Czech

• South Bohemian Governor Martin Kuba's political movement, "Our Czech Republic," has launched a candidate training program modeled after the British Conservatives to prepare leaders under 35 for the 2028 regional elections. • The selection process requires applicants to submit CVs and complete workshops on crisis communication and media training before a panel chooses finalists for a three-semester development track. • In other national news, reports indicate that Czechia is struggling with anti-corruption corrections and that nearly 20% of the population is battling anxiety or depression.

• France has joined Italy, Germany, Austria, Czechia, Spain, and the Netherlands in implementing a wave of bans and strict new laws targeting micro-mobility. • The measures specifically target the unregulated expansion of e-scooters to create safer and more predictable urban transport ecosystems. • Enforcement is being bolstered by the use of digital systems and real-time data sharing mechanisms between operators and authorities.

• Former Czech President Václav Klaus and Lower House Speaker Tomio Okamura addressed a conference hosted by Germany’s Alternative for Germany (AfD) party at the Bundestag on Thursday. • Both politicians expressed their support for the AfD and criticized the alleged discrimination against the party within German media and political circles. • This event highlights growing cross-border alliances between right-wing political figures in Czechia and Germany ahead of upcoming elections.

• Musician and TV personality Marek Eben is preparing to host the opening ceremonies for the 60th edition of the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival (KVIFF). • In a recent interview, Eben reflects on his long history with the festival, including past interactions with legendary actors such as Gregory Peck. • The discussion compares the pressures of managing high-profile Hollywood stars at a prestigious film festival versus the stress of hosting the Czech version of "Dancing With the Stars."

• South Africa secured a historic 1-0 victory over South Korea on Day 14 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, impacting the standings for several other nations. • Brazil, Morocco, and Bosnia have officially advanced to the knockout stages, joining a list of qualified teams that includes the USA, Germany, France, Argentina, and Colombia. • In other match action, Switzerland managed to hold on for a result against Canada, while a Qatar player received a five-game ban.

City hall confirms a car drove through crowd‘Several people injured’ following incidentA ⁠vehicle struck multiple people at a gathering ⁠in ⁠the popular ​tourist resort of Cabo San Lucas ⁠following Mexico’s victory in a World ⁠Cup match on Wednesday night, ​Los ‌Cabos’ city ‌hall said in ‌a statement.“According to preliminary information, the vehicle was surrounded by a group of people and, ‌for reasons to be determined by the ​competent authority, drove through the crowd, injuring several people,” city ⁠hall added. Continue reading...

Industrial action is biggest escalation yet in months-long dispute with populist government of Andrej BabišThousands of public service media employees in Czechia are holding a 24-hour strike after the government of the billionaire prime minister, Andrej Babiš, pushed ahead with controversial plans to change the way the country’s public broadcasters are funded.Monday’s industrial action by staff at Czech Television and Czech Radio marks the biggest escalation yet in a months-long confrontation between the broadcasters and Babiš’s populist administration. Continue reading...

• South Korea secured a comeback victory against the Czech Republic in a Group A match during the 2026 World Cup, with all three goals occurring in the second half. • The win puts South Korea on three points, tying them with Mexico in the group standings. • Midfielder Hwang In-Beom delivered a standout performance, becoming only the third South Korean player to record both a goal and an assist in a single World Cup match.

• Group A of the 2026 FIFA World Cup will feature Mexico, South Africa, South Korea, and Czechia. • Czechia qualified for the tournament after winning UEFA Playoff Path D, securing penalty shootout victories against both the Republic of Ireland and Denmark. • The group stage represents a critical opportunity for Czechia to overcome a historical struggle in knockout football, having won only one major tournament knockout match in two decades.

• The FIFA World Cup 2026 has officially commenced in Mexico City with an opening ceremony and the start of group stage gameplay. • Mexico secured a victory against South Africa in the tournament's opening match, while the fixture between South Korea and Czechia is currently underway. • This event marks the beginning of a massive global tournament, with analysts and media outlets like NBC News focusing on the key players expected to dominate the competition.

