1️⃣ Poland warns against travel to Czechia amid hepatitis A surge
Poland’s Foreign Ministry has urged citizens to avoid travel to Czechia due to a spike in hepatitis A cases. Czech authorities have recorded at least 2,597 infections and 29 deaths this year: four times last year’s total, Polish media reported. The ministry advised strict hygiene, avoiding street food, and drinking only bottled water. Experts say Prague is heavily affected, with infections no longer confined to traditional risk groups.
2️⃣ Pankrác metro station may reopen before Christmas
Prague’s Pankrác station on metro line C could reopen before Christmas as reconstruction nears completion, Deputy Transport Minister Zdeněk Hřib said. Closed since January 2024, the station has undergone full repairs, including new escalators, cabling and public toilets. Workers are also building a transfer hub for the future line D. A new elevator lobby and a now-permanent nearby roundabout are being added as final adjustments move forward.
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3️⃣ Czech customs dogs trained to detect fentanyl
Ten Czech Customs Administration service dogs have completed training to detect fentanyl, officials said Tuesday. The dogs learned to identify multiple fentanyl samples during an international seminar at the agency’s cynology center in Heřmanice. Trainers introduced the opioid first in simple indoor setups before moving to simulated real-world environments. Fentanyl, a synthetic painkiller up to 50 times stronger than heroin, has been linked to 15 deaths in Czechia last year.
4️⃣ Aid group: Ukraine army facing strains
Russian drone and missile attacks on Ukrainian cities and infrastructure have sharply increased over the past year, according to Jan Hermánek, head of Team 4Ukraine. He said early-morning strikes are more frequent and missiles are being modified to evade defenses. Demand for vehicles, drones and evacuation gear remains high, with volunteers supplying about 30 percent of some units’ equipment. Hermánek noted cooperation with Czech groups but no centralized coordination.
5️⃣ Young Czechs see drivers–cyclists relationship as hostile
Most young Czechs view relations between cyclists and motorists as adversarial, a Kantar survey for the Dám respekt initiative shows. About 67 percent of high school students and 72 percent of young drivers said tensions are high, citing dangerous overtaking and aggressive behavior. Nearly half of young drivers say cyclists bother them. Initiative founder Roman Kreuziger said better education and infrastructure—not repression—are needed. Czech roads see roughly 4,000 cyclist-related accidents annually.
📊 POLL RESULTS: Likely future next Prime Minister Andrej Babiš is facing pressure from President Petr Pavel to solve a conflict-of-interest issue. We asked you whether Babiš should still become PM if he owns Agrofert, a large conglomerate of companies that deals with government contracts and gets money from the EU. An overwhelming majority said no: have your say.
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