Czech news in brief for August 10: Sunday's top headlines

ANO MPs will discuss holding an urgent parliamentary session on the bitcoin donation scandal in September, ANO deputy chairwoman Alena Schillerová said Sunday. She doubts the session will yield results and accused Justice and Finance ministers of obfuscation. ODS Deputy Speaker Jan Skopeček urged coalition talks over media disputes and defended ministers, emphasizing police investigation importance.

A seven-member Czech firefighting team departed from Přerov on Aug. 10 to assist in combating wildfires in Finiq, Albania, one of the worst-hit areas. Using a Black Hawk helicopter with a 3,410-litre Bambi Bucket, they join local and EU-supported efforts. Dozens of fires burn across Albania despite hundreds of firefighters and military personnel already deployed. Czech crews also recently provided aid in Greece.

Sparta Prague signed Ecuadorian international John Mercado, 23, from Portuguese club AVS for around four million euros, the club announced Aug. 10. Mercado, who debuted for Ecuador’s national team last year, scored four goals and had three assists in 36 games last season. He joins four other summer signings including Pavel Kadeřábek, boosting Sparta’s squad ahead of the new season.

Overnight stays in Czechia booked through platforms like Airbnb and Booking reached 10.7 million in 2024, up 20.3 percent from 2023 and 13.6 percent above pre-pandemic 2019, according to Eurostat data. Foreign visitors accounted for 74 percent of stays, with Prague hosting 53 percent of all nights booked. The capital continues to push for limits on short-term rentals, citing rising rents and loss of residents.

Czech police investigated 71 murders in the first half of 2025, five more than a year earlier, with South Moravia seeing the largest jump, from four to 14 cases. Most killings were linked to personal disputes. Overall crime fell by 3,074 offences year-on-year to 88,241, with declines in theft and financial crimes, but increases in violent and vice crimes, police statistics show.

Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský said Ukraine must consent to any peace agreement in its war with Russia, rejecting border changes through coercion. His comments followed news of a planned meeting between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin. Kyiv has warned against deals made without its participation. Lipavský stressed Ukraine’s right to self-determination and noted Putin has failed to defeat Ukraine after three years of war.

The Czech Senate hoisted the historic Belarusian flag Friday to mark five years since Belarus’s disputed 2020 presidential election, which sparked mass protests and a violent crackdown. Senate Speaker Miloš Vystrčil said the gesture supports those striving for a free Belarus. The flag, a symbol of the opposition, has been flown at the Senate before in solidarity with Belarusian democracy activists.

Finance Minister Zbyněk Stanjura was briefly hospitalized Friday for a minor health problem, his office said. The Civic Democrat politician adjusted his schedule but attended the end of a coalition campaign event in the Moravia-Silesia Region on Saturday. Stanjura, the Together coalition’s election leader in the region, is expected to resume duties when the government returns from recess on Aug. 14.

A fire on a truck carrying heavy steel coils on the D1 motorway near Mirošovice caused a traffic jam lasting over five hours on Saturday. The blaze, likely triggered by a technical fault affecting the tires, forced authorities to close the motorway toward Brno. Firefighters had to transfer the steel coils, delaying reopening until after 7 p.m. No injuries were reported. Four fire units responded, but traffic congestion complicated their access.

A 58-year-old cyclist fell several meters from a cliff into a river in the Bukovec district of Pilsen on Saturday. Fishermen in the area pulled him out of the water. The man sustained moderate to severe injuries, mostly affecting his musculoskeletal system. Paramedics stabilized him on-site, and a helicopter airlifted him to a hospital. Police are investigating the incident.

Czech Academy of Sciences President Radomír Pánek plans to increase prestigious European Research Council grants, strengthen ties with the state, and expand institutional funding. Pánek, in office since March, also warned of possible budget cuts for 2025, which could limit institute operations. He aims to align priorities with the EU, support top scientists’ return, and maintain a broad range of disciplines.