Weekly news recap: Ledecká triumphs, Pavel waves his pen, and activists disrupt art

🖋️Czech president Pavel waves his pen for gun control

President Petr Pavel signed a bundle of bills into law on Friday, including an amendment tightening the holster on arms and ammunition. Gun regulations now require dealers to report suspicious sales and gun owners to undergo more frequent medical examinations. The digitization of the central gun registry aims to streamline processes, though it won't take effect until 2026. Additionally, special rules for handling military ammunition have been introduced, simplifying legislation and enhancing security. Prosecutors will now serve a seven-year term without reappointment, and protections for cultural artifacts on loan from abroad have been strengthened. Other laws address money laundering and truck overloading fines.

🥇Snow queen Ledecká triumphs

Ester Ledecká delivered a victory in the super-G at Saalbach, Austria, capping off her season in style. With her fourth ski World Cup win, she praised her team’s support and her regained strength post-surgeries. Ledecká's triumph, beating Italy’s Federica Brignone by 28 hundredths of a second, showcased her prowess in the sport. Despite challenges, Ledecká's determination shone through, securing her place among skiing's elite and earning applause from fans worldwide (and the Czech president) for her performance.

🖼️ Pro-Palestine activists storm Prague's National Gallery

During the National Gallery’s season opening at Prague’s Veletržní Palace, the “Stop Genocide in Gaza” initiative interrupted proceedings to spotlight the cause. Artist Yara Abu Aataya urged Czech political representatives to push for a ceasefire. The protest featured various artists, filmmakers, musicians, and activists advocating for Gaza’s plight. The National Gallery opened its new exhibition, Feeling Lasts Forever, on Thursday, representing the Solidarity Collection from the Skopje Museum of Contemporary Art in North Macedonia. The collection includes works by artists Pablo Picasso, David Hockney, Bridget Riley, and Niki de Saint Phalle, who supported the city out of solidarity after the devastating earthquake in the summer of 1963.

🇺🇦 Slovakia and Hungary say no to Czech ammo

At a meeting in Prague, the Visegrad Group (V4) foreign ministers, including those from the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, and Hungary, condemned Russia’s actions in Ukraine as a violation of international law. While agreeing on this point, Slovakia and Hungary refused to participate in the Czech ammunition initiative for Ukraine. Earlier this week, Germany pledged EUR 300,000 to the Czech campaign to supply the warn-torn country with 800,000 rounds of ammo. Finland and Canada also pledged their monetary support this week.

☢️PM Fiala splits atoms at nuclear summit

Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala extolled the virtues of nuclear power at the World Nuclear Summit this week, splitting atoms at unreliable energy partners like Russia while championing energy independence. Fiala spoke of the country’s aim to source half of its electricity from "sustainable, reliable, and secure" nuclear sources by 2050. The summit, hosted in Brussels with an Atomium backdrop, drew global leaders and industry titans, highlighting nuclear's place in the energy landscape.