WEATHER ALERT
Czech government undergoes a reshuffle after a party leaves but retains a majority in Parliament
Read full article: Czech government undergoes a reshuffle after a party leaves but retains a majority in ParliamentPresident Petr Pavel has sworn in two new ministers as part of a reshuffle of the government following the decision of junior coalition partner, the Pirates, to leave the Cabinet.
Czechs vote in the runoff election for a third of the seats in Parliament's upper house
Read full article: Czechs vote in the runoff election for a third of the seats in Parliament's upper houseCzechs are casting ballots in the second round of voting for a third of the seats in Parliament’s upper house.
Hungary's Orbán presents a new alliance with Austrian and Czech nationalist parties
Read full article: Hungary's Orbán presents a new alliance with Austrian and Czech nationalist partiesHungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has presented a new alliance with Austria’s far-right Freedom Party and the main Czech opposition party, which hopes to attract other partners and become the biggest right-wing group in the European Parliament.
Irish and Czech voters go to the polls on Day 2 of EU elections as the far right seeks more power
Read full article: Irish and Czech voters go to the polls on Day 2 of EU elections as the far right seeks more powerVoters in Ireland and the Czech Republic are going to the polls on the second day of the elections for the European Paraliament.
Czech labor unions stage a day of action in protest at spending cuts and taxes
Read full article: Czech labor unions stage a day of action in protest at spending cuts and taxesLabor unions have staged a day of protests and strikes across the Czech Republic to voice their opposition to the government’s package of cuts and austerity measures meant to keep the ballooning deficit under control.
Czech court cancels lower court ruling that acquitted former PM Babis of fraud charges
Read full article: Czech court cancels lower court ruling that acquitted former PM Babis of fraud chargesPrague’s High Court has cancelled a lower court ruling that acquitted former Prime Minister Andrej Babis of fraud charges in a $2 million case involving European Union subsidies.
Populist billionaire vies with ex-general for top Czech post
Read full article: Populist billionaire vies with ex-general for top Czech postRetired army Gen. Petr Pavel is challenging populist billionaire Andrej Babis in the Czech presidential runoff vote for the largely ceremonial post that pits the political newcomer against the former prime minister.
Czech ex-PM Babis favorite in presidential vote's 1st round
Read full article: Czech ex-PM Babis favorite in presidential vote's 1st roundPopulist billionaire Andrej Babis is leading a field of eight candidates hoping to succeed Milos Zeman in the largely ceremonial but prestigious post of the Czech president.
Czech government faces no-confidence vote over energy prices
Read full article: Czech government faces no-confidence vote over energy pricesThe Czech Republic’s coalition government is facing a parliamentary no-confidence vote over its handling the energy crisis and a scandal involving the head of one of the country’s spy agencies.
Slovenia's populist leader loses power as trend continues
Read full article: Slovenia's populist leader loses power as trend continuesOnly months ago, Robert Golob was virtually unknown in politics, didn’t belong to any party, but had a clear goal: remove Slovenian populist Prime Minister Janez Jansa from power and stop a democratic backslide in the tiny Alpine state.
Czech politicians put aside difference to back booster plan
Read full article: Czech politicians put aside difference to back booster planThe Czech Republic's outgoing and incoming prime ministers have put aside their differences to support an initiative to administer 1 million COVID-19 booster shots in a week.
Czech President Zeman back in hospital, now with COVID-19
Read full article: Czech President Zeman back in hospital, now with COVID-19Czech President Milos Zeman has been readmitted to hospital after he tested positive for COVID-19, just hours after he had been discharged following more than a month’s treatment for an unspecified illness.
Daily COVID-19 infections jump in Czech Republic, Slovakia
Read full article: Daily COVID-19 infections jump in Czech Republic, SlovakiaCoronavirus cases have soared to a new record high in Slovakia, with some hospitals having to move COVID-19 patients elsewhere in the country because they couldn’t take any more.
Central European nations seek South Korea train partnership
Read full article: Central European nations seek South Korea train partnershipThe leaders of four Central European nations have met in Hungary’s capital where they urged visiting South Korean President Moon Jae-in to consider investing in a rapid train line connecting Budapest and Polish capital Warsaw.
