Czech news in brief for August 30: Friday's top headlines

According to the Czech Statistical Office, the Czech economy grew by 0.6 percent year on year in the second quarter of 2024. Increased final consumption expenditure and gross fixed capital formation drove the growth. Household consumption rose 1 percent, while government spending increased by 4.3 percent. Investments in housing, infrastructure, transport, and intellectual property also grew by 0.7 percent. The balance of foreign trade in goods and services reached CZK 143 billion in current prices, which was CZK 45.4 billion more than in the same period of the previous year.

Czech President Petr Pavel emphasized the need for balanced artificial intelligence (AI) regulation, cautioning against overregulation to allow technological freedom. He highlighted the international struggle between democracy and autocracy, with technology as a key tool of power. Pavel urged democratic nations to ensure technology promotes democratic values, not autocratic control. Pavel said that if regulation were excessive, it would open up space for competitors to abuse the system and create unregulated models. Slovenian President Nataša Pirc Musar, who was in Prague today, supported the EU's AI Act as essential for regulation.

Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský and Moldovan counterpart Mihai Popșoi discussed security, EU enlargement, and development projects at the Globsec conference in Prague this afternoon. Lipavský emphasized Moldova as a priority for Czech development aid, with current projects worth nearly half a billion crowns. The ministers also addressed Russia's aggression in Eastern Europe and Czech support for Moldova against hybrid threats, alongside discussions on Moldova's EU accession process. "We are currently implementing projects in Moldova worth almost CZK 500 million," Lipavský said.

Local authorities in the Ústí nad Labem region reported that bomb-disposal experts safely detonated a World War II aerial bomb near the town of Litvínov this afternoon, following several days of preparation. The explosion, which occurred on the grounds of the Czech Republic's largest chemical complex, caused minor damage, including shattered windows and a small fire. Traffic between the town of Most and Litvínov was halted, but there were no injuries. The bomb's discovery last week had led to a temporary production shutdown.

The 19th annual Globsec international conference, featuring speeches by President Petr Pavel and President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, begins today in Prague. The three-day event will be attended by leaders from Europe, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia, focusing on the theme "How to calm the storm" in international relations. President Pavel will also participate in the launch of the GeoTech Center platform with software company Microsoft senior executive Brad Smith.

Czech police will today detonate a World War II bomb at a chemical plant near the town of Litvínov (Ústí nad Labem) today at noon, but the weather may affect the timing. The security perimeter will be extended to 2,000 meters and the road from the town of Most to Litvínov will be closed. After the disposal, the site will be inspected and the plant will restart operations. Fuel supply to the Czech market will not be affected. The 250-kilogram bomb was found last week.

Beer tourism is gaining popularity in the Czech Republic, according to state agency CzechTourism. Brewery Plzeňský Prazdroj is one of the most visited places, with over 500,000 visitors last year. The inclusion of the town of Žatec (Ústí nad Labem) on the UNESCO World Heritage List also helped boost beer tourism. The Nošovice Radegast Brewery saw a threefold increase in visitors last year, and the Žatec Temple of Hops and Beer and Galeria Sladovna saw a 28 percent increase.

Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský has confirmed that all deliveries under the Czech ammunition initiative to Ukraine are on track and appreciated by Kyiv. The initiative aims to provide 500,000 large-caliber munitions to Ukraine by the end of the year in response to the ongoing Russian invasion. At an informal EU meeting, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba requested permission to target legitimate military targets on Russian territory, which some EU countries have conditions for. The main issue discussed was the delays in military aid delivery.

Czech tennis players Jakub Menšík and Karolína Muchová both advanced to the third round of the U.S. Open Grand Slam tournament last night. Menšík came back from two match points to defeat Australian Tristan Schoolkat in a four-hour match. Muchová, a semifinalist last year, impressively beat four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka in straight sets. Menšík will face Portugal's Nuno Borges in the next round. Muchová, ranked 52 in the world, will face Russian player Anastasia Potapova in the next round.