Czech news in brief for July 13: Sunday’s top headlines

Severe thunderstorms with hail and heavy rain are forecast this afternoon and evening in northern Moravia and Silesia, meteorologists warned. Winds may reach 70 km/h, with hail up to 2 cm and 25 mm of rain per square meter. On Monday, highs may hit 32 degrees Celsius in parts of South Moravia. The public is advised to stay hydrated and avoid physical exertion during peak heat.

Sixteen Czech USAR firefighters departed Saturday to assist in flood-stricken Texas, where they will help search for missing persons. According to fire brigade spokeswoman Klára Ochmanová, the team—Czechia’s only foreign deployment to the U.S.—will operate in the hardest-hit areas for five to seven days. The mission follows a bilateral agreement with the Texas National Guard. Flash floods in Texas have reportedly killed at least 135 people.

ANO holds a strong lead in the latest STEM election poll with 30.9 percent support, while support for the governing Together coalition fell to 19.9 percent. STAN rose to 13.2 percent, overtaking SPD at 12.4 percent. The Pirates and Enough! would also enter Parliament with 8 percent and 6.3 percent, respectively. The Motorists, Social Democrats, and Oath remain below the 5 percent threshold. The poll surveyed 1,550 people from June 19 to July 8.

A young man fell from the arch of Prague’s Troja Bridge on Saturday evening and was pronounced dead at the scene. Police are investigating the circumstances of how and why he accessed the arch. The fall occurred just before 8 p.m. and tram and car traffic near the bridge were temporarily halted. The Troja Bridge, opened in 2014, spans the Vltava River and its arch is about 20 meters high.

Better Go Mad in the Wild, a Czech-Slovak documentary about reclusive twin brothers, won the Crystal Globe at the Karlovy Vary Film Festival on Friday. Director Miro Remo received the $25,000 (about CZK 525,000) Grand Prix for the adaptation of a book on off-grid lives in the Šumava region. Twelve films competed in the main section of the festival, held this year without longtime president Jiří Bartoška, who passed away in May.

Prime Minister Petr Fiala warned that U.S. plans to impose 30 percent tariffs on EU goods could harm transatlantic trade and urged continued talks. The move, announced by Donald Trump, drew criticism from Czech officials across parties, who called it a threat to economic stability. The EU said negotiations will continue until August 1 but may consider retaliatory steps if talks fail.

Czech and U.S. military experts will meet in Florida next week to prepare a full training plan for the Czech F-35 program, the army said Friday. Two pilots and four ground personnel will attend. The training will run from 2029 to 2031 as Czechia replaces its Gripens. The CZK 150 billion purchase is the country’s costliest military deal, with aircraft due to arrive between 2029 and 2035.

Swedish actor Stellan Skarsgård was awarded the Crystal Globe for outstanding artistic contribution at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival’s closing ceremony on July 12. Skarsgård, known for roles in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and Mamma Mia!, presented his Cannes-winning film Sentimental Value at the event. The actor, a previous festival guest in 2002, has also starred in The Painted Bird and Good Will Hunting.

The Czech government met several justice-related pledges, Transparency International said this weekend, but only under EU pressure. Key reforms included whistleblower protections, lobbying rules, and changes to prosecutors’ terms. TI criticized former minister Pavel Blažek for weakening anti-corruption efforts and praised his eventual resignation over a bitcoin donation scandal. TI also faulted Prime Minister Petr Fiala for shielding Blažek despite repeated warnings.

A man convicted of sexual abuse who fled Czechia last October was returned from Uruguay this week, police said Friday. He had traveled through Spain before his April arrest in South America. Police credited unusually fast extradition to close cooperation with Interpol. The man is now serving his three-year sentence. So far this year, 143 offenders have been extradited to Czechia from abroad.

Czech NGOs have praised the government’s initial response to the Ukrainian refugee crisis but criticized its failure to ensure long-term integration. Groups like SIMI, CIC and OPU said the cabinet acted swiftly in 2022 but has not addressed housing, welfare or labour exploitation risks. They also condemned restrictive asylum reforms and delays in residency law changes, calling current migration policy inadequate and exclusionary.