Czech PM Babis heading for opposition after losing election
Read full article: Czech PM Babis heading for opposition after losing electionCzech Prime Minister Andrej Babis says he wouldn't accept an offer to try to create a new government after his centrist ANO political movement narrowly lost in the parliamentary election last week and is ready to end up in opposition.
The Latest: Australia's capital: 99% with at least 1 dose
Read full article: The Latest: Australia's capital: 99% with at least 1 doseAustralia’s capital Canberra has come out of lockdown with authorities reporting more than 99% of the population aged 12 and older having at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.
Ruling party narrowly loses Czech vote; PM Babis may be out
Read full article: Ruling party narrowly loses Czech vote; PM Babis may be outPrime Minister Andrej Babis’s centrist party has narrowly lost the Czech Republic’s parliamentary election, a surprise development that could mean the end of the populist billionaire’s reign in power.
A look at world leaders named in the Pandora Papers
Read full article: A look at world leaders named in the Pandora PapersA global investigation has revealed how the rich and powerful have being hiding their investments in mansions, exclusive beachfront property, yachts and other assets for the past quarter-century.
'Pandora Papers' bring renewed calls for tax haven scrutiny
Read full article: 'Pandora Papers' bring renewed calls for tax haven scrutinyCalls are growing for an end to the financial secrecy and shell companies that have allowed many of the world’s richest and most powerful people to hide their wealth from tax collectors.
Leaked records open a 'Pandora' box of financial secrets
Read full article: Leaked records open a 'Pandora' box of financial secretsHundreds of world leaders, powerful politicians, billionaires, celebrities, religious leaders and drug dealers have been hiding their investments in mansions, exclusive beachfront property, yachts and other assets for the past quarter-century.
5 dead, hundreds injured by rare tornado in Czech Republic
Read full article: 5 dead, hundreds injured by rare tornado in Czech RepublicA rare tornado believed to be the most devastating in the Czech Republic's modern history has torn through the country's southeast, killing at least five people and injuring hundreds of others.
Belarus opposition leader urges international probe of govt
Read full article: Belarus opposition leader urges international probe of govtA Belarusian opposition leader has called for the creation of an international tribunal to investigate and prosecute the reported crimes of her country's government and its authoritarian leader of nearly 27 years.
Czech lawmakers change electoral law to help small parties
Read full article: Czech lawmakers change electoral law to help small partiesThe Czech Parliament has approved the changes in the electoral law requested by the country’s highest court that ruled the previous legislation discriminated against small political parties.
Czechs to Russia: Let our diplomats back or more of yours go
Read full article: Czechs to Russia: Let our diplomats back or more of yours goThe Czech Republic has demanded that Russia should allow its expelled diplomats to return to Moscow, threatening that otherwise more Russian diplomats would be asked to leave Prague.
Czech, Russian envoys fly home amid depot explosion dispute
Read full article: Czech, Russian envoys fly home amid depot explosion disputeThe Czech Republic’s prime minister and prosecutor general say the two Russian military agents believed to be behind a massive depot explosion in 2014 likely targeted the ammunition, not their country.
EU warns "spark" could set off escalation at Ukraine borders
Read full article: EU warns "spark" could set off escalation at Ukraine bordersThe European Union’s foreign policy chief says that in the face of the big military buildup of Russian troops near Ukraine’s borders, it will only take “a spark” to set off a confrontation.
Longest-serving bookseller among 25,000 Czech virus victims
Read full article: Longest-serving bookseller among 25,000 Czech virus victimsBookseller Jaromir Vytopil, left, appoints the youngest schoolchildren to the order of readers at a library in Pelhrimov, Czech Republic, Thursday, Feb. 7, 2020. Some 25,000 have been killed by COVID-19 in the hard-hit Czech Republic. On March 22, 2020 and for some days to come, the Czech Republic reported daily COVID-19 deaths in the single digits. But it's not just grim statistics that have torn the fabric of Czech life. AdAccording to Johns Hopkins University, the Czech Republic has 240.7 cumulative deaths per 100,000 people, the world’s second-highest mortality rate after the microstate of San Marino.
