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The government is putting Štiřín chateau near Prague, up for sale, the government’s office announced on its website on Friday. The sale will take place through an electronic auction starting on September 11. The starting price is CZK 3.3 billion.

Štiřín chateau was built in the mid- 8th century. It acquired its present appearance around 1900 after modifications designed by architect Jiří Stibral. Between 1985 and 1993, the chateau was renovated so that it could be used as a hotel. In 1945 it was purchased by the state and is used for government meetings with foreign dignitaries.

The Prague Zoo has announced that the baby orangutan born in its care at the start of May is a male. The sex was determined by a DNA test. As of Friday, the public can send in suggestions for his name. It will be announced on the baby's one-month birthday on June 20.

The mother of the orangutan cub is 11-year-old Diri, who was also born in Troja. Prague Zoo has been breeding orangutans almost continuously since 1961. Previously, the last baby to be born here was the male Pustakawan, who will be four this November.

Fifteen EU states, including Czechia, have called for “new ways” to handle illegal migration, including making deals with third countries along the main migrant routes which would ease the burden on the bloc member states. In a letter to the European Commission the member states have urged changes to the bloc’s asylum policy that would include mechanisms to detect and intercept migrants on land and at sea and place them in “partner” third countries outside the EU, while their request for asylum is being processed. The letter cites as a model a controversial deal Italy has struck with Albania, under which thousands of asylum seekers picked up at sea can be taken to holding camps in the non-EU Balkan country, while their case is assessed. Czech parties critical of the migration pact says the question of illegal migration should not be solved on EU ground.

The number of Slovaks living permanently in Czechia is gradually increasing, reaching nearly 67,200 at the end of this March, according to the Ministry of Interior data. The number has almost tripled over the past 15 years.

According to the Czech Labour Office, there were about 213,900 Slovak employees working in Czech companies and institutions in March, accounting for more than a quarter of the foreign workforce.

Many Slovaks settle in Czechia after completing their studies. According to the Ministry of Education data, students from Slovakia make up almost two-fifths of foreign university students.

The total number of Slovaks staying in Czechia in March reached around 119,800.