Czech news in brief for March 31: Monday's top headlines

The Prague Public Transport Company (DPP) has ordered 23 additional trolleybuses from Turkish manufacturer Bozankaya for CZK 312.6 million. The vehicles will replace buses on routes 131, 137, and 176 next year. This purchase is part of a broader deal for 70 trolleybuses worth around one billion crowns. DPP is also building infrastructure for line 137’s electrification, set to launch in April as line 52. Construction for lines 131 and 176 will begin in May.

A Czech court in Pardubice today jailed two foreign men, aged 30 and 31, over a fatal fight in the city center. Prosecutors say they largely admitted to the attack, which left one man dead. They face charges of battery resulting in death and disorderly conduct, carrying a five-to-10 year sentence if convicted. Authorities cited all three legal grounds for custody, noting the suspects’ recent arrival in Czechia and lack of local ties. Exact details of what led to the fight are not yet fully clear.

Hepatitis A cases are rising rapidly in the Czech Republic, with 320 reported in the first three months of 2025, following 636 cases last year. The National Institute of Public Health warns the disease, often asymptomatic and with a long incubation period, is spreading across Europe. The epidemic has notably impacted Moravia-Silesia, where 216 cases were recorded in 2024. Health officials have implemented emergency vaccinations in outbreak areas, including following September's floods.

Prague police arrested a 26-year-old foreign student on Monday night for allegedly posting threatening messages and photos on social media, causing fear among his classmates. Authorities are investigating the case as a violent threat against a group and an individual. While the student's nationality and school remain undisclosed, reports suggest he may be from Iran and is part of an exchange program. Police are considering custody while investigations continue.

Czech tennis player and teenager Jakub Menšík downed tennis great Novak Djokovic after winning the Miami Masters 1000 tennis tournament during the early hours of Monday (U.S. time). He won in two sets 7:6, 7:6. At 19, Menšík is also the second-youngest champion in Miami after Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz. Menšík is ranked 24th in the world, Djokovic—who has won the Miami tournament six times—is ranked fifth.

Czech Environment Minister Petr Hladík confirmed the government will increase defense spending without deepening the state budget deficit. The government plans to gradually raise defense spending to 3 percent of GDP by 2030. To achieve this, the Budget Responsibility Act may be relaxed. Opposition parties, however, oppose loosening spending rules. The planned defense budget increase is in response to security concerns and NATO commitments, despite ongoing fiscal challenges.

A crew of 26 students and several celebrities, led by astronaut-in-training Ales Svoboda, participated in a Zero-G parabolic flight aboard an Airbus A310 today, experiencing weightlessness. The flight, part of the Czech Journey to Space project, took off from Prague’s Vaclav Havel Airport and included various activities in zero gravity. Students like Simon Fajkus, 18, described the experience as "fantastic." The project aims to promote science and boost the Czech space industry.

Despite recent growth in solar power, the Czech Republic remains one of the EU's lowest producers of renewable electricity, generating only 13 percent annually, according to an analysis by Europe in Data. The country relies heavily on coal and nuclear power, which account for 40 percent of electricity. Slow permitting processes and public resistance hinder renewable development, particularly wind power. As coal plants close, the Czech Republic faces challenges in transitioning to nuclear and renewable energy sources.

Russia's embassy in Prague has offered special humanitarian visas to Czechs who share Russian values, following a decree by President Vladimir Putin. The initiative, advertised on the embassy’s website, allows foreign nationals to live temporarily in Russia. The embassy refused to disclose how many Czechs have applied. Critics view the move as propaganda, while others, including former Czech consul Vladimír Votápek, acknowledge limited migration interest, mostly from former Soviet states.

Czech zoos are implementing strict measures to prevent foot-and-mouth disease, including bans on feeding and petting animals like sheep and goats. Adventure programs and special tours have also been canceled. Zoos are urging visitors who have been to Slovakia or Hungary recently to avoid visiting. Increased disinfection protocols, including mats at entrances and exhibits, are in place to protect animals from the viral infection, which poses a significant risk to livestock and wildlife.