Czech state orders students to help at struggling hospitals
Read full article: Czech state orders students to help at struggling hospitalsHealthcare workers move a patient to the infectious ward of the Bulovka hospital in Prague, Czech Republic, Wednesday, Feb. 24, 2021. “The more infectious variant of the coronavirus, the British one, has been spreading across all our regions and has become dominant in the Czech Republic,” Blatny said. AdDaily confirmed COVID-19 cases reached 14,554 on Thursday with 8,153 COVID-19 patients needing hospitalization - some 300 cases shy of Tuesday's record. “It’s more about mental exhaustion than physical fatigue.”The country has activated a plan for dozens of Czech patients to be treated in Germany, Poland and Switzerland. AdThe Czech Republic has by far the biggest 14-day infection rate per 100,000 inhabitants in the EU, according to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control.
Czechs send 30,000 police, soldiers to enforce travel limits
Read full article: Czechs send 30,000 police, soldiers to enforce travel limitsPolice officers check cars on a road between the towns, Ceske Budejovice and Cesky Krumlov, near Kosov, Czech Republic, Monday, March 1, 2021. Limits for free movement of people are set in place in the Czech Republic. As of Monday, people in the Czech Republic who go out for exercise should not leave their municipality. Babis said 1 million vaccine shots were expected to arrive through an EU program in March and another 2.6 million in April. In a sign of solidarity, three states in neighboring Germany have sent the Czech Republic 15,000 dozes of the AstraZeneca vaccine to try to control contagion at the border.
Diplomatic doses: Israel shares vaccines with allied nations
Read full article: Diplomatic doses: Israel shares vaccines with allied nationsWhile Israel does not produce vaccines, Netanyahu has moved aggressively to secure enough vaccines for Israel’s 9.3 million people in deals with Pfizer and Moderna. Ad“Our supply is beyond what is needed by the citizens of Israel,” Netanyahu told reporters Tuesday. In Prague, the Czech prime minister, Andrej Babis, said Israel was donating 5,000 doses to his country after a request for assistance. He said the vaccines were in response to requests from friendly countries, and not in exchange for any diplomatic favors. Israel this month delivered 2,000 doses of Moderna vaccines to the Palestinian Authority for frontline medical workers in the West Bank, and it has pledged to share a total of 5,000 doses.
Central European leaders push for faster vaccine deliveries
Read full article: Central European leaders push for faster vaccine deliveries(AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski)WARSAW – Central European leaders pushed Wednesday for faster deliveries of COVID-19 vaccines from every reliable manufacturer to speed up inoculations which they said is the way to conquer the pandemic and jump-start Europe’s economic recovery. The leaders of Hungary, Slovakia and Poland said they support purchasing vaccines from manufacturers regardless of “geopolitics” provided they are safe and effective. Hungary is the European Union's first and so far only member state to administer Russia's Sputnik V vaccine without waiting for approval from the European Medicines Agency. “There is no Eastern or Western vaccine, there is only a good or a bad vaccine,” Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban told a news conference in Krakow, Poland. European Council President Charles Michel, who attended the celebrations, said EU leaders will discuss next week ways of increasing vaccine production and of speeding up inoculations.
Czechs re-declare state of emergency to keep restrictions
Read full article: Czechs re-declare state of emergency to keep restrictionsMedical workers move a covid-19 patient at a hospital overrun by the covid pandemic in Cheb, Czech Republic, Friday, Feb. 12, 2021. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)PRAGUE – The Czech government on Sunday re-declared a state of emergency for next two weeks to tackle the coronavirus pandemic in one of the European Union's hardest-hit nations. The Czech Republic, a nation of 10.7 million, has had more than 1 million confirmed cases, with 18,143 deaths. AdDespite the dire situation, some lawyers and politicians, including Milos Vystrcil, the Senate speaker, say the government’s move violates the country’s Constitution. The government could use other legal options to reimpose some coronavirus restrictions but not all of them.
