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The perpetrator of last year's tragic shooting at the Faculty of Arts at Charles University was not mentally deranged, according to state attorney Jana Murínová, who is supervising the investigation of the case. Responding to questions from the security committee of the Chamber of Deputies, Murínová said this had been confirmed by an expert in psychiatry who examined the shooter’s health record. Seeking out the help of a psychiatrist does not automatically mean that a person suffers from a mental disorder, the state attorney said. The motive behind the shooting remains unclear. The police have six months in which to present a full report on the case. The shooter, who was a student of the faculty went on a rampage in December of last year, shooting 14 people and injuring 25.

The Pirate Party of the governing coalition has strongly rejected a proposal put forward by their coalition partner, the Christian Democrats, to increase social insurance contributions for childless people. They say the plan is controversial and unjust, since it would punish people who cannot or do not want to have children. Pirate Party leader Ivan Bartoš said that in his opinion the state should rather focus on helping parents with things like available crèches and kindergartens and flexible working hours.

Russian imperialism is the greatest threat to European security and it is in Europe's vested interest to help Ukraine defend itself, Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský said after a meeting with his Hungarian counterpart Péter Szijjártó in Budapest on Friday. Szijjártó reiterated Hungary's position, saying that Hungary refuses to supply arms to Ukraine because military supplies will only prolong the war. He once again stressed the need for peace talks. Ahead of their meeting, the Czech head of diplomacy said that it is important to maintain dialogue with Hungary, despite their differing views on the war in Ukraine. The two sides also discussed bilateral and regional cooperation.

Czech chemical company Synthesia plans to increase its production of nitrocellulose, a key material needed for the production of gunpowder, by 16 percent from the 6,000 tonnes a year it currently produces, Czech daily e15 reports. The company has already started investing in increasing its production capacity and the process should be complete by the end of 2026. Since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, the company has been unable to meet the demand of arms makers.

According to Czech Defence and Security Industry Association head Jiří Hynek, there are only three major producers of nitrocellulose in Europe, in France, Serbia and Czechia respectively, with Synthesia being the largest in terms of nitrocellulose production for the arms industry.