• South Korean defender Kim Taehyun (Kashiwa Reysol) has been sidelined due to a sudden ankle injury ahead of the national team's match against the Czech Republic. • Coach Hong Myung-bo may now start Lee Ki-hyuk (Kangwon FC), a surprise selection who had not been called up to the national team since the 2022 East Asian Cup. • Lee's inclusion is based on his standout domestic performances this season, offering a potential solution to the team's defensive crisis.

Russia says arrest of Bishop Hilarion, who heads Orthodox congregation in Karlovy Vary, was politically motivated ‘setup’Czech police have released a Russian Orthodox bishop who had been detained on suspicion of drug possession, after Moscow condemned the arrest as a politically motivated setup.Bishop Hilarion, also known by his secular name Grigory Alfeyev, was stopped by police on Sunday in Karlovy Vary, a spa town in western Czechia popular with Russian tourists, after officers discovered containers holding a white substance in the boot of his car. Continue reading...

Former general Petr Pavel says Moscow’s testing of alliance’s eastern flank should be met with firm lineThe Czech president, Petr Pavel, has urged Nato to “show its teeth” in response to Russia’s repeated testing of the alliance’s resolve on its eastern flank, suggesting a range of options including switching off its internet, cutting its banks off Russian from global financial systems and shooting down jets that violate allied airspace.Speaking to the Guardian in Prague, Pavel called for “decisive enough, potentially even asymmetric” responses to counter Moscow’s provocative behaviour against the alliance or risk the Kremlin intensifying its actions. Continue reading...

European state officials are meeting in Prague to discuss the state of the transatlantic alliance at a global security conferenceThe Globsec Forum in Prague is now under way.Czechia’s Pavel is on stage for his opening address. Continue reading...

Man admits to coating relic in concrete after taking it from church because he objected to it being displayed, police sayCzech police have found the skull of a 13th-century saint, days after it was stolen from a church in the north of the country.Police said they had arrested a suspect, who they said admitted to taking the skull of Saint Zdislava of Lemberk from a glass shrine in the basilica of St Lawrence and St Zdislava in the town of Jablonné v Podještědí on Tuesday. Continue reading...

Suspect was seen on fuzzy security photo running between benches of church carrying skull, police sayCzech police are hunting a thief who snatched the 800-year-old skull of a saint from a display box in a church and ran away with the relic.A fuzzy security camera photo released late on Tuesday appeared to show a figure dressed in black carrying what police said was the skull of Saint Zdislava of Lemberk. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Sev.en Global Investments could turn state-owned businesses into Britain’s biggest steelmakerBusiness live – latest updatesThe owner of the UK’s largest electric steelworks has said the government should find a single buyer for British Steel and Speciality Steel UK (SSUK), a move that would create the country’s biggest steelmaker.Sev.en Global Investments, owned by the Czech billionaire Pavel Tykač, said it not only plans to invest £100m in the UK – mainly in the electric arc steelworks in Cardiff it bought last year – but also has the ability to invest “hundreds of millions of pounds” more in Britain under its 7 Steel brand. Continue reading...

• U.S. Men's National Team fell 3-2 in overtime to Czechia on April 22 in preliminary round of IIHF World Championship. • Goals by American forwards kept game close, but Czechia netted winner late. • Team USA advances to face next opponent Friday, aiming for quarterfinal berth.

Government aims to move TV and radio funding under state control, which critics say undermines independenceJournalists at the Czech Republic’s public broadcasters have said they are prepared to go on strike unless the government of the billionaire prime minister, Andrej ​Babiš, backs down on its plan to scrap licence fees and move funding under state control.In what the journalists see as a threat to their independence, the government wants to replace the current system, in which households pay fees directly to public service media, with direct funding from the state budget. “Licence fees are cancelled,” the culture minister, Oto Klempíř, declared last week. Continue reading...