Thursday marks the fourth day Czech firefighters have been assisting in the search for missing persons in flood-devastated central Texas, near the town of Kerrville. So far, they have recovered three bodies.

Recent reports of Czech clarinetist Jaroslav Škuta being denied entry to the United States have sparked debate about harsh border controls. But his case – like several before it – shows that U.S. immigration officers are simply enforcing long-standing rules.

The Czech Senate has approved a major reform of the country’s criminal code, including a significant shift in drug policy. Key changes include looser rules on cannabis possession and home cultivation, as well as the medical legalization of so-called magic mushrooms.

Foreigners make up approximately 25% of Prague’s population, and that number is expected to increase. But is the city building fast enough to meet demand? I spoke with Zdeňka Havlová, a researcher at the Prague Institute of Planning and Development (IPR Prague), to figure out how many new units Prague needs to build to meet this demand, and more.

The Czech Army has unexpectdly scrapped its psychological support helpline, set up during the first wave of the Covid-19 pandemic in March 2020. Soldiers in need of support are advised to turn to army psychologists instead. Critics are questioning the wisdom of the move, arguing that one of the key attributes of the helpline was that it was anonymous.

Staroměstská, the central metro station on the A line for Prague’s Old Town, will be shut for one month, to repair the damage from a fire started by a group of young men on Saturday, July 5th.

The coalition government of Prime Minister Petr Fiala on Wednesday survived a no-confidence vote in the lower house over a bitcoin scandal that has shaken the government in its foundations. Although the ruling coalition will be able to complete its full four-year term in office, many questions remain unanswered and analysts predict that the bitcoin scandal will cast a long shadow.

The scandal of the bitcoin donation to the Ministry of Justice, worth nearly one billion Czech crowns, continues to dominate the Czech political scene. On Wednesday 18th, the centre-right government of Prime Minister Petr Fiala survived a no-confidence vote, and the prime minister now likely hopes that this will settle the matter. But has the damage been done? Danny Bate spoke to political analyst and writer Jiří Pehe, to get his opinion on the Civic Democrats’ (ODS) handling of the scandal that emerged from within their own party, and what it means for their election chances.

Workers in Prague have started building tracks that will connect Vinohradská třída, near the National Museum building, with Wenceslas Square. Trams will return to the area after almost half a century. The construction work is already limiting traffic on the main line, and the restrictions will be extended in the direction of the city center from July. Public transport passengers will have to prepare for traffic complications.

The 20th GLOBSEC Forum, held in Prague from 12–14 June 2025, brought in more than 2,000 attendees representing 78 countries to discuss the geopolitical challenges of our era. While there, I spoke to former ambassador to the US, Israel, the UK, and biographer of Václav Havel, Michael Žantovský, about the current political landscape and Czechia’s response to today’s challenges.