The Daily Dozen: 12 things to know about Czechia today

The Czech Republic and Poland have renewed cooperation on the Stork II gas pipeline with both countries showing support for the project, Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala told journalists at the Economic Forum in Karpacz Tuesday night following talks with Polish PM Mateusz Morawiecki. Development of the Stork II pipeline, which would lead from the Czech border to Świnoujście in Poland, will enable further diversification of natural gas deliveries in Europe while reducing the reliance on Russian gas. Read more.

Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala received the Polish award Man of the Year for 2022 at the opening of the 31st Economic Forum in Karpacz last night. "This is a great honor to me. I am aware of who received this award before - Lech Walesa, Vaclav Havel, and John Paul II. Those are excellent personalities whom I respect immensely," Fiala said on this occasion saying he accepted the prize as an expression of support for Czech-Polish relations, but that he felt somewhat embarrassed.

The public can attend the trial of ex-PM Andrej Babiš and his former aide Jana Nagyova in the Stork's Nest subsidy fraud case. Entrance tickets will be issued outside the Prague Municipal Court every day, a spokesperson told ČTK. The courtroom has a capacity of 80 seats but if interest arises balcony seating can accommodate 36 more spectators for the Sept. 12 proceedings. The former PM and his aide are charged with subsidy fraud and harming EU financial interests. If convicted, they face up to ten years in prison. Both suspects denied the charges previously.

The Czech military will be able to deploy soldiers at NATO’s eastern border to strengthen defense under a new plan passed today in the Chamber of Deputies. In total, up to 1,362 soldiers could serve in foreign missions in 2023 and 2024. The new plan was strongly influenced by the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Defence Minister Jana Cernochova told MPs. Up to 1,200 soldiers will serve to enforce NATO's eastern border in Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, Poland, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, and Hungary.

The year-on-year decline in retail sales accelerated slightly to 7.2 percent in July from June's revised 6.9 percent. New data reflected lower sales of fuel, non-food goods, and food. Retailers' sales are falling in the Czech Republic for the third month in a row data published by the Czech Statistical Office (CZSO) on Wednesday shows. So what are we spending on? This year consumers are increasingly shelling out more at the drugstore.

Marijuana legalization has failed to come to Czechia however, despite the ongoing misconception of the country as a party haven with liberal drug laws. In fact, the reality is just the opposite: though possession is decriminalized, recreational use remains illegal. That could change if a new law passes that would legalize growing, selling, and smoking pot. The Million Marijuana March takes place in Old Town Square in Prague today aimed to draw awareness of the issue during a meeting of drug coordinators from other European countries as part of the Czech presidency of the Council of the EU. Read more.

This year, the laboratory of the State Health Institute (SZÚ) confirmed four cases of diphtheria, which has not occurred in the Czech Republic since the 1990s. The first case was recorded in May in a patient from Vysočina. In recent months, two young siblings and an elderly patient have fallen ill. Vaccination against diphtheria is mandatory in the Czech Republic.

Vaccines against new Covid-19 variants are being distributed in some EU countries this week, European Medicines Agency (EMA) head Emer Cooke said today before an informal meeting of the EU health ministers held in Prague within the Czech EU presidency. The Czech Medical Association confirmed to CTK that the adapted vaccines would arrive in Czechia this week. Cooke stressed the necessity of strong vaccination campaigns in the autumn and winter.

The Czech Hydrometeorological Institute (ČHMÚ) has issued a strong thunderstorm warning for torrential rain with totals of around 30 mm, hail, and wind gusts of up to around 70 km/h. The warning is valid from 3:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Wednesday for the Prague, Středočeský, Plzeňský, Karlovy Vary, Ústí and Liberec regions.

On Thursday, the storms will first affect the whole of Bohemia, for which the warning is valid from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., later moving to Moravia and Silesia, where the warning is issued from 3:00 p.m. In addition to hail and wind, there is likely to be heavier rain than on Wednesday, with a volume of precipitation of up to 40 millimeters.

The live broadcast of the Apple Keynote presentation begins on Wednesday, Sept. 7 at 7:00 p.m. (Czech time). The broadcast will last bout an hour and a half, during which, in addition to the iPhone 14 (Pro), the world will see the next generation Apple Watch, AirPods Pro 2, and Apple TV.

Monday saw the red-carpet premiere of "Jan Žižka" directed by Petr Jákl at Prague's Slovanský dům. The story of Czechia's most famous warlord's youth features big-name Hollywood stars, including eighty-nine-year-old two-time Oscar winner Michael Caine and Ben Foster, Matthew Goode, Til Schweiger, and Sophie Lowe. The film is the most expensive Czech movie ever shot with a budget of around CZK 450 million. It hits cinemas tomorrow. Read our review and see how to find the English version here.

Artists from 27 EU countries along with guests from Ukraine and Norway started to redecorate the Lennon Wall in Prague in order to create the Wall of Freedom and Energy on the occasion of the Czech EU presidency. Organizers intend to take a picture of the wall and subsequently print it out the picture on an inflatable wall that will tour several European cities. Altogether, 30 artists will cooperate on the joint piece, artist Pavel Stastny said. "We have chosen the topic of freedom and energy on purpose because this (Lennon) wall is our symbol of freedom, peace, and love," he said. Read more here.