Czechs in chaos with political infighting amid virus surge
Read full article: Czechs in chaos with political infighting amid virus surgePolicemen stop a car to check documents of a driver near the city of Sokolov, Czech Republic, Friday, Feb. 12, 2021. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)PRAGUE – With a new, highly contagious coronavirus variant gaining force, the already hard-hit Czech Republic was in chaos on Friday after lawmakers deprived the government of a powerful tool to tackle the pandemic. Some of the regional leaders suggested they would like to ask the government to declare the state of emergency again. Local hospitals have reached their limits and COVID-19 patients have to be transported to hospitals in other parts of the Czech Republic. In reaction to the surge across the border, Germany decided to temporarily reinstate border controls with the Czech Republic and Austria on Sunday due to their high number of variant coronavirus cases.
Czech PM views Serbia's mass vaccination campaign
Read full article: Czech PM views Serbia's mass vaccination campaignCzech leader Andrej Babis has been seeking vaccines outside the EU’s common program after deliveries from EU-approved Western drug companies have been delayed. With a team of experts, Babis last week also visited Hungary, which has been the first EU country to give a green light to the Russian vaccine. Thanks to the Chinese and Russian vaccines, Serbia is currently second in Europe after Britain in the rate of the vaccination rollout per capita. “We should abandon politics and talk about people's health, because the (virus) situation in the Czech Republic is not good.”The Czech Republic, a country of 10 million, has recorded over 1 million infections and seen more than 17,600 confirmed virus deaths. Brnabic said the country's experience with all three vaccines has been “excellent.”Babis's visit included a tour of a mass inoculation center in Belgrade.
The Latest: Jump in cases worries S. Korea as holiday starts
Read full article: The Latest: Jump in cases worries S. Korea as holiday starts(AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)SEOUL, South Korea — South Korea has reported 504 new coronavirus cases for the latest 24-hour period. Although coronavirus cases stayed relatively low in Japan last year compared to the United States and Europe, infections have been climbing recently. Kate Brown says outdoor contact sports, including high school football, can resume this week amid a decline in coronavirus cases and hospitalizations. On Wednesday, Germany’s Robert Koch Institute reported 8,072 new virus cases and 813 deaths in 24 hours. ___MADRID — Spain’s official 14-day rate of coronavirus cases has fallen to 584, from a peak of 900 two weeks ago.
The Latest: Sri Lankan officials say vaccinations advancing
Read full article: The Latest: Sri Lankan officials say vaccinations advancingFILE - In this Jan. 29, 2021, file photo, Sri Lankan nursing staff administer COVID-19 vaccines to front-line health workers in Colombo, Sri Lanka. Reynolds issued the earlier restrictions in November when hospitals were struggling to care for a surge of coronavirus patients. Officials say it could help up to four COVID-19 patients. ___LISBON, Portugal — Portugal has set a new daily record for COVID-19 patients requiring intensive care with 904 patients on Friday. AdThe Austrian government offered to take in five COVID-19 patients and five non-COVID patients to relieve Portuguese hospitals.
Hard-hit Czech Republic reaches 1 million confirmed cases
Read full article: Hard-hit Czech Republic reaches 1 million confirmed casesFILE - In this file photo dated Friday, Nov. 6, 2020, healthcare workers move a COVID-19 patient to the Motol hospital in Prague, Czech Republic. Reaching a milestone of one million confirmed cases, the battle against the pandemic is far from over in the Czech Republic. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek, FILE)PRAGUE – The Czech Republic has reached 1 million confirmed coronavirus cases, health authorities said Wednesday. The Czech Republic is by far the smallest of the 21 countries to surpass the milestone, with the U.S. leading the global table with more than 26 million confirmed cases. Another European Union country, the Netherlands, reached the 1 million mark of confirmed cases on Wednesday.
Czech court ruling on electoral law to help small parties
Read full article: Czech court ruling on electoral law to help small partiesOn Wednesday Feb. 3, 2021, the Czech Republic's highest court ruled to cancel several provisions of the country's electoral law as discriminatory for small parties. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek/File)PRAGUE – The Czech Republic’s highest court ruled Wednesday to cancel several provisions of the country’s electoral law as discriminatory for small parties. To gain parliamentary seats, any party needs to reach a 5% threshold of the popular vote. Interior Minister Jan Hamacek said he respected the ruling and invited the representatives of parliamentary parties to discuss the possible options they have. AdBoth chambers of Parliament need to agree on necessary changes to amend the electoral law in line with the court’s verdict.
