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The statements of the leader of the opposition ANO party, Andrej Babiš, about canceling the ammunition initiative are dangerous, and cancelling it would be a huge mistake, said Prime Minister Petr Fiala on Wednesday at an election event in Brno. He was reacting to Mr. Babiš's recent interview with Reuters, in which he said that a government led by ANO would cancel the Czech ammunition initiative if it won the autumn elections.
The Czech ammunition initiative for Ukraine helped deliver 1.5 million rounds of ammunition last year, and deliveries are continuing this year. However, Mr. Babiš has long criticized the initiative, describing it as an advantage for arms dealers. Defence Minister Jana Černochová reacted similarly to the interview, stating “cancelling the ammunition initiative would not only damage the reputation of the Czech Republic, but would also be a fundamental threat to our security”.
The Czech Foreign Ministry unveiled a newly acquired art collection from the estate of Jan Masaryk at the Tuscany Palace in Prague on Thursday.
The roughly 30-piece collection once belonged in Masaryk’s London apartment and was donated by the family of his wartime secretary, Lumír Soukup. Among other things, it includes a painting by Oskar Kokoschka and rare 16th-century maps of Bohemia and Moravia.
The artworks will undergo restoration, with a public exhibition planned for the autumn. Soukup originally saved the collection by buying it at auction in 1949. His daughter, now living in France, donated it to the state.
Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský awarded the Gratias Agit prize to Polish historian and dissident Adam Michnik at Prague’s Czernin Palace on Thursday. Michnik was recognised for his support of Czechoslovak dissidents before 1989 and his strong commitment to democracy and human rights.
Minister Lipavský also highlighted Michnik’s 1989 role as a Polish MP when he proposed a resolution apologising for Poland’s involvement in the 1968 invasion of Czechoslovakia.
Since 1997, the Foreign Ministry has awarded Gratias Agit to individuals and organisations who promote the Czech Republic internationally, regardless of nationality. About 400 have been honoured so far.
Consumer prices in the EU rose by 2.3% year-on-year in June, up slightly from 2.2% in May, according to the latest data by the European statistics agency Eurostat published on Thursday. In Czechia, inflation increased to 2.8%, from 2.3% the previous month.
Eurostat uses harmonized data for EU-wide comparison, which may differ from figures published by the Czech Statistics Office. A year ago, EU inflation stood at 2.6%, while in Czechia it was 2.2%.
Czech Industry Minister Lukáš Vlček met with KHNP CEO Wang Joo-ho in South Korea, confirming that construction of two new nuclear reactors at Dukovany will stay on schedule and within budget. The two will meet again next week in Prague at an event for Czech companies interested in the project.
Mr. Vlček’s visit to South Korea wraps up his working trip to Asia, which also included stops in Vietnam and Japan.
The Czech government approved the Dukovany project last July, selecting South Korea’s KHNP over France’s EDF. The contract was signed on June 4, after the Supreme Administrative Court cleared the way by lifting a legal block.
The first reactor is slated for completion in 2036. With current cost estimates at 407 billion crowns, the project will be the largest public investment in Czechia’s history.
The World Heritage Committee of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has recommended that Prague should not demolish the railway bridge at Vyšehrad. It also warns against further construction of high-rise buildings in the Pankrác area of Prague. This follows from the decision that the committee adopted on Wednesday in Paris at the end of its 47th session. A representative of the Czech Ministry of Culture confirmed this recommendation to ČTK.
The reconstruction of the listed building was previously recommended by an advisory mission of the UNESCO World Heritage Centre and ICOMOS, which visited Prague last December, in response to the intention of the Railway Administration to replace the railway bridge at Vyšehrad with a new one. The current railway bridge at Výtoň dates from 1901. According to critics from the ‘Nebourat’ (‘Don’t tear it down’) initiative, the bridge suffers from neglect of maintenance.
Prices for new apartments in Prague’s development projects increased 1.9% quarter-on-quarter to 169,300 CZK per square meter in Q2 2025, according to Deloitte’s Develop Index, cited by the Czech News Agency. Prague 9 saw the largest rise at 3.5%, now averaging 157,800 CZK per sqm, driven by new neighbourhoods and good transport links.
Prague 2 remains the most expensive at 238,600 CZK per sqm, despite a slight 0.4% drop. Prices also rose in Prague 7 (+2.3% to 213,700 CZK) and Prague 3 (+1.3% to 195,600 CZK). Prague 1 prices fell 8.3% to 185,600 CZK but are still among the highest.
Developer data shows 288 active projects in Prague this quarter, up 11.6%, with available units rising 18% to 8,309.
British singer and bassist Sting performed again in Ostrava after 13 years on Wednesday, as one of the main stars of this year's Colours of Ostrava festival. According to estimates, his concert in the industrial setting of Dolní Vítkovice was watched by over 40,000 people.
Before his own performance, the 73-year-old artist managed to sing with his friend, American rapper Shaggy, who then later returned the visit on stage.
Conservationists have confirmed golden jackals in the protected landscape of Pálava in southern Moravia, after a camera trap captured two adults at night near the town of Perná.
While jackals have been reported before, this is the first solid evidence. The species is spreading naturally from the Balkans, reaching Czechia via Hungary and Slovakia. Experts say their expansion is linked to milder winters, changing landscapes, and a lack of predators like wolves.
Jackals eat both plants and animals and tend to stay near farmland. Unlike invasive species introduced by humans, jackals arrived on their own. They’re smaller than wolves, closer to foxes in size, and avoid people.
Friday will be mostly cloudy with scattered showers and occasional thunderstorms. By evening, the rain will ease and skies will start to clear, sometimes completely. Daytime highs will range from 21 to 25 °C, dropping to around 18 °C in the mountains.
Thursday marks the fourth day Czech firefighters have been assisting in the search for missing persons in flood-devastated central Texas, near the town of Kerrville. So far, they have recovered three bodies.
The prestigious Moto GP series is heading back to Czechia for the first time since 2020. The track at Brno’s Masaryk circuit received a thorough makeover, and will host a full race weekend for the elite Moto GP class, as well as subsidiary Moto2 and Moto3 championships. The meet will start with free practice on Friday.
In this episode of Prague Off the Beaten Track, we take you to Dívčí hrady, where legends meet nature on a peaceful hillside above Prague. Walk through meadows, discover old Czech stories, and catch a glimpse of wild Przewalski’s horses. This quiet part of Prague offers stunning views, rich history, and an experience far from the city’s usual tourist routes.
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