Czech news in brief for May 23: Friday's top headlines

 A regional court sentenced a teenager to 16 months in prison for hate speech and supporting terrorism on social media, senior Judge Petr Šušil said Friday. The youth, who committed the crimes before turning 18, pleaded guilty and accepted the sentence. Prosecuted behind closed doors due to his age, he was charged with promoting extremist movements, terrorism, and making threats. Arrested mid-2023, he has remained in custody as the investigation expanded.

Czech Interior Minister Vít Rakušan has invited German counterpart Alexander Dobrindt to Prague next week to discuss tightened German border checks, he said Friday. Rakušan urged a return to pre-May rules, arguing Germany cannot sustain current controls long term. He also called for the checks to be labeled temporary, warning they undermine Schengen. Germany expanded border checks last year amid migration concerns, extending them to neighbors including Czechia, Poland, and Switzerland.

European Commissioner Jozef Síkela, who is from Czechia, today urged stronger action on climate change and migration at the National Development Days in Prague on Thursday. Síkela emphasized helping continents like Africa, which suffer most from climate change despite low emissions. Addressing root causes of migration, he said sustainable development can turn “desperation into ambition.” Síkela, formerly Czech industry minister, called for broader global awareness, particularly in countries like the Czech Republic, which he said tend to be inward-looking.

The Prague Public Transport Company has this week began electrifying two hilly bus routes, replacing diesel buses with battery-powered trolleybuses. The change affects lines 176, from Karlovo náměstí to Strahov Stadium, and 131, from Bořislavka to Hradčanská. Officials say Prague's steep terrain makes diesel and fully electric buses inefficient. Instead, hybrid trolleybuses, which use overhead wires on inclines and batteries elsewhere, offer a quieter, cleaner alternative. DPP says the move will cut emissions and noise in densely populated areas.

The Czech Hydrometeorological Institute confirmed the country’s first tornado of 2025 touched down Sunday (May 18) in the village of Vyšný, near Český Krumlov, in South Bohemia. The weak tornado, reported around 12:45 p.m., uprooted and broke trees along a one-kilometer path. Though not captured on video, eyewitness accounts and radar data supported the finding. Meteorologists said conditions, including low-level wind shear and convective clouds, were favorable for tornado formation. No injuries or structural damage were reported.

Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala joined six other European leaders in backing a call for expanded national powers to deport foreign criminals. The initiative, led by Danish and Italian prime ministers, urges a reassessment of how courts, including the European Court of Human Rights, interpret human rights laws. The leaders argue that security concerns and the misuse of migration by hostile regimes necessitate greater national authority over deportation decisions.

The Czech Senate passed a housing support bill aimed at helping people at risk of losing housing. It introduces guaranteed housing schemes and advice centers, targeting those earning up to 1.43 times the subsistence minimum. The bill, backed by 35 of 65 senators, faces criticism over cost and complexity. Supporters argue it curbs poverty profiteering; critics call it bureaucratic overreach. It now awaits the president’s signature.

AirBaltic has launched twice-weekly flights between Prague and Vilnius, operating Thursdays and Saturdays. The new route adds to the Latvian airline’s existing Prague–Riga service. Flights will use Airbus A220-300 aircraft with free high-speed Starlink internet. Plans to name planes after Baltic cities—including Estonia’s Kunda and Püssi, whose names raise eyebrows in Czech—have been postponed due to operational delays, the airline confirmed.

Czech police have extradited a man from the U.S. who had evaded an eight-year sentence for drug offenses. Authorities say such international transfers are routine, with 369 people moved in or out of Czechia last year under European or international arrest warrants. Of these, 215 were detained abroad. Police say fugitives frequently attempt to escape justice by moving in and out of the country.

Czech energy giant ČEZ has, for the first time, overseen the full transatlantic transport of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from the U.S. to the Netherlands. Previously, ČEZ received LNG only at the terminal. The shipment enhances Czech energy security and marks a milestone in ČEZ’s trading capacity. The Eemshaven terminal has received 51 ships so far, with capacity secured until 2027 and plans for expansion.

Prague city councilors approved a plan allowing secondary schools to raise class sizes to 34 students, aiming to create up to 900 new spots amid a capacity crisis. About 1,470 students were left without placements after the first admissions round. Councilors also backed expanding general secondary programs but rejected proposals for private school subsidies and fare adjustments to curb student influx from neighboring regions.

A new bell for Prague’s Church of the Holy Saviour is made partly from war remnants in Ukraine. Cast by Royal Eijsbouts in the Netherlands, the bell weighs over 220 kilos and will be consecrated on June 5 in the presence of Czech and Dutch leaders. The symbolic project reflects peace and Czech-Dutch solidarity in support of Ukraine, with inscriptions in Czech, Dutch, and Ukrainian.

Churches and chapels across Czechia will open their doors Friday for the annual Night of Churches, with 1,867 venues participating. The event offers rare access to religious spaces, concerts, exhibitions, and lectures. Highlights include Prague’s Chamber Chapel in Šternberk Palace and events in Brno, Liberec, and Jihlava. Organized by Christian churches, the event draws thousands nationwide, celebrating spiritual heritage with music, art, and open dialogue.