cycles. Last year’s outbreak was the worst since vaccination began in 1958.
Half of Czechs are starting 2025 with hope, the highest level in three years, according to a January survey by the STEM agency, released on Thursday. While many remain critical of the country's overall direction, most are happy with their personal lives.
The survey shows 83% are satisfied with life, and 64% found last year personally successful—both slight increases from 2024. However, only a quarter view last year as a success for society, though this sentiment has also improved.
STEM attributes the brighter outlook to an improved economy after high inflation and the energy crisis. Those with greater financial security tend to be more optimistic.
Czech industrial production fell 1.4% year-on-year in 2024, marking its second consecutive decline and the worst result since the COVID-19 crisis. In December, the year-on-year drop accelerated to 3% from 2.7% in November, though production rose 1.6% month-on-month, according to the Czech Statistics Office.
The biggest declines were in machinery, motor vehicles, and metal production, along with coal mining. In contrast, food and paper production grew.
Industrial output in 2024 was 0.5% lower than in 2021 and 1.1% below pre-pandemic levels. However, Czech industry still performed better than the EU average, where production fell 2.5% in the first 11 months of 2024. In Germany, a key trade partner, the decline was nearly 5%.
The PORT Centre for Victims of Sexual Violence in Prague has assisted 1,037 clients in its first year, its founders announced at a press conference on Thursday. The facility, the first of its kind in the country, was established by the ProFem organization and provides psychological support, assistance, and short-term accommodation for victims.
According to ProFem head Jitka Poláková, the centre has carried out 4,100 interventions, averaging four per client. It supports both victims and their relatives, with men now making up about ten percent of clients. Only five percent of female clients have reported their cases to the police.
A recent survey of 5,000 women in Czechia found that 54% of them have experienced sexual harassment or violence.
The construction of the Czech pavilion at the World Expo in Osaka is nearly complete, with companies currently installing the interior and technology. The pavilion is expected to be approved in early April. This was announced at today’s press conference by representatives of the Expo team and Japanese Ambassador to Prague, Kansuke Nagaoka. They also presented the cultural program of the Czech pavilion, which will feature 30 performances, mainly of performing arts and music, as well as a national day. The biannual Expo 2025 will begin on April 13.
The Three Kings charity collection, organized by Caritas Czech Republic, raised a record 184 million crowns this year, surpassing last year's 176 million. The majority of the funds—175 million crowns—was collected in 28,800 donation boxes by volunteers in early January. Additional donations were made online and via non-cash methods, continuing throughout the year.
The funds will support people in difficult life situations. The proceeds are distributed as follows: 65% to local municipalities, 15% to regional charity work, 10% to international emergency aid, 5% for national projects, and 5% covers the collection’s administrative costs.
Friday will be cloudy with light snow in places. Temperatures will range from 1 to 5°C, dipping below zero in the mountains.
A team of Czech scientists have discovered in southern Albania the world's largest underground thermal lake, and have named it Lake Neuron, after the foundation that funded the expedition.
The Russian Orthodox Church has transferred ownership of it assets in Karlovy Vary to its Hungarian branch so as to prevent the Czech state freezing them. This includes ownership of the Church of Sts Peter and Paul which now falls under the Metropolitan Emeritus of Budapest and Hungary.
The National Film Archive in Hradištek near Prague is a treasure trove of famous and lesser-known Czech films, but also contains a collection of family and amateur films. Over the years, the collection was enriched by private donors or came from the archives of public institutions that were closed down.
Just a few steps away from Prague Castle and the grand palaces of Hradčany, Nový Svět (The New World) feels like a secret passage into a quieter, almost forgotten part of the city. With its winding cobbled streets, historic houses, and an atmosphere steeped in mystery, this charming quarter has long been a refuge for artists, writers, and dreamers—an off-the-beaten-path gem waiting to be discovered.
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