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Czech MPs could vote on Thursday on a no-confidence motion against the coalition government of Prime Minister Andrej Babiš (ANO), as the special lower house session enters its third day. The opposition called the vote over concerns including the proposed 2027 budget deficit, Babiš’s alleged unresolved conflict of interest and what it describes as government attacks on institutions. The five opposition parties hold 92 of the 200 seats, while 101 votes are required to bring down the government. The ANO-SPD-Motorists coalition is therefore expected to survive the vote, as it did a previous no-confidence motion in February

Zlín Zoo has announced the loss of one of its prized African elephants. The female Kali had suffered a broken tusk and developed an abscess at its root. Despite lengthy and demanding surgery by an experienced international team of six veterinary specialists, Kali could not be revived from prolonged anaesthesia after the procedure.

The zoo had been home to three female African elephants, a male and a calf. In May, the male attacked one of the females, which subsequently died. The zoo is now left with one female, the calf and the male.

African elephants are critically endangered. Their breeding is rare in the Czech Republic and Europe, where zoos generally keep the more manageable Asian elephants.

Environment Minister Igor Červený (Motorists) has filed a criminal complaint over a contaminated site in the former military area in the Klatovy region. Police had already begun investigating the case on suspicion of negligent endangerment of the public and the environment. According to the Environment Ministry, the case may also involve negligence in performing the duties of a public official.

Červený announced in early September that the former military site contained around 1,000 tons of contaminated soil and 200 barrels of hazardous chemicals. The army began engineering and chemical surveys of the area in mid-September. The minister said the clean-up would cost around CZK 192 million and take until June 2028.

The Finance Ministry on Wednesday announced price caps for Thursday, when the government will resume regulating fuel prices. Petrol will be capped at CZK 46.14 per litre and diesel at CZK 48.72.

The measure comes in response to uncertainty on the oil market and rising fuel prices, which have approached record levels.

According to CCS, which has long tracked fuel prices, diesel sold for an average of CZK 49.51 per litre on Tuesday, just CZK 0.06 below its all-time high recorded in 2022. Petrol averaged CZK 45.88.

Both diesel and petrol have risen by around CZK 4 per litre since the beginning of September.

The Union of Independent Petroleum Retailers protested against the regulation on Wednesday, saying stations will have to sell diesel at prices below what they previously paid for it on the market.

Some petrol stations have reported lower demand in recent days, saying drivers are waiting for the price controls to come into effect.