English-language Prague and Czech political, civic and cultural news.
Reports arranged by publication time. No decorative hierarchy; the record comes first.
The foreign ministers of Poland, Czechia, Slovakia and Hungary are scheduled to meet in Bratislava on September 1, 2026, under Slovakia’s Visegrad Group chairmanship.
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42 indexed reports
Barbora Macková will resign as Czech Republic chief hygienist on September 2, 2026, while continuing to lead the State Health Institute. Matyáš Fošum will temporarily represent the chief hygienist until a selection process is completed.
↗BESS Lipnice, a 57-megawatt battery-based energy storage system, has been commissioned in Czechia and is providing services to ČEPS.
↗The Finance Ministry’s proposed deficit would be the second-largest in Czech history and includes higher defence, investment, healthcare and public-sector wage spending.
↗Police detained approximately 20 people near Letná Square on Aug. 30 as Slavia Prague supporters marched to a derby against Sparta Prague at Letná Stadium.
↗Jake Evans scored in overtime to lift Montreal past Vegas 3-2, snapping the Canadiens’ short skid and handing the Golden Knights another tight loss. Cole Caufield continued his scoring surge and goaltender Jakub Dobes delivered a strong performance as Montreal leaned on timely finishing and late-game composure.
↗The US Department of Health and Human Services and the State Department said the United States has completed its withdrawal from the World Health Organization after a yearlong process. The move ends US membership and funding, and the administration says it will pursue global health work through other partnerships while WHO warns the decision makes the world less safe.
↗Amazon has told employees it plans to cut roughly 16,000 roles worldwide, confirming a new wave of reductions after a meeting invite and draft message were mistakenly circulated. The company says it is trying to simplify decision-making and remove layers, even as the cuts land just months after another major round of layoffs.
↗The Federal Reserve kept interest rates unchanged at its first meeting of the year, pausing further cuts after reductions in the fall. The decision comes amid intensified political pressure from President Trump and renewed debate over the central bank’s independence and the economic risks of lowering borrowing costs too aggressively.
↗Microsoft and Meta are set to open a pivotal week of Big Tech earnings as investors demand proof that huge AI investments will translate into durable growth. Analysts expect the largest cloud and internet platforms to increase AI outlays sharply, intensifying scrutiny of margins, capacity buildouts, and whether the spending spree is sustainable.
↗Tensions between Washington and Tehran escalated after President Donald Trump said a large US naval force was heading toward Iran and urged Tehran to negotiate a nuclear deal. Iran’s UN mission responded that it is open to dialogue on mutual respect but would defend itself if pushed, raising fears that the standoff could slide into open conflict.
↗Rep. Ilhan Omar was sprayed with a strong-smelling liquid during a Minneapolis town hall, where she had been criticizing immigration enforcement and calling for the DHS secretary’s resignation. A suspect was tackled and arrested, and police said forensics were called to the scene as Omar continued the event after the incident.
↗The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced a new set of 15 high-cost drugs selected for Medicare price negotiations, including Botox and the diabetes drug Trulicity. Negotiations will take place in 2026, and negotiated prices will take effect January 1, 2028. CMS said the selections include, for the first time, drugs payable under Medicare Part B as well as Part D, and also identified Tradjenta for renegotiation.
↗The UN Security Council convened a high-level open debate on January 28 focused on the Middle East and the Palestinian question. Briefers and diplomats emphasized that the next phase of the Gaza ceasefire plan is critical, while warning that humanitarian needs remain immense and access must be improved. Speakers also highlighted the urgency of accountability, recovery, and a political horizon that can deliver stability for both Palestinians and Israelis.
↗Nike is investigating claims that an extortion group stole roughly 1.4 terabytes of internal data and published samples online. The alleged cache appears to involve product design and manufacturing workflows rather than consumer databases, raising concerns about intellectual property exposure, counterfeit risk, and supply chain disruption. The incident reflects a broader shift in cybercrime toward steal-and-leak extortion tactics.
↗The FBI executed a search warrant at the Fulton County, Georgia election office on January 28, with county officials saying the warrant seeks records related to the 2020 election. Federal authorities confirmed only that a warrant was being carried out and said the investigation is ongoing. The search renews attention on a jurisdiction that was central to false fraud claims after Donald Trump lost Georgia in 2020.
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