Czech news in brief for August 5: Wednesday's top morning headlines

The overnight low at Bystřice pod Hostýnem never dropped below 27.9°C, breaking the previous national record by nearly 0.7 degrees. Many other stations recorded tropical nights, with temperatures staying above 20°C until morning. Tuesday brought highs over 40°C in southern Moravia, plus violent afternoon thunderstorms in Bohemia. Wednesday will bring more of the same, with highs of 32–37°C in Bohemia and slightly higher in Moravia and Silesia; meaningful cooling isn't expected until the second half of the week.

Extreme weather persists. The past 24 hours have brought a run of weather extremes: fires, smog, drought, and even storms with hail. Firefighters battled blazes overnight in Křečovice, Šumava, and Litoměřice, deploying up to 150 crew members and a helicopter to contain the largest.

Parties and independents met Monday's 4 p.m. deadline to register for October's combined local and Senate elections, with the Interior Ministry now reviewing lists through August 22. Twenty-four groups will compete for Prague's 65-seat City Assembly, while 153 candidates are running for a third of the Senate's 81 seats, again fewer than in past elections.

Fewer Senate races: Opposition parties increasingly favor joint candidates over crowded fields, and the trend shows in the numbers; two years ago 169 people ran for the same 27 Senate seats, down from 235 six years earlier; the Motorists party isn't fielding any Senate candidates at all this cycle.

The state budget deficit grew to CZK 176.6 billion in July, up CZK 8.5 billion year-on-year, though it fell by CZK 7 billion from June thanks to a nearly CZK 30 billion EU budget boost. Both revenues and expenditures rose 5.4 percent year-on-year, with tax collection up 1.1 percent overall, or 7.5 percent after stripping out budget-allocation changes and the windfall tax.

Debate over what it means: ANO budget committee member Jana Murová called the deficit an expected seasonal pattern given the planned CZK 310 billion annual target, while ODS's Vojtěch Munzar described the pace as a warning sign that the government has already exceeded projections for the first seven months.

The government is postponing its promised cap on the retirement age at 65, with Labor Minister Aleš Juchelka saying the changes couldn't take effect before 2028 at the earliest due to objections from the Finance Ministry. A planned return to higher pension valorization has also been shelved. Instead, the government approved age-based pension top-ups: CZK 500 more per month for seniors over 80, rising in CZK 500 increments every five years.

Not free: Economists estimate the new age-based contributions alone will cost the budget CZK 2.6 billion in 2027, rising to roughly CZK 6.4 billion annually by 2060, with no offsetting savings identified in the government's program.

Line 145 launches Aug. 15, connecting Prague 8 and Prague 6 via the Blanka Tunnel, running from Sídliště Čimice through Kobylisy and Hradčanská to Vítězné náměstí. The Kobylisy–Hradčanská trip takes 15 minutes at rush hour (13 minutes off-peak), with dedicated lanes and priority traffic signals meant to keep the bus moving.

Frequency: Buses run every 7.5 minutes during peak hours and every 15–20 minutes at other times, with service from 5 a.m. to just before 11 p.m., unaffected by the summer holiday schedule.

Prague drone show. A fleet of 280 drones will light up the sky over Střelecký Island Thursday at 9:30 p.m., part of Samsung's Prague launch event for its new Galaxy phones and watches. The company says it's the biggest show of its kind it's staged here.

Taco Wednesday. Jiřák Markets goes Latin American today, with Mexican folklore dancers taking Jiřího z Poděbrad Square at 5 p.m. alongside tacos, Peruvian jewelry, and the usual lineup of Czech farmers' produce; free admission, starts this afternoon.

That's just brutal. After the Balance sculpture's collapse rattled Prague, attention has turned to the Barrandov Bridge's other concrete landmark, the Hippo Baths. Experts say no demolition has been decided, and the structure may be in better shape than the internet fears.