Czech news in brief for July 7: Tuesday's top morning headlines

Good morning. After nearly half a year of disputes between the government and the president over the delegation’s composition, both President Petr Pavel and Prime Minister Andrej Babiš departed for the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) summit in Ankara this morning. In a press conference ahead of his departure this morning, Pavel revealed he'd have a seat at the table in all senses of the word: Turkish President Erdoğan has invited his counterpart to an informal leaders' dinner, taking place this evening.

A news item for fans of true crime this morning. Czechia may reopen one of its most infamous murder cases. An upcoming documentary details the hysetria surrounding the crime. Read more in your daily headline mix.

Prime Minister Andrej Babiš announced the government will add CZK 36 billion to the defense budget next year, pushing spending to 2 percent of GDP for the first time under the NATO member commitment. The army received CZK 154.79 billion this year, roughly 1.8 percent of GDP, with another CZK 30 billion coming from other budget chapters. Babiš made the announcement before departing for Ankara, framing the summit as the coalition government's first appearance as a unified defense partner.

Ukraine funding: Czechia will not block a proposed EUR 70 billion aid package for Ukraine but will not contribute financially, with Babiš saying the money is needed domestically to meet the 2 percent target.

President Petr Pavel also spoke ahead of travelling to the NATO summit this morning, saying defense spending will get more attention than in past years. He plans a series of bilateral meetings, a defense industry business forum spotlighting Czech companies, and an informal leaders' dinner.

Seating arrangement: Foreign Minister Petr Macinka said Pavel will not sit at the main table at official meetings, though he may join proceedings as part of the delegation.

Linda Noskova, 21, beat American Madison Keys 6-4, 7-6(2) to reach her first Wimbledon quarterfinal, joining Karolína Muchová in the final eight. She survived a mid-match wobble, including four double faults, before closing it out with a dropshot on match point. She faces Belgian Elise Mertens next.

Czech tradition: Noskova is chasing the same grasscourt success as recent Czech champions Petra Kvitová, Markéta Vondroušová, and Barbora Krejčíková.

Justice Minister Jeroným Tejc will decide whether to file a complaint over the 127-year-old murder conviction of Leopold Hilsner in Polná, an extraordinary remedy that would send the case to the Supreme Court. Attorney Lubomír Müller has pushed to reopen the case since 2022, citing evidence unavailable at the original trial.

Historical weight: The 1899 case, prosecuted amid antisemitic sentiment, was famously challenged by future president Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk, who called the ritual murder allegation superstition.

Prague plans to build thousands of new rental apartments through its development company PDS, which now controls about 90 hectares of city land across more than two dozen projects. The city currently has around 29,800 municipal apartments, down from roughly 194,000 before 1991 privatization, with construction averaging just 50 to 60 units annually since 2019.

What's next: Construction on the Peroutkova and Jalový Dvůr projects should begin this year, with larger developments planned for Dolní Počernice, Nové Dvory, and Modřany.

Russian timber trail? Russian timber banned under EU sanctions is still entering the Czech Republic, often relabeled as Chinese in customs paperwork. Czech Statistical Office data show Siberian larch imports from Russia dropped to zero after 2022 while shipments from China, Serbia, and Turkey rose sharply.

Prague Spring has Seoul. The Seoul Philharmonic will open the 2027 Prague Spring Festival with Smetana's My Homeland, becoming the first non-European orchestra to lead the 80-year-old festival. The performance is set for May 12, 2027, at Smetana Hall.

Stones' Prague comedy in development. Director Tomáš Hodan is developing a comedy about the improbable 1990 Rolling Stones concert in Prague, organized at Václav Havel's request just after the Velvet Revolution. The film, pitched this week at KVIFF, still needs financing and international distribution.