Czech news in brief for October 21: Tuesday's top morning headlines

Negotiators from ANO, SPD, and the Motorists say talks to form a new government are proceeding smoothly, with no major disagreements on finance, industry, or defence. Both ANO and SPD support keeping defence spending at 2 percent of GDP, while the coalition also plans to shift renewable energy costs from households to the state starting next year.

The Prague City Council has permanently ended horse-drawn carriage rides on Old Town Square. Officials said the carriages had been operating illegally since 2023 and cited animal welfare concerns, including heat stress, traffic risks, and noise. Deputy Mayor Jiří Pospíšil called the move “a clear signal that Prague is following a modern European approach to animal protection.” More than 16,000 people supported the ban through a petition.

A 13-year-old boy died Monday morning after falling from a window at a grammar school in Bystřice nad Pernštejnem, Vysočina Region. Paramedics and a rescue helicopter responded, but he could not be saved. Police are investigating, and the school principal declined to comment. Fatal falls at Czech schools are rare, though similar accidents have occurred in recent years.

Hepatitis A vaccines are temporarily unavailable to general practitioners in the Czech Republic. Avaxim 160 U should be back by mid-December, while Havrix 1440 may be unavailable until March 2026. Cases are spiking in Prague, which accounts for nearly 45 percent of over 1,800 nationwide infections, with more than 20 deaths, including ten in the capital. Combined vaccines for hepatitis A and B are still available as substitutes.

The Chapel of Our Lady of Sorrows in Moutnice, designed by Jan Říčný, has won the Grand Prix of Architects 2025. The Czech Architects’ Association praised the chapel’s craftsmanship and symbolism. The award, a handmade blue glass cube by Bohumil Eliáš Jr., was presented by jury chair Yami Karim. Architect Martin Rajniš received the Lifetime Achievement Award, marked by a red cube.