News: Friday, January 3rd, 2025

Czechia reopens its embassy in Syria

Czechia has reopened its embassy in Syria, Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský confirmed in a statement for Czech Television on Thursday evening. Czechia has served as the protecting power for the US and other countries’ interests in Syria since 2012 when many states closed their embassies in the country because of the civil war. Czechia maintained the service throughout that time but withdrew its diplomatic staff from the embassy in Damascus in early December in connection with the turmoil surrounding the fall of Bashar Assad's regime. Minister Lipavský said Czechia is watching developments closely and is cautious in its political dialogue with the current Syrian leadership.

Vaccine-preventable diseases among children returning due to declining immunisation rates

Vaccine-preventable diseases among children are on the rise due to declining immunisation rates, the Czech Health Institute warned in its annual report. Last year, Czechia had the highest number of mumps cases in seven years and the highest number of measles cases in five years, according to health data. Diphtheria cases are at the highest level in 25 years, and whooping cough cases are the highest since 1958, the report said. Vaccination against these diseases, which return in varying degrees in waves over several years, is compulsory in childhood and must be undertaken before the age of two. However, according to the Health Ministry, there are now tens of thousands of children in Czechia who did not receive the vaccine according to the vaccination calendar or do not receive it at all.

2,266 women applied for compensation for sterilisation, more applications submitted before deadline

The Ministry of Health received 2,266 applications for compensation for the illegal sterilisation of women before the deadline on the morning of January 2nd, although the total number will probably be higher, ministry spokesman Ondřej Jakob reported to ČTK. It has been possible to submit an application since 2022, and a large number of new applications were received in the days leading up to the deadline set for the beginning of this year. Non-profit organisations and the Council of Europe appealed last year to the Czech government for an extension to the deadline. There are currently two proposals in the Chamber of Deputies for amendments to the law that would extend the deadline.

Minister Výborný: Construction of dam in Nové Heřminovy ​​to begin no later than October 2027

The construction of a new dam and reservoir in Nové Heřminovy ​​in the Moravian-Silesian Region is to begin no later than October 2027, Minister of Agriculture Marek Výborný told journalists on Friday. The construction work should cost approximately nine billion crowns, excluding money for land purchases. The minister expects the building permit to be issued in mid-2026, after which an international tender for a company to build the dam will follow. The ministry plans to approach local landowners with a purchase contract at the turn of January and February this year.

Minister Výborný previously stated that if the dam had been in place at the time, it would have protected Krnov and Opava from last year's flooding, and the damage there would have been significantly less. Representatives of the municipality of Nové Heřminovy have voiced disagreement with the planned construction. Residents ​​will vote again in a local referendum on the dam's construction, to be held in February or March.

Number of deaths and injuries on Czech railways and other tracks decreased last year

221 people died on railways, tram tracks and other tracks in Czechia last year, the lowest in the last three years, according to data for 2024 published on Friday by the Railway Inspectorate. The number of deaths on the railway decreased by 10.8%. The number of collisions between a train and a person was the second lowest in the last five years. More than 85% percent of those killed were people who entered the area of the tracks illegally. The number of injuries also decreased year-on-year last year, to 823, down from 906 in 2023.

The total number of emergencies on all types of tracks increased slightly by 38 cases, to 4,443. The number has remained around this point since 2022. The most emergencies occurred on trams, trolleybuses, cable cars and in the Prague Metro; the inspectorate recorded 3,375 such cases last year.

Czech tennis players reach semi-finals of United Cup

Czech tennis players have advanced to the final six mixed teams of the United Cup for the first time, beating Italy 2-0 at the match on Friday in Sydney, Australia. Tomáš Macháč beat Flavio Cobolli 6-1, 6-2 in fifty-four minutes, while Karolína Muchová won 6-2, 6-2 over the French Open and Wimbledon runner-up Jasmine Paolini. The Czechs will play the USA on Saturday for a place in the final.

Czechs stun Canada with 4-3 win at IIHF

The Czech juniors’ hockey team defeated Canada 4:3 in the quarterfinals of the World Junior Championship in Ottawa and advanced to the semi-finals for the fourth time in a row. Forward Adam Jecho scored the deciding goal at 59:20 in the power play. On Sunday, the Czech team will face the US for a place in the final. The Czechs were third in Gothenburg last year.

Weather forecast

Tomorrow's weather will be overcast, partly cloudy in the morning and evening, and with some isolated snow showers. Highest temperatures will be between -2 and +2 °C, and around -6 °C in areas over 1000m.