The Latest: UK reports lowest daily new virus cases in weeks
Read full article: The Latest: UK reports lowest daily new virus cases in weeksState health officials Monday reported fewer than 13,000 people were being treated for the virus in Texas hospitals, marking the seventh consecutive day of declining patient loads. Some hospitals and clinics have reported having to cancel immunization appointments because they didn’t have enough vaccine doses to distribute. A little more than half of Ochsner employees have yet to get the vaccine, officials said at a news conference Monday. Health officials are also worried about variants that were first reported in the United Kingdom and South Africa. The Democratic governor says Nevada officials were told vaccine doses would be administered to the states based on population.
Delay in Pfizer vaccine shipments frustrate Europe, Canada
Read full article: Delay in Pfizer vaccine shipments frustrate Europe, CanadaPeople recieve their Pfizer-BioNTech vaccination inside Salisbury Cathedral in Salisbury, England, Wednesday, Jan. 20, 2021. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein)BRUSSELS – Frustration is mounting from Europe to North America over reduced shipments of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine while the U.S. pharmaceutical company increases production capacity at its Belgian plant. Overall, the EU is slated to get up to 600 million doses from Pfizer. The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine was the first vaccine authorized for use in the U.K. the EU and the United States. “I would not stop until we get these vaccines.”The European Union is likely to pursue Pfizer with a different weapon but equal fervor.
'Believe in science': EU kicks off COVID-19 vaccine campaign
Read full article: 'Believe in science': EU kicks off COVID-19 vaccine campaignBut it was also a public chance for them to urge Europe's 450 million people to get the shots amid continued vaccine and virus skepticism. The Los Olmos home suffered two confirmed COVID-19 deaths and another 11 deaths among residents with symptoms who were never tested. After he got his shot, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis declared Sunday “a great day for science and the European Union." Germany’s BioNTech has said it’s confident that its vaccine works against the new U.K. variant, but added that further studies are needed. The European Medicines Agency on Jan. 6 will consider approving another vaccine made by Moderna, which is already being used in the United States.
The Latest: Coronavirus cases keep rising in South Korea
Read full article: The Latest: Coronavirus cases keep rising in South Korea(AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)SEOUL, South Korea — South Korea has added 1,092 new coronavirus cases in a resurgence that is erasing hard-won epidemiological gains and eroding public confidence in the government’s ability to handle the outbreak. It would deliver long-sought cash to businesses and individuals and resources to vaccinate a nation confronting a frightening surge in COVID-19 cases and deaths. Preliminary data on U.S. deaths show the coronavirus pandemic contributing to a 15% or more increase in deaths over last year. ___MEXICO CITY — Mexican officials have reported a new daily high in confirmed coronavirus cases as the country awaits its first shipment of vaccine. ___WINDOW ROCK, Ariz. — The Navajo Nation is reporting 151 new coronavirus cases and seven more deaths related to COVID-19.
Short of medics as virus surges, central Europe sounds alarm
Read full article: Short of medics as virus surges, central Europe sounds alarmHealth care workers transport a COVID-19 patient from an intensive care unit (ICU) at a hospital in Kyjov to hospital in Brno, Czech Republic, Thursday, Oct. 22, 2020. With cases surging in central Europe, some countries are calling in soldiers, firefighters, students and retired doctors to help shore up buckling health care systems. With cases surging in many central European countries, firefighters, students and retired doctors are being asked to help shore up buckling health care systems. Now, with the virus ripping through their hospitals, many health workers have been sickened, compounding the shortfall. With one of the highest infection rates in Europe, the Czech Republic's hospitals are desperately looking for volunteers.
Czech health minister breaks virus rules, asked to resign
Read full article: Czech health minister breaks virus rules, asked to resignPRAGUE – The Czech Republic’s prime minister called on his health minister to resign or be fired after he broke strict government restrictions to slow a record surge of coronavirus infections and visited a Prague restaurant. Prime Minister Andrej Babis said Friday he will meet with the country’s president later in the day to discuss a possible replacement of the minister, Roman Prymula. “If we want the people to abide by the rules ... it is us who have to set an example,” Babis said. Before he became health minister, Prymula was a deputy health minister who led the government’s response to the coronavirus pandemic for a time in the spring. Prymula became health minister on Sept. 12, and he imposed a series of tough regulations in attempts to slow the steep rise of infections.
