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Summary for: Czech news in brief for August 9: Sunday's top morning headlines
Heat returns to Czechia on Sunday
Happy Sunday! Tropical temperatures are returning to parts of Czechia today, just days after a major heatwave pushed temperatures above 40°C, with another hot day expected Monday.
Meanwhile, a new survey finds that 84 percent of Czechs support allowing criminal prosecution from age 13 for the most serious violent crimes, while new rules will make online returns easier. Here’s your morning news roundup.
This morning's top story
Heat returns to Czechia on Sunday
Tropical temperatures will return to parts of Czechia on Sunday, just days after a heatwave pushed temperatures above 40°C. Highs are expected to reach 32–34°C in Prague, the Elbe lowlands and southern Moravia, with warmer weather spreading across more of the country on Monday.
Temperatures rising: Monday could be another 2–3°C warmer before temperatures temporarily ease later in the week. A wildfire risk warning remains in effect across most of Czechia due to ongoing drought.
More top headlines
Most Czechs back criminal liability from age 13
A large majority of Czechs support lowering the age of criminal responsibility from 15 to 13 for the most serious violent crimes, according to an NMS poll for Novinky. Some 84 percent backed the proposal, while 9 percent opposed it. Justice Minister Jeroným Tejc supports the change but says it should not apply to all offenses.
Wide support: Support was high across voters of all major parliamentary parties, ranging from 83 percent among Pirates supporters to 92 percent among SPD voters. The survey questioned 1,032 people from July 30 to Aug. 3.
E-shops must add button for easy returns
Czech online retailers are adding a dedicated button to make returning purchases easier, allowing customers to withdraw from a contract almost as easily as they placed an order. The measure was supposed to become mandatory earlier, but Czechia missed the deadline to implement the relevant EU directive.
Key details: The law is expected to take effect in January. The return button must be clearly visible and enabled by default on all e-commerce sites. More than 80 percent of Czechs shop online, among the highest rates in the EU.
Border towns seek drinking water from neighbors
Drought is pushing some Czech border communities to seek drinking water from neighboring countries, and vice versa, in locales where supplies remain more reliable. Plans are underway to connect water networks between Náchod and Poland’s Kudowa-Zdrój, as well as České Velenice and Austria’s Gmünd.
Two-way waterways: Kudowa-Zdrój wants to receive about 30 cubic meters of water daily from Czechia through a new pipeline. České Velenice could begin trial deliveries from Gmünd next year, using an existing emergency connection.
News you can use
Jewish heritage sites open across Czechia
More than 60 synagogues and Jewish cemeteries across Czechia will open to visitors today as part of the ninth annual Jewish Monuments Day. Sites will be accessible from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., free of charge or for voluntary admission, including restored buildings and places not normally open to the public.
Open day: Prague’s Jerusalem Synagogue is among this year’s participating sites, alongside synagogues in Neveklov, Pacov and Čáslav. Guided tours and other programs are planned at several locations.
