Czech news in brief for May 25: Monday's top morning headlines

Good morning. Hope you enjoyed Czechia's first tropical weekend.The political heat was certainly felt in Brno, where the Sudeten German Landsmannschaft wrapped up its first-ever congress on Czech soil. Thousands protested, former President Zeman urged the crowd to punish politicians who failed to oppose the event, and Foreign Minister Macinka publicly criticized President Pavel for lending his patronage.

Amid it all comes a quieter story from the Sudetenland: that of Luby, a small town near the Ore Mountains whose violin-making tradition survived deportation, communist nationalization, and the loss of almost its entire German-speaking population. The town's most famous export ended up in the hands of Paul McCartney.

Eighty rescue workers brought five amateur cavers to safety Sunday after they became trapped underground near Holštejn in the Blansko region of the Moravian Karst. The uninjured group was stranded roughly 100 meters from the exit behind a pocket of elevated carbon dioxide, a naturally occurring phenomenon that becomes more dangerous in warm weather and can cause loss of consciousness without warning. Four cavers managed to climb out independently and raised the alarm; the fifth was brought out using breathing equipment by firefighters. All are expected to recover.

Important to know: The Moravian Karst has five caves open to the public, including the famous Punkva Caves, which contain the Macocha Abyss. Its tens of kilometres of unexplored passages are regularly explored by amateur speleologists.

Rising housing costs are changing not only who can buy apartments in Prague, but what developers are building. As affordability worsens, developers say demand is shifting sharply toward smaller units, with studios increasingly replacing larger family apartments in new projects. A new studio in Prague now costs around CZK 5.5 million, while larger apartments can exceed CZK 16 million. Developers say even one-room apartments themselves are shrinking as buyers struggle with mortgage costs and down payments.

What does that mean for flat hunters? More competition for smaller, lower-priced flats as affordable larger apartments increasingly move out of reach.

Education Minister Plaga is summoning the head of the Czech School Inspectorate on Monday after nationwide digital testing of fifth and ninth graders was hit by server outages and a controversy over personal questions, including questions about students' mental health and suicidal thoughts, that pupils cannot skip. Plaga says he is prepared to suspend or halt testing entirely.

Philip Morris has begun producing ZYN nicotine pouches at its Kutná Hora plant after doubling its planned investment to CZK 2 billion. The factory, which has over 200 years of history, will supply 45 countries. The company says the pouches release 99 percent fewer harmful chemicals than cigarettes, part of a broader shift away from traditional tobacco production.

Important to know: The expansion is expected to create dozens of new jobs, with the city becoming a key pillar of the European production of PMI smokeless products.

Starting Oct. 10, Vietjet Air will launch twice-weekly flights between Prague and Hanoi via Almaty, marking the airline’s first European route. Václav Havel Airport Prague expects more than 67,000 passengers to use the connection in its first year. Officials say the route will boost tourism, trade, and links with the Czech Republic’s large Vietnamese community while improving access to Southeast Asia and Central Asia.

Bohemians 1905 are recruiting fans to play for a C team entering the ninth tier of Czech football next season. The goal, the club says, is not promotion, just the joy of wearing the kangaroo badge. Fans can apply by email.

A two-day techno party with 600 attendees in Hodkovice nad Mohelkou in the Liberec region ended Sunday after police intervention. The organizer told the mayor he didn't care and would rather pay the fine. He now faces a penalty of up to CZK 100,000.

The UK's Express named Prague Europe's most affordable city for summer travel for British tourists, calculating a seven-day trip to cost £427 per person, including flights and hotel. The publication cited £2 pints, £11 meals, and free entry to landmarks like Prague Castle (we're still doing the math on that pint).