News

Police across the Czech Republic are investigating a mass bomb threat sent to around 400 locations, including government offices, shopping centres and other public buildings. Officers are contacting the operators of the affected sites and carrying out searches while the buildings remain open. Police say they currently assess the threat as posing a low risk but have urged any organisation that received the warning and has not yet reported it to call the emergency line. Authorities have not released further details about the nature of the threat while the investigation continues.

The Czech government is set to discuss legislation that would allow vehicle ownership transfers without visiting government offices. The proposal would also make it possible to have registration documents and licence plates delivered to parcel lockers or collection points. Other planned changes include allowing drivers to keep their licence plates when changing vehicles and automatically removing stolen cars from the vehicle register. The cabinet will also consider easing reporting requirements for some companies, expanding the use of peer support workers in public services and reviewing several opposition-sponsored bills before parliament.

Meteorologists have detected smoke from major wildfires in France and Spain high above the Czech Republic. According to the Czech Hydrometeorological Institute, the smoke layer was observed early on Sunday at an altitude of between three and 4.5 kilometres, meaning it poses no risk to air quality at ground level. The plume was also visible on satellite images as a thin haze over the country. France and Spain continue to battle extensive wildfires that have forced the evacuation of an estimated 300,000 people. Czech firefighters are among the international crews helping to tackle the blazes in France.

Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš (ANO) has sharply criticised President Petr Pavel over his veto of amendments to the Budget Responsibility Act, calling the move "purely political" and warning it could jeopardise key government spending. In his weekly online address, the prime minister accused the president of conducting a political campaign against the government and rejected Pavel's concerns about fiscal discipline. He insisted that the government remains committed to cutting spending while keeping public debt under control and said the cabinet would seek to override the presidential veto in parliament. Babiš also claimed the president had applied different standards than he did to the previous government and described the veto as "absolutely irresponsible".