Europe faces more curfews, restrictions as virus cases swell
Read full article: Europe faces more curfews, restrictions as virus cases swellPrime Minister Andrej Babis says those measures should prevent the collapse of the health system in early November. The nation of 67 million jumped closer to the 1 million infections mark, with 999,043 confirmed cases by Thursday evening. Health Minister Jens Spahn, who tested positive for COVID-19 on Wednesday, was quarantined at home. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson introduced a three-tier alert system last week for England. Cyprus made mask wearing mandatory for anyone older than 12 in outdoor public spaces after daily infections hit record numbers in the last two weeks.
Czechs enter 2nd lockdown to avoid health system collapse
Read full article: Czechs enter 2nd lockdown to avoid health system collapseFILE - In this March 16, 2020 file photo a young man wearing a face mask walks across an empty Charles Bridge in Prague, Czech Republic. But amid a record surge of coronavirus infections that's threatening the entire health system with collapse, the Czech Republic is adopting on Thursday exactly the same massive restrictions it slapped on citizens in the spring. Prime Minister Andrej Babis had repeatedly said these measures would never be repeated. But amid a record surge of coronavirus infections that's threatening the entire health system with collapse, the Czech Republic is adopting on Thursday exactly the same massive restrictions it slapped on citizens in the spring. Many still remember when Babis' then health minister, Adam Vojtech, and his team proposed in August a mandatory return of masks in schools.
The Latest: UN chief urges G20 to unite on coronavirus fight
Read full article: The Latest: UN chief urges G20 to unite on coronavirus fightThe Texas Department of State Health Services and the Texas Division of Emergency Management will provide more medical personnel and equipment this week. The move comes during the same week that El Paso County reported 3,750 new coronavirus infections, including 1,161 on Thursday. The announcement came Thursday as the state reported 932 newly confirmed coronavirus cases. Wednesday marked another record day for daily confirmed cases, with 827, and state health officials reported an additional 669 cases Thursday. Florida reported more than 5,500 new COVID-19 cases Thursday, raising the seven-day average in daily reported cases to about 3,300.
Czechs impose more restrictions as virus cases surge
Read full article: Czechs impose more restrictions as virus cases surgeA woman wearing a face mask walks in Prague, Czech Republic, Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2020. Facing a record surge of coronavirus infections, the Czech Republic returns to a recipe that was believed to work well to contain the pandemic in the spring. “The surge (of new cases) is enormous.”The restrictions will become affective on Thursday and will last until at least Nov 3. The 7-day rolling average of daily new cases in the Czech Republic has risen over the past two weeks from 29.59 new cases per 100,000 people on Oct. 6 to 85.64 new cases per 100,000 people on Tuesday. Since the start of the pandemic, the Czech Republic has registered 193,000 confirmed coronavirus cases, about one third of them in the last seven days.
EU chief self-isolates as virus makes its mark at a summit
Read full article: EU chief self-isolates as virus makes its mark at a summitDutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, left, greets Austria's Chancellor Sebastian Kurz, right, with an elbow bump during a round table meeting at an EU summit at the European Council building in Brussels, Thursday, Oct. 15, 2020. European Union leaders are meeting in person for a two-day summit amid the worsening coronavirus pandemic to discuss topics ranging from Brexit to climate and relations with Africa. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen left the summit venue in Brussels shortly after the meeting began because one of her close staffers tested positive for COVID-19. Since the pandemic first surfaced in Europe in February, EU leaders have held several summits via videoconference. Parliament President David Sassoli said the virus has already infected a number of EU lawmakers, staffers and their associates.
EU leaders divided over new climate goals for 2030
Read full article: EU leaders divided over new climate goals for 2030According to the meeting's conclusions, leaders will try to find a consensus during another meeting to be held in December, ahead of the adoption of the first-ever European climate law. While the European Parliament pushes for an even greater 60% reduction in emissions, eastern EU countries that depend on coal for much of their energy needs are less enthusiastic. Poland last year did not commit to the EU’s 2050 climate neutrality goal and has asked for more details about the measures. “If we agree on 55% average in the EU, the Czech Republic (does not) have any problem." Under the Paris Agreement, countries are due to submit updated climate targets by the end of the year.
