Laden...
A large-scale cyberattack paralysed the information systems of Nymburk Hospital on Tuesday, forcing the facility to switch to emergency mode. Emergency and basic care is being provided, but waiting times have lengthened and people cannot make card payments.
According to hospital director Martin Dvořák, the extent of the attack makes it difficult to predict when normal operations will resume. No patients' lives or health were endangered. The hospital is cooperating closely with the emergency services, nearby hospitals, and outpatient physicians to overcome the crisis.
The European Commission on Wednesday proposed a binding climate target for 2040 of reducing carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by 90% compared with 1990. This was announced by European Commission Vice-President Teresa Ribera, despite reservations from some countries, such as Czechia, which wanted to postpone this step. It is necessary to keep prosperity and economic aspects in mind, Prime Minister Petr Fiala said after Wednesday's government meeting.
According to the Commission, setting a climate target for 2040 "will provide certainty for investors, innovation, strengthen the leadership of European companies in industry and increase Europe's energy security". However, according to information from ČTK, the current Czech position regarding these targets remains rather more realistic, having previously supported targets of 75 to 80% instead.
At the Wednesday meeting, the Czech government added Russian citizen Oleg Osipov, a long-time associate of former Russian President and Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, on the national sanctions list. Prime Minister Petr Fiala and Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský announced the step at a press conference, the reason being that Mr. Osipov spread death threats to former hockey player Dominik Hašek in the media in the spring.
According to the TASS agency, in April, Mr. Medvedev advised the famous goalkeeper to be careful when crossing the road and not to drink beer in unverified places. After the threats, Mr. Hašek was in contact with the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and the Interior, and the police. Interior Minister Vít Rakušan stated at the time that the state could provide Mr. Hašek with protection if necessary.
A fraudster impersonating Hollywood-actress Sandra Bullock has conned a seventy-year-old man from Prague out of more than six million crowns. This was reported on the Prague Police website on Wednesday by its spokeswoman Kristýna Zelinková. Communication between the two via social media developed into a virtual love affair, with the man forwarding gift cards to the fraudster, for which he had obtained money by selling property, including his home.
According to anonymised previews published by the police, the communication took place in Czech. The man contacted the local police department in Prague 4 in the first half of June. The fake Ms. Bullock promised him marriage, an early personal visit, and their living together in America. The police have repeatedly warned against similar scams, and are investigating the case as fraud, which carries a penalty of up to eight years in prison.
Medical and other healthcare students will be able to start working in hospitals a year earlier than before. For nurses, this will be possible after two years of study, and for future doctors after three years. The change will be brought about by the amendment on the conditions for obtaining and recognising competence to work in non-medical healthcare professions, which the Senate approved on Wednesday.
The regulation, which is supposed to help solve the problems with the shortage of hospital staff, will now be signed by the president. According to the Ministry of Health, the changes should facilitate and accelerate the entry of students into work.
Ondřej Hák has become the new executive director of the Raiffeisen stavební spořitelna building society as of July 1st. He replaces Pavel Čejka, who was at the helm of the company from 2020, and he is expected to focus on closer integration of banking and construction services in the Raiffeisen Group, the building society said in a press release on Wednesday.
Mr. Hák has been with the Raiffeisen Group for three years, and has previously managed the transformation of the retail credit segment and led the mortgage business. Raiffeisen stavební spořitelna has been operating on the Czech market since 1993, originally entering it under the name AR stavební spořitelna.
The family film Tichá pošta (Secret Delivery) by director Ján Sebechlebský will have its international premiere at the Locarno International Film Festival in Switzerland as part of the prestigious Kids Screenings section.
The Czech-Slovak adventure family film is based on true events; the story takes place in the Krkonoše Mountains at the end of World War II, when a group of children decide to save a downed French pilot. The film, based on the novel by writer, screenwriter and playwright Jiří Stránský, entered Czech cinemas on February 27th this year. The Locarno festival will take place from August 6th to 16th.
The four-day Beats for Love festival of electronic and dance music kicks off on Wednesday in the industrial complex of Dolní Vítkovice in Ostrava. More than 500 performers will take to 18 stages across the sprawling venue. Headliners include British soul-pop singer John Newman, Swedish house music icon Axwell, Dutch trance legend Armin van Buuren, and the high-energy drum’n’bass duo Sigma.
Since its inception in 2013, Beats for Love has earned a solid reputation across the European electronic scene. What began as a local gathering has grown into a major international event, drawing tens of thousands of visitors each year.
Thursday’s weather will be initially cloudy to clear, later with rain, showers or thunderstorms in places. Highest temperatures will range from 24 °C in western Bohemia to 36 °C in southern Moravia.
Throughout July, the Moravian capital of Brno is hosting the Authors’ Reading Month literary festival. Alongside local writers, this year’s focus is on authors living in exile, who can no longer publish in their home countries. I spoke with Pavel Drábek, curator of the festival’s exile section, to find out more.
Herman Geist, a U.S. Army First Lieutenant who entered the city of Pilsen on May 5, 1945, as part of the American liberation of Western Bohemia, has passed away at the age of 100. One of the last living witnesses to the end of WWII in Europe, Geist remained a beloved guest of the Czech Republic’s Liberation Festival for decades. His personal connection to Pilsen and its people endured to the very end, earning him not just medals, but the affection and gratitude of generations.
On a bend of the river Vltava, in the district of Troja, lies one of the biggest attractions of the Czech capital: Prague Zoo. It was founded in 1931 with a mission to educate the public and protect nature, and Prague Zoo today continues to fulfil both those principles. This spring, the zoo publicised its extensive set of conservation projects in 2025, which see its experts helping wildlife across the world, from Australia to Azerbaijan. Danny Bate went to speak to two members of the team making that happen.
This e-mail is sent to you automatically according to the settings you chose. To change the settings, click here.
© 2025, Radio Prague International - the external service of Czech Radio, all rights reserved.
https://english.radio.cz, e-mail: [email protected], Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, Instagram
Laden...
Laden...
