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June rainfall has eased soil drought conditions that had reached extreme levels in some parts of the Czech Republic and caused irreversible damage to some crops, according to the InterSucho drought-monitoring project run by the CzechGlobe institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences.

As of Sunday, the two most severe drought categories in soil layers up to one metre deep affected only a small percentage of the country. Future drought conditions will depend on upcoming rainfall, the report said.

Experts warn that just a few dry days could quickly deepen drought conditions again. While the topsoil layer, up to 40 centimetres deep, has improved in areas that received rain, deeper soil layers remain dry.

Customs officers in Brno seized 800 kilograms of kratom intended for illegal distribution last week, the largest such seizure in Czech history, customs spokeswoman Martina Kaňková said.

Kratom is classified in the Czech Republic as a low-risk psychomodulatory substance and can be legally purchased by adults from licensed retailers. According to the Health Ministry, about 100 businesses hold licenses to sell it.

Kratom use is rising in the country, with several percent of adults and more than one in ten young people reporting experience with the substance.

The Czech Republic imported a record 490 tons of kratom last year, 134 tons more than in the previous year.

Police have proposed filing charges against Pekárna Zelená louka, a bakery company belonging to the Agrofert group, and two individuals over a European subsidy worth CZK 100 million (€4 million) for an innovative toast bread production line.

The move was confirmed to Czech Radio by prosecutor Adam Bašný of the European Public Prosecutor’s Office, which is overseeing the case. The prosecution proposal now awaits formal confirmation. Under Czech criminal procedure rules, there is no deadline for that decision.

Agrofert maintains that the company acted in compliance with the law. The accused face possible prison sentences of between five and ten years if convicted.

At a meeting with the heads of Czech Radio and Czech Television on Tuesday representatives of the ruling coalition reiterated their intention to push ahead with a plan to abolish television and radio license fees, and replace them with state funding.

The cabinet will discuss how much funding Czech Television (ČT) and Czech Radio (ČRo) should receive from the state budget next Monday. Prime Minister Andrej Babiš, who was present at the talks, said the amount would be fair, predictable and indexed to inflation.

Babiš rejected opposition claims that the change is aimed at influencing public-service media, saying the goal is to end charges for people who do not use the services.

Czech Radio Director-General René Zavoral said after the meeting that there had been no debate on the matter and media representatives were merely informed of the government's plan to abolish the current license-fee law.