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Venus of Dolní Věstonice, the world's oldest ceramic figurine, was found to be made from fragments of rocks and tiny fossils, not mammoth bones as previously believed. The discovery was made by researchers at the Moravian Museum using micro-CT scanning. The figurine, dating back 25,000 to 29,000 years, is a crucial piece of evidence about prehistoric life and primitive art in this part of Europe. It contains extensive cracks that increase the risk of it breaking. The Venus was crafted from a single piece of loess, requiring significant skill. The figurine is rarely displayed and is kept in a vault, with a public exhibition planned for next year to mark the 100th anniversary of its discovery.

Czech President Petr Pavel stated that Ukraine's entry into NATO might not require full control over its entire territory. In an interview for Novinky.cz, he drew a parallel with West Germany's post-war NATO membership despite Soviet occupation of part of its land. At the recent NATO summit, leaders promised Ukraine an irreversible path to membership but did not extend a formal invitation. Pavel anticipates that Ukraine might negotiate peace with Russia in the coming years, potentially leading to a situation where Russia occupies part of Ukraine, though this would not be recognized by democratic states. This scenario could still allow Ukraine to join NATO.

This year's harvest in the Czechia is nearly complete, with only 0.35% of grain fields and 38 hectares of rapeseed remaining to be harvested. Despite weather fluctuations, the harvest was faster than last year. Farmers are working with the smallest cultivated area for grains in over a century, resulting in a 2.7% decrease in sown area compared to 2022. The total grain production is expected to be around 7.06 million tons, slightly lower than last year, but sufficient for domestic needs. Rapeseed production is projected at 961,000 tons, the lowest since 2006.

The Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs has obtained new documents related to the death of former foreign minister Jan Masaryk from archives in France, the United States, and the United Kingdom. These documents, requested by Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský, are currently being organized and may be made public in September. Jan Masaryk was the son of the first president of independent Czechoslovakia Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk. His mysterious death on March 10, 1948, remains unresolved, with debates over whether it was suicide, murder, or an accident. The new documents could provide valuable insights into this historic case.