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"If Europe begins moving forward on key issues in a narrower circle of willing states, the Czech Republic should not stand aside," President Petr Pavel said in a speech at the “Europe as a Task” conference at Prague Castle. According to Pavel, many EU member states increasingly believe Europe can no longer afford to wait until everyone is ready for everything at the same time. He said Czechia should sit at the negotiating table and work to shape outcomes in its own best interests.

Finnish President Alexander Stubb, who is on a two-day visit to the Czech Republic, also delivered an opening speech at the conference. He said Europe currently faces the need to respond to the growing security threat from Russia and to the position of the U.S. administration that Europe should take responsibility for its own defence. “Europe has the tools for that,” he said.

Political leaders, war veterans and members of the public gathered outside Czech Radio’s Prague headquarters on Tuesday to mark the 81st anniversary of the Prague Uprising against Nazi rule at the end of WWII.

The radio station was the focal point of the uprising and the site of one of the biggest clashes with Nazi forces as citizens came to defend the building. Over 100 people died in its immediate vicinity and hundreds of others fell at the barricades that went up around Prague. Altogether, an estimated 12,000 people were killed around the country.

Among those present at the ceremony at Czech Radio’s headquarters were Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies Tomio Okamura, deputy chair of the Senate, Jiří Drahoš, Defense Minister Jaromír Zůna and Prague Mayor Bohuslav Svoboda.

Commemorative ceremonies marking the anniversary of the Prague Uprising have also been taking place in towns and cities around the country.

Excavation work on Prague Metro's Line D has led to the unexpected discovery of fossils belonging to an entirely new species of prehistoric arthropod that lived around 448 million years ago.

Scientists have named the species Soomaspis labutai. It is said to resemble a cross between a spider and a trilobite.

Researchers say the most surprising aspect of the find is that its closest known relative was previously identified only in southern Africa. The discovery significantly changes scientific understanding of how these ancient creatures were distributed.

Much of Prague stands on rock formations dating back to the Paleozoic era, between 541 and 252 million years ago. Major construction works in the city regularly uncover fossils, including trilobites, cephalopods and ancient echinoderms.

Hundreds of firefighters continue battling a wildfire in the Czech Switzerland National Park for the fourth day now. Although the blaze was contained on Monday, officials say the danger is not yet over. Helicopters are still assisting the operation, though the number of firefighters has now been reduced by around one third, to 370.

Fire Rescue Service chief Vladimír Vlček said he hopes the blaze could be fully extinguished by Friday. He added that the affected area has now been reduced from around 100 hectares to some 20 hectares.