Czech news in brief for August 22: Thursday's top headlines

Health Minister Vlastimil Válek announced today that electronic order forms and patient records, shared among Czech healthcare institutions, will be operational by 2026. The EZ Card app will include vaccination data since 2010 by the end of this year, while pharmacy payment limits will be accessible via e-prescription by 2025. Funded by the National Recovery Plan, these updates will expand the EZ Card app, which currently has around two million users, according to Válek.

According to Czech Radio, Pavel Rubtsov – one of the 26 prisoners that was exchanged between Russia and the West recently – lectured at Charles University's Faculty of Arts in Prague in 2018 and 2019. Rubtsov, a Spanish-Russian journalist and Russian agent, used his role to gather intelligence on Russian opposition members and influenced student selection at the Boris Nemtsov Summer School. Polish authorities arrested him in 2022, identifying him as a Russian military intelligence operative. His status as a journalist allowed him to move freely between European countries and gather information.

Police have today closed a main road between the towns of Most and Litvínov in the Ústí nad Labem region until Friday due to the discovery of an unexploded World War II bomb at a chemical plant Wednesday. Only emergency personnel can use the road, and the bomb will be disposed of after a matter of hours, according to police spokesperson Ilona Gazdosoá. Residents in nearby villages are not in danger. Investigations are underway to find out why the bomb wasn’t uncovered earlier.

The Czech Senate has once again criticized China for violating its international commitments by restricting Hong Kong's autonomy and violating human rights. The Foreign Affairs Committee, led by chairman Pavel Fischer, stated that Hong Kong has become a "laboratory" for the Communist Party of China to impose its rules against its commitments. The Senate also urged EU officials to continue expressing their concerns about Hong Kong's situation in future negotiations and advocate for the safety of its residents. 

Prime Minister Petr Fiala emphasized that 1968 should be remembered for dashed hopes and for the bravery of those who defended freedom during the Warsaw Pact invasion. He spoke before the Waves screening, a film about Czechoslovak Radio correspondents’ resistance. President Petr Pavel and other Czech leaders also attended the event, which was part of the 56th anniversary of the invasion.

The Czech Senate approved an electoral amendment allowing Czechs living abroad to vote by mail for national and European MPs and the President. The amendment passed with 56 out of 68 votes will be applicable in next year’s parliamentary elections. It now awaits President Petr Pavel’s signature. The amendment, supported by all Senate committees, aims to make voting more accessible for Czechs abroad despite opposition concerns about constitutional compliance.

Production at Orlen Unipetrol’s refinery in Záluží, North Bohemia, was halted after an unexploded WWII bomb was found during excavation work. The petrochemical section remains operational. Police evacuated 582 people, and the road between Most and Litvinov is closed. Tram and rail services are suspended. The 250-kilogram bomb will stay in place until Aug. 27. Similar incidents have occurred in the area before, including a 2021 bomb discovery.

Scientists at Prague’s Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry (UOCHB) have developed new molecules that reduce appetite and protect the brain against Alzheimer’s disease. The substance, derived from the neuropeptide CART, suppresses appetite and reduces the accumulation of the Tau protein linked to Alzheimer’s. Successful tests on obese mice showed weight loss and reduced Tau protein presence. The findings were published in the European Journal of Pharmacology.

A new memorial by sculptor Jiří Sozanský was unveiled near Prague’s Kampa Museum to honor the victims of the 1968 Warsaw Pact invasion and the 1969 suppression of protests. The sculpture, first displayed in 2022, includes the names of 147 victims from 1968 and six from 1969. Sozansky called for state recognition of these victims, aiming to end the “shameful silence” surrounding their deaths.