Czech news in brief for July 12: Saturday's top headlines

The number of newly diagnosed gender identity disorders in Czechia rose from 225 in 2013 to 989 in 2023, with 80% classified as transsexualism, Health Ministry data shows. Most diagnoses were among teens and young adults. Following a Constitutional Court ruling, a sexologist’s confirmation is now sufficient for legal gender change without surgery. The state has recorded 1,693 related surgeries since 2010, though exact figures remain unclear.

The Czech Defense Ministry has launched a CZK 24.7 billion tender for up to 185 armored 4x4 vehicles for use as ambulances, engineer, EOD, and reconnaissance vehicles. The MRAP-type vehicles must weigh under 20 tons and carry up to 10 people or 4 tons of cargo. Deliveries are expected by end-2026. Over 10 suppliers have joined the prequalification round, with a contract planned for early 2026.

The Czech government will review a new plan to increase support for collective bargaining, aiming to raise coverage from 35 percent to 80 percent of workers. State and EU funding for related projects will grow to CZK 400 million. The plan, mandated by an EU directive, is to be submitted to the European Commission by year’s end. Implementation would begin in 2026, according to Labor Minister Marian Jurečka.

A Czech man died while climbing with a group in Italy’s Dolomites, the Foreign Ministry confirmed Saturday. According to Italian media, the 50-year-old slipped from a trail near Passo San Nicolò in the Val di Fassa area and fell onto rocks. He died at the scene. Local authorities were notified, but no contact has yet been made with the Czech consulate, the ministry said.

Czech chargé d’affaires Vítězslav Pivoňka met Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Shaibani in Damascus to discuss expanding bilateral ties, Syrian state media reports. Talks focused on Czech-funded development projects, including water supply and heritage restoration. The Czech Embassy, active throughout Syria’s civil war, previously represented U.S. interests. Shaibani, a former opposition leader, became foreign minister after the fall of Assad’s regime last year.

The Karlovy Vary International Film Festival ends today with its closing ceremony at Hotel Thermal, where prizes will be awarded in the Main and Proxima competitions. Swedish actor Stellan Skarsgård will receive a Crystal Globe for outstanding artistic contribution to world cinema, while editor Jiří Brožek will be honored with the Festival President’s Award. This year’s edition featured over 130 films, including 34 in competition.

Zlín police safely guided a young male moose away from a busy intersection in Želechovice nad Dřevnicí back to nearby woods. Authorities believe the animal likely wandered in from Poland. Experts warn moose can be dangerous when approached too closely. Fewer than 20 moose remain in Czechia, mostly in Šumava, with numbers falling due to poaching and habitat barriers.

Czech regions have asked President Petr Pavel to veto a school law amendment shifting responsibility for non-teaching staff salaries to local governments. Regional leaders say the change was added late, lacked debate, and is based on flawed financial estimates. The bill, already approved by both chambers of parliament, affects 69,000 workers. Governors want it returned for professional consultation before taking effect next year.

A Prague court sentenced gallery owner Jan Třeštík to seven years in prison for embezzlement and fraud involving high-value art deals, including a Kandinsky painting used as collateral without the owner's consent. He must also avoid corporate management for nine years. The verdict, which Třeštík has appealed, marks the second court ruling in the case, with total damages reaching tens of millions of crowns.

About a third of computers at Nymburk Hospital are back online after last week’s ransomware attack, a hospital spokesperson said Friday. MRI services and most e-prescription functions have resumed, though the babybox remains offline. Police are investigating potential data theft and extortion. Patient care was briefly disrupted after the July 8 cyberattack, but no lives were endangered, officials said. The hospital is gradually restoring full IT operations.

Náchod officials unveiled the foundation stone for a new monument honoring locals who helped Jewish women from the Sackisch Nazi camp in May 1945. After the camp collapsed, 535 inmates reached Náchod, where residents and the Red Cross provided food, clothing, and medical care. The town also aided other wartime prisoners of war, highlighting its international role during the war's final days.