Czech news in brief for April 25: Friday's top headlines

Czech President Petr Pavel signed an amendment to the Labor Code aimed at increasing flexibility for both employers and employees, effective in June. The changes extend probationary periods to four months for regular employees and eight for senior staff. Fourteen-year-olds will be allowed to work during summer holidays with parental consent. Unemployment benefits will rise to 80 percent of net earnings initially, then drop to 40 percent. Older workers will receive support longer, and retraining benefits will increase to 80 percent of previous earnings.

A large-scale plastics fire at the Ekologie firm's premises near Rynholec in the Rakovník (Central Bohemia) area was extinguished Friday after burning for nearly four days, fire brigade spokesman Jan Sýkora announced this afternoon. Firefighters and heavy equipment are now leaving the site, with cleanup expected to finish by evening. Though no crews will remain onsite, a week-long surveillance period has been ordered due to ongoing risks. The cause of the fire has not yet been determined, Sýkora added.

The Chamber of Deputies Friday approved a government amendment allowing police easier access to criminal and offense records, despite objections from the Office for Personal Data Protection. The bill, aimed at improving EU-wide crime prevention, now moves to the Senate. While supporters argue it aligns police access with other security bodies, the data protection office warns it could breach privacy rights and stigmatize individuals. The Interior Ministry insists access will be limited to what is necessary for specific tasks.

The Czech government plans to build 540 kilometers of new highways and 767 kilometers of high-speed rail after 2050, Transport Minister Martin Kupka said today. The CZK 320 billion road expansion aims to ease congestion in Prague and Brno and improve regional connectivity. Major projects include a 205-kilometer Central Bohemian Ring Road and new motorways such as the D20 and D19. Plans also feature expanded capacity on the Prague Ring Road and 95 kilometers of secondary routes.

 Czech households will pay higher public broadcasting fees starting May under a law signed by President Petr Pavel, the Presidential Office announced Friday. Czech Television fees will rise by CZK 15 to CZK 150 per month, and Czech Radio by CZK 10 to CZK 55. The law also expands payers to include households with internet access but no devices, while exempting firms with up to 25 employees. Fees may rise automatically with inflation over 6 percent.

A funeral mass for Pope Francis, who died April 21 at age 88, will be held today at St. Vitus Cathedral. The Apostolic Nuncio to the Czech Republic, Archbishop Jude Thaddeus Okolo, will preside. The Czech Bishops’ Conference honored the Pope as a man of peace and urged prayers ahead of the conclave. Pope Francis’s Vatican funeral is set for Saturday with global leaders in attendance.

Prague’s Muzeum metro station, where lines A and C meet, reopened Thursday evening after a six-hour closure due to water seepage. Trains had bypassed the station until about 5:20 p.m. The direct exit from line A to Wenceslas Square remains closed, with passengers required to use the transfer corridor from line C. Construction crews had been working on emergency repairs throughout the day.

SPD MP Radek Koten questioned in parliament whether former hockey star Dominik Hašek deserves police protection after a veiled death threat from ex-Russian President Dmitri Medvedev. Interior Minister Vít Rakušan defended the offer of protection, calling out Koten’s stance as unpatriotic. Medvedev reportedly warned Hašek to “be careful crossing roads.” Hašek, a vocal critic of Russia, has denounced threats linked to his anti-war views.

Severe storms swept through parts of Moravia on Thursday, with torrential rains striking the Přerov and Hodonín regions. The hardest-hit areas included Ústí, Černotín, and Skalička, where several properties were damaged. Firefighters responded to flooding in homes, cellars, and roads, deploying heavy equipment to clear mud and debris. Domanín and Veselí nad Moravou were among the most affected, though no evacuations were necessary. Rain continues across the Olomouc region.

Austrian authorities have arrested a 20-year-old Slovak man suspected of involvement in a terrorist cell linked to a foiled attack on a 2024 Taylor Swift concert in Vienna. The group, tied to ISIS, also allegedly plotted attacks in Mecca, Dubai, and Istanbul. The Slovak suspect reportedly planned the Istanbul attack but returned to Austria without carrying it out. Investigations are ongoing.