Czech news in brief for September 18: Thursday's top headlines

Slovak Ambassador Martin Muranský protested Thursday against Czech Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Vít Rakušan’s attendance at an opposition rally in Bratislava targeting Slovakia’s fiscal package, Foreign Ministry spokesman Daniel Drake said. Muranský relayed a statement from Slovak Foreign Minister Juraj Blanár, who argued that participation by a Czech cabinet member interfered with Slovak domestic affairs.

Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský on Thursday dismissed findings by a UN commission accusing Israel of genocide in Gaza and implicating President Jicchak Herzog, calling the conclusions unfounded. The panel said Israeli leaders, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, incited the alleged crimes, while Israel’s Foreign Ministry rejected the report and urged the body’s abolition. Lipavský noted the study also described Gaza’s worsening humanitarian crisis, an issue Prague has repeatedly urged all sides to address alongside calls to halt fighting and release hostages.

Authorities in Upper Austria are preparing to relocate Emil the moose to the Czech border so he can join the Šumava National Park population. Emil, who has crossed most of Lower Austria in recent weeks, may be sedated and transported if he does not naturally move toward the Czech Republic. A special working group including state officials, hunters, police and wildlife experts has coordinated measures to ensure a safe transfer and support potential breeding in the Bohemian Forest.

The Czech Justice Ministry has finalized settlements with two groups of bitcoin buyers linked to accused Tomáš Jirikovský, paying CZK 34 million and CZK 10 million to cover exchange-rate differences, Minister Eva Decroix said Thursday. The ministry retained the donated bitcoins and returned equivalent funds to the buyers, ensuring the state did not incur losses. The agreements, based on expert valuations, also prevent the buyers from pursuing future claims for damages. A summary report of the settlements will be made publicly available.

The Czech Republic will not support the European Commission’s proposal for a binding 2040 climate target to cut CO2 emissions by 90 percent from 1990 levels, Environment Minister Petr Hladík said Thursday. Germany, France, Poland, Slovakia, and Hungary also oppose the plan. A vote scheduled for today was withdrawn after ambassadors indicated no majority support. “I am glad that we will not vote on the 2040 climate target today because I think it is not negotiated and its impacts are not clear,” Hladík told reporters.

The United States has withdrawn from a memorandum signed last May with the Czech Republic on combating disinformation, the Czech Foreign Ministry confirmed. The move aligns with the Trump administration’s view that disinformation efforts amount to censorship. The memorandum, originally signed by Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský and Antony Blinken, will be replaced with a new version reflecting U.S. policy. The ministry declined further comment.

Prague tram driver Daniel Bejvl denied guilt in court over an incident in which he insulted and allegedly attacked Ukrainian passengers. He admitted telling a child’s family they had no right to be in the country but denied punching them. Bejvl faces up to two years in prison for disorderly conduct. The case will continue November 5, and the family is seeking 55,000 crowns in damages.

Czechia will enjoy an Indian summer at the end of the week, with sunny weather and temperatures approaching 30°C, meteorologists said. Warm afternoons will be accompanied by cold mornings and occasional valley fog. A change is expected Sunday, with increased clouds and showers in western Bohemia. Next week, temperatures will drop below 20°C, with possible thunderstorms, as stable weather gives way to cooler, wetter conditions.

Colt CZ Group reported a 50.8 percent increase in net profit for the first half of 2025, reaching 919.3 million crowns, with revenues of 11.015 billion, up 13.7 percent year-on-year. Growth was driven by strong ammunition sales and the full-year consolidation of Sellier & Bellot, while weapons sales fell 26 percent. The company credited higher operating profitability for boosting its profit despite declining firearms revenue.

A new “levitating” organ has been installed at St. Vitus Cathedral in Prague Castle after five months of construction. Featuring over 6,500 pipes and crystal decorations, the organ’s front pipes appear to float without an organ box. Tuning, expected to take until December, will involve careful calibration to the cathedral’s acoustics. The instrument will be formally inaugurated on June 15, 2026, with concerts and a blessing during mass.