The Latest: 3 million tested for coronavirus in Chinese city
Read full article: The Latest: 3 million tested for coronavirus in Chinese cityThe National Health Commission numbers released Tuesday reported a total of 30 new virus cases in the previous 24 hours nationwide. ___AUSTIN, Texas -- An ongoing wave of COVID-19 cases in the El Paso area prompted Gov. Since Friday, the state added 2,055 new confirmed and probable coronavirus cases, an increase of 3.1%, to bring the total for the pandemic to 67,862. Conley says in a fresh update released Monday that Trump tested negative for COVID-19 on consecutive days using a newer 15-minute test. The project will produce 50 million swabs per month and is funded by a $51.2 million coronavirus relief grant announced by U.S. Sen. Susan Collins in August.
The Latest: Brazil's virus death toll surpasses 150,000
Read full article: The Latest: Brazil's virus death toll surpasses 150,000Women peel potatoes outside a snack bar amid the new coronavirus pandemic in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Friday, Oct. 9, 2020. — Queen Elizabeth II honored the work of doctors and nurses, delivery drivers, fundraisers and volunteers during the coronavirus pandemic. ___PHOENIX -- A new report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says coronavirus cases in Arizona dropped 75% following the implementation of mask mandates. Arizona’s stay-at-home order expired on May 15 and two weeks later the daily average number of coronavirus cases climbed 151%. ___PROVIDENCE, R.I. — The University of Rhode Island has issued a two-week shelter-in-place order for fraternity and sorority houses because of a high number of coronavirus cases.
Under virus strain, Europe's leaders plead at UN for unity
Read full article: Under virus strain, Europe's leaders plead at UN for unity“This emergency has, more than a thousand treaties or speeches, made us suddenly realize that we are part of one single world,” said Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez. In times of global crisis, Europe’s rich governments are often looked to for financial and material aid for poorer ones. As infections tick up, EU countries are again imposing quarantines on visitors from neighboring nations. “In every corner of the world today, there is a young man, a young woman, looking at their cell phone screen. “If we’re truly going to defeat this virus we’ll have to do even more to enhance international cooperation,” Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said.
Czechs replace health minister amid record infection surge
Read full article: Czechs replace health minister amid record infection surgePrymula will be the new Czech Health Minister, replacing Adam Vojtech (for ANO), who announced his resignation on Monday, Sept. 21, 2020. (AP Photo via CTK/Ondrej Deml)PRAGUE – The Czech government moved Monday to appoint an epidemiologist as the new health minister as the country struggles with a surge of new coronavirus infections. The outgoing minister, Adam Vojtech, resigned from his post on Monday, saying his departure was meant to create space for a possible different approach to the pandemic. As deputy health minister, Prymula led the government’s response to the coronavirus pandemic for a time in the spring. Babis said he was sorry about Vojtech's resignation, calling the outgoing minister “the best” the country ever had.
Central European leaders discuss Belarus, fighting COVID-19
Read full article: Central European leaders discuss Belarus, fighting COVID-19In preparation for European Union summit this month, the meeting is to discuss situation in Belarus, ties with Russia and fighting COVID-19. (AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski)WARSAW – The prime ministers of four central European countries said Friday that a new election should be held in Belarus to allow the country's voters to decide the course of its future. Belarus has seen a month of street protests against the results of the country’s Aug. 9 presidential election, which is widely believed to have been rigged. Orban said that fast-growing central Europe could be an engine of a pickup in the economy. Poland, the largest of the four and aspiring to take a leadership, currently holds the rotating presidency of the so-called Visegrad 4, central Europe's political and economic cooperation group.
Pompeo urges Europe's young democracies to embrace freedoms
Read full article: Pompeo urges Europe's young democracies to embrace freedomsU.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo wears a face mask during a joint press conference as part of a meeting with the Prime Minister of Czech Republic Andrej Babis in Prague, Czech Republic, Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2020. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is in Czech Republic at the start of a four-nation tour of Europe. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek, Pool)PRAGUE U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Wednesday called upon the young democracies of central and Eastern Europe to embrace their hard-won freedoms as they face threats from Russia, China and others while seeing backsliding closer to home, including in Belarus. In his remarks, Pompeo took particularly hard aim at China, which he said was an even bigger threat to democracy than Russia. The Senate president plans to visit Taipei later this month despite China's objections, a move that Pompeo applauded.
