Czech news in brief for August 7: Friday's top afternoon headlines

Good afternoon, the investigation into Turek's July car crash with an ambulance in Prague is still ongoing, but Czech police have found him theoretically guilty of incitement to hatred over some past social media posts. The criminal offenses, however, are time-barred.

Meanwhile, we're seeing a rare slump in the number of foreign tourists coming to Prague, and police have called on the public for any information about the whereabouts of a missing 9-year-old boy.

After investigating dozens of Facebook and social media posts by Motorist head and MP Filip Turek shared between 2010 and 2017, Czech police concluded that "he fulfilled all the characteristics of the offense of incitement against a group of people and restricting their rights and freedoms." Investigators also highlighted "a consistent pattern of communication" clear from Turek's posts, especially those targeting Romani, gay people and Black people.

Time-barred. But because the posts are older than five years and past the statute of limitations, police cannot charge the Czech lawmaker and government commissioner for the Green Deal.

Concert and cultural events promoter Live Nation will buy a majority stake of 51 percent in a new joint venture operating Prague's O2 Arena, O2 Universum and Forum Karlín, along with the PPF investment group. Overseeing three of the capital's major and largest concert venues, the new company will handle day-to-day operations, programming and scheduling, promotion and investment plans to upgrade and modernize the facilities.

Deal in the works. One of the world's largest live entertainment companies, Live Nation has long had a huge presence in Czechia and Central Europe. The deal - whose value has not been disclosed - is still subject to regulatory approval by Czech authorities.

Based on data released today by the Czech statistical office, a total of 6.4 million tourists stayed in hotels and other collective accommodation facilities in the second quarter of 2026, just a 0.5 percent increase compared to last year. "The growth in Czech tourism is based almost exclusively on strong domestic demand [from Czech tourists]," explained BHS chief economist Štěpán Křeček.

Foreign tourism in a lull. For the first time in five years, the number of foreign tourists stagnated in the second quarter, with less than 3 million guests visiting Czechia from abroad - exclusively Prague, for the most part, which itself saw a decline of 1.2 percent in guest numbers. As in previous years, the largest number of visitors came from neighboring Germany (650,000), Slovakia (260,000) and Poland (255,000).

Police have appealed to the public for help in tracking down a 9-year-old called Nikolas Lím who went missing after leaving his home in Prague's Letná district. His father reported him missing earlier today.

What to know. "The boy has brown hair and dark eyes. He should be wearing black shorts, a red T-shirt with black stripes on the sleeves, a red bracelet on his wrist with his parents' phone numbers," police spokeswoman Eva Kropáčková said. He is also said to suffer from autism.

A thief that stole jewelry worth CZK 140,000 from a Prague store was caught hours later in Brno, Czech police announced on their website. A repeat offender, the man was caught directly after exiting the bus as police has already been waiting for him upon arrival.

Check your account first. Not exactly your high-flying heist. Czech police explained that the man had come with the intention of buying several pieces of gold pendants and chains, worth close to CZK 140,000. After his attempt to pay was unsuccessful, he allegedly seized the jewelry after threatening the sales staff and stormed out of the store with the loot.