Czech news in brief for January 3: Saturday's top morning headlines

A man attacked two people with a knife at Futurum shopping center in Hradec Kralové on Friday, seriously injuring a man and slightly wounding a woman. Police and firefighters evacuated the center and arrested the suspect at a nearby hospital. Both victims and the injured suspect are under medical care. Authorities are investigating motives, questioning witnesses, and say there is no further danger.

Czech authorities launched a six-month weapons amnesty Jan. 1, allowing residents to legalize firearms, ammunition, or explosives without penalty. The program ends June 30 and is linked to a new Weapons and Ammunition Act. Police will check items for criminal connections before return. Citizens are urged not to handle explosives, which will be removed by specialists. This is the sixth modern Czech amnesty.

Czechia experienced its 13th warmest year since 1961 in 2025, with an average temperature of 8.8 °C, according to the Czech Hydrometeorological Institute. While cooler than record-warm 2024, it was still half a degree above the 1991–2020 average. Rainfall totaled 570 mm, making it the seventh driest year since records began. Last year was the country’s fourth coldest in the past decade.

The 12th SCANDI Nordic film festival opens Jan. 14 with Danish black comedy The Last Viking, starring Mads Mikkelsen and Nikolaj Lie Kaas. Screenings continue through Jan. 21 across Czechia, featuring films from Sweden, Norway, Denmark, and Finland exploring personal and social conflicts. The festival includes Q&As, a student jury, and documentaries such as The Andersson Brothers, offering a deep look into Nordic cinema’s themes and legacy.

Bohemian Switzerland National Park will construct a new visitor center and upgrade hiking trails in a 133 million-crown project, scheduled to begin in 2026. Funded partly by Swiss-Czech cooperation, the center will feature interactive exhibits, a predator's-eye view corridor, and a large 3D model. Plans also include reopening the fire-damaged Gabriela Trail, expanding the Lynx Trail, and improving safe access for hikers by 2028.