Pompeo opens anti-China, anti-Russia tour in Czech Republic
Read full article: Pompeo opens anti-China, anti-Russia tour in Czech RepublicU.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo arrives at the airport in Prague, Czech Republic, Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2020. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is in Czech Republic at the start of a four-nation tour of Europe. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek, Pool)PRAGUE U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is in the Czech Republic at the start of a four-nation tour of central and eastern Europe expected to focus on threats to the region posed by Russia and China. Two of Pompeo's other three destinations the Czech Republic and Austria also share a border with Germany, while Slovakia borders Austria, the Czech Republic and Poland. In Warsaw, Poland, Pompeo plans talks with President Andrzej Duda, who recently won a narrow reelection after a bitter campaign that concerned human rights advocates and others.
Central, Eastern Europe on Pompeo's itinerary for next trip
Read full article: Central, Eastern Europe on Pompeo's itinerary for next tripWASHINGTON Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will travel to central and Eastern Europe next week to discuss efforts to counter Russian and Chinese influence in the region and talk about U.S. troop deployments on the continent. The State Department said Thursday that Pompeo will visit the Czech Republic, Slovenia, Austria and Poland on a weeklong trip that is only his third overseas since the coronavirus outbreak. The shift has raised significant concerns in Europe and elsewhere as the Trump administration has given conflicting reasons for it, ranging from antipathy toward Germany's leadership to strategic planning. In Vienna, Pompeo will meet Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz to review trade relations and regional security. In Warsaw, Poland, Pompeo plans talks with President Andrzej Duda, who recently won a narrow reelection after a bitter campaign that concerned human rights advocates and others.
EU leaders resume 'grumpy' summit on budget, virus fund
Read full article: EU leaders resume 'grumpy' summit on budget, virus fundGerman Chancellor Angela Merkel arrives for an EU summit at the European Council building in Brussels, Saturday, July 18, 2020. Leaders from 27 European Union nations meet face-to-face for a second day of an EU summit to assess an overall budget and recovery package spread over seven years estimated at some 1.75 trillion to 1.85 trillion euros. (AP Photo/Olivier Matthys, Pool)BRUSSELS European Union leaders were hunting for compromises Saturday as a summit to reach a deal on an unprecedented 1.85 trillion euro ($2.1 trillion) EU budget and coronavirus recovery fund entered its second day with tensions running high. The atmosphere was grumpier this evening than this afternoon, Dutch Prime Minister Rutte told Dutch reporters after Fridays marathon talks. That comes on top of the seven-year 1-trillion-euro EU budget that leaders were fighting over when COVID-19 slammed their continent.
Czech National Museum exhibits masks made during pandemic
Read full article: Czech National Museum exhibits masks made during pandemicVisitors view en exhibition of face masks at the National Museum in Prague, Czech Republic, Thursday, May 28, 2020. With the coronavirus pandemic still not over yet, the Czech National Museum in Prague has put on display the most visible symbol of the country's response to it, face masks. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)PRAGUE The National Museum in Prague has put on display the most visible symbol of the Czech Republic's response to the coronavirus - face masks. If we want to leave a legacy for future generations, this collection of face masks says only positive things about us, National Museum spokeswoman Lenka Bouckova said Thursday. The Nation Museum exhibition is set to expand with future donations when people no longer need to use masks.
NYSE floor reopens, traders buy shares of Crocs, airlines
Read full article: NYSE floor reopens, traders buy shares of Crocs, airlinesThe New York Stock Exchange reopened the trading floor Tuesday, though with plexiglass shields and far fewer traders. U.S. restaurant traffic is starting to return as states push to get back to normal. About 93,000 U.S. chain restaurant locations reopened between May 10 and May 17. Plans by Delta Air Lines and United Airlines to resume flights to China next month have become entangled in a dispute between the U.S. and Chinese governments. UBS upgraded Southwest Airlines to buy from neutral on better prospects for a recovery in domestic travel.