Czech news in brief for July 21: Monday’s top headlines

Czech initiative “Gift for Putin” raised 60 million crowns ($2.84M) to buy six D-30 howitzers for Ukraine. Since 2022, the group has raised over one billion crowns for weapons. A new campaign aims to fund 500 drone kits. The weapons are named after WWII heroes and are expected to reach Ukraine within months.

Police closed Na Maninách Street in Prague Saturday evening after a man threw an airsoft grenade onto a roof following an argument. The street was shut for about an hour before a pyrotechnician identified the object. No explosives were found. The man was detained. It’s the third false alarm incident in Prague this week.

The number of unemployed Czechs over 50 has surged by over 33,000 since 2019, now nearing 110,000, according to CETA. Age bias and hiring reluctance leave many jobless long-term, costing the state over CZK 61 billion annually in lost taxes and benefits. Despite experience, older applicants face rejection and struggle to retrain. Experts warn that the trend threatens both individuals’ livelihoods and national economic stability.

A man with a legal pistol shot and injured two drunk attackers near an ATM late Thursday. Police say the man, who warned them to stop, acted in self-defense. The injuries are not life-threatening. CCTV footage is being reviewed as part of the investigation into whether the use of the weapon was lawful.

Ticket prices for concerts, theater, and cultural events in the Czech Republic have surged due to inflation and a higher VAT rate. Without private or public subsidies, organizers say such events would become unaffordable luxuries. Cinema, museum, and festival admissions have all increased, though book prices have remained stable thanks to a 0% VAT.

Punk icon Patti Smith, 78, returned to Prague’s Forum Karlín with a politically charged, poetry-infused show. She performed classics like Because the Night, honored Radio Free Europe, and called for global peace. Smith, joined by her son and surprise local guests, urged Czechs to “never let any government take away what you value most,” closing with her anthem People Have the Power to a standing ovation.