Czech news in brief for August 26: Monday's top headlines

The Czech Republic's Ministry of Finance predicts that the average salary will increase to CZK 54,000 within three years, with a growth of 7.2 percent this year. This is due to the high demand for labor and a decrease in inflation, resulting in a 4.7 percent increase in real earnings. The national average gross salary was CZK 43,120 last year, with the highest being in Prague at CZK 45,251. The lowest median wages were in the Karlovy Vary region.

Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský warned at the annual meeting of Czech ambassadors that Russia's aggression against Ukraine is weakening the unity of the international community. He emphasized the importance of supporting Ukraine and maintaining unity in this effort. Lipavský also highlighted the need to address political polarization in Central Europe and strengthen social cohesion. He stated that the security and prosperity of the Czech Republic would be at risk if Russia were to win in Ukraine.

Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala announced at a diplomatic meeting today that Ukraine has received 2 million large-caliber and 22 million medium-caliber ammunition pieces since the start of the Russian invasion, which Czechia has in large part contributed to. The Czech Republic, along with the Netherlands and Denmark, has played a large role in the Czech initiative to provide artillery ammunition to Ukraine. Currently, 15 countries have taken part in this effort. The first shipment of 50,000 pieces of ammunition has already arrived in Ukraine, Fiala said.

Workers this afternoon found a bomb from World War II during excavation work in the east of Brno. Police spokesman Pavel Šváb confirmed that two adjacent buildings have been evacuated, street and railway traffic have been stopped, and a bomb squad is working to deactivate the bomb. Public transport in the area has also been disrupted. According to the Czech Railways website, traffic on the railway is stopped between the main railway station and the Brno-Slatina stop.

Police in Prague conducted a large-scale raid on Friday, detaining foreigners without valid residence permits, drunk drivers, and discovering a methamphetamine brewery. Police spokesman Richard Hrdina reported the news on the web, saying that nearly 6,000 people were checked and approximately 160 fines were imposed, totaling over CZK 150,000. In the afternoon, local police checked squats and immigration police focused on hubs, catching six foreigners without proper permission to stay in the Czech Republic. Police detained a 38-year-old man for operating a methamphetamine brewery.

A Czech citizen detained in the Zimbabwean town of Masvingo for spreading lies has been released and returned to the Czech Republic following a court decision of acquittal on Friday. Czech consul Michal Novák, who was monitoring the case, confirmed that the Czech embassy in the area played a crucial role in securing the citizen's release. Zimbabwean authorities accused the man of unjustly spreading “lies” about the African country’s socioeconomic condition. Local media initially reported that the man faced up to 20 years in prison.

According to the Czech Hydrometeorological Institute, tropical temperatures are expected to return to the Czech Republic from Wednesday after a brief cooling period on Monday and Tuesday with scattered rain. In the Czech capital, temperatures are expected to reach a maximum of 23 degrees Celsius today, rising to 30 degrees Celsius on Wednesday. Thursday will be the hottest day of the week in Prague, peaking at 31 degrees. Brno will have similar temperatures to Prague throughout the week, albeit fractionally higher.

Deputy Prime Minister for Digitization Ivan Bartoš has declared on Czech Television that delaying the digitization of construction management would cause greater economic damage to the Czech Republic than implementing it in its current form. The National Recovery Plan (NPO) allocated funds for this purpose, with the condition that it be launched in the third quarter of this year. The NPO is a reform and investment plan utilizing European funds to address the economic and social impacts of the pandemic. Bartoš also addressed the ongoing difficulties with the new system, stating that it was necessary for the country to meet this deadline in order to meet NPO milestones.

Prime Minister Petr Fiala has said on CNN Prima television that Industry Minister Jozef Šíkela is well-equipped to pass the selection process and secure an economic portfolio as the Czech candidate for European Commission. Fiala and his government are working to ensure a strong portfolio, but other member states are also vying for similar positions. The final decision will be made by mid-September, despite the EU chief executive's request for equal gender representation. The Czech government nominated him officially on Aug. 21.