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Czech authorities are investigating allegations that some Filipino workers recruited to Czechia were forced to sign agreements requiring them to stay with their employer for two years or pay a CZK 100,000 penalty if they left early. The practice was uncovered by a Czech Radio investigation and reportedly involved workers hired through recruitment agencies under the government's labour migration programme. The State Labour Inspection Office said such arrangements could amount to labour exploitation, while the Ministry of Labour has referred the case to labour inspectors and police. Czechia is seeking to recruit more Filipino workers to help address labour shortages, particularly in healthcare and social services.

Czech coalition lawmakers have proposed amendments to conflict-of-interest legislation that critics say could allow companies linked to Prime Minister Andrej Babiš to continue receiving public subsidies and contracts, regardless of whether the prime minister has fully resolved concerns over conflicts of interest.

If adopted, the amendment would also reportedly prevent the retrospective recovery of subsidies previously paid to the Agrofert concern he is linked with.

Under current rules, companies that are more than 25 percent owned by a public office holder are barred from receiving state subsidies and participating in public procurement tenders. The proposed amendment would narrow those restrictions, applying them only to officials who directly head the authority responsible for awarding the subsidies or contracts.

The proposal comes as Czech authorities and the European Commission continue to examine allegations of conflicts of interest involving Babiš.

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.