Czech news in brief for January 12: Monday's top afternoon headlines

The Czech government has appointed several commissioners and deputy ministers, including Filip Turek as government commissioner for climate policy, Kettner as Deputy Education Minister, and Vich as Deputy Defence Minister, while creating posts for digitisation, AI, and strategic security. Acting Environment Minister Petr Macinka will continue to lead the ministry. Legal experts and former PM Fiala warn that commissioners cannot replace ministers, highlighting constitutional and coalition tensions ahead of the confidence vote.

Czech companies involved in the ammunition initiative for Ukraine have secured military equipment worth CZK 274 billion, Prime Minister Andrej Babiš and Deputy PM Karel Havlíček said. Babiš criticized the previous Fiala government for obscuring the project within the Military Intelligence budget and confirmed that Czechia would continue coordinating ammunition deliveries without using its own funds, fulfilling pre-election promises to avoid direct budget contributions.

Czechs were treated to a glowing spiral cloud Sunday night, caused by the upper stage of Elon Musk’s Falcon 9 rocket releasing excess fuel before deorbiting, the Czech Astronomical Society said. The maneuver, part of SpaceX’s Twilight mission carrying satellites including NASA’s Pandora, created a luminous effect as sunlight illuminated the gases and ice crystals at high altitude. Similar phenomena were observed last March.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar will visit Czechia from January 18–20 after government approval. Saar and Foreign Minister Petr Macinka discussed European issues, anti-Semitism, and bilateral cooperation. The visit comes amid debate over potentially relocating the Czech embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, a move Macinka supports. The Czech Embassy already maintains a Jerusalem office, while most countries consider East Jerusalem occupied, highlighting sensitive diplomatic implications.

The new organ at St. Vitus Cathedral in Prague Castle, built by Gerhard Grenzing’s company, will be among the world’s most magnificent cathedral instruments once fully tuned, Czech organist Jaroslav Tůma told the Czech Press Agency. First gala concert is set for June 15, 2026. Tůma praised the organ’s ability to fill the cathedral’s vast space, comparing it to instruments in Speyer, Germany, and Bogotá, Colombia.