Czech news in brief for March 30: Sunday's top headlines

Starting in April, Czech general practitioners can prescribe medical cannabis for patients with severe chronic pain. Previously, only specialists could do so. The move, supported by the Czech Association of General Practitioners, aims to offer safer treatment alternatives. Medical cannabis has been used in the country since 2015, with insurance covering 90 percent of costs up to 30 grams per month since 2020.

The opposition ANO party would win this fall's parliamentary election with 31.1 percent of the vote but has lost support this month, a STEM poll for CNN Prima News shows. The Together coalition polled at 20 percent, followed by STAN at 11.8 percent and SPD at 8.9 percent. The Motorists, Pirates, and Enough! parties would also enter parliament. ANO’s drop, from 35.6 percent earlier in March, marks its lowest support this year.

Czech banks have reduced interest rates on savings accounts this year. Two banks offer 4 percent interest with conditions, while most others provide around 3 percent. The decline follows the Czech National Bank's decision to maintain interest rates at 3.75 percent. The highest interest rates are available under specific terms, such as account activity or monthly card payments.

Czech Post aims to return to profitability by 2026 after completing its ongoing transformation, according to CEO Miroslav Štěpán. The company, which last reported a profit in 2017, faces growing losses, with preliminary figures showing a CZK 1.25 billion deficit for 2024. The current transformation includes cost-cutting measures, asset sales, and separating its commercial services into a separate company.

Czech consumers will pay more for Easter pastries this year, as the cost of key ingredients such as eggs, butter, and chocolate has increased. Prices for Easter lamb cakes (beránek) with chocolate icing will see the most noticeable rise. The price of a pack of 10 eggs has risen by nearly 10 percent since February, and butter is around 31 percent more expensive than last year. Bakeries also face growing labor costs, which will further impact prices.

Czechia is providing financial aid to Myanmar through the International Red Cross after Friday’s earthquake killed over 1,600 people. The Foreign Ministry is also in talks with Czech NGOs about further assistance. The Myanmar government has officially requested international aid, but delivering it remains a challenge due to ongoing conflict. Czech firefighters are on standby, but no request for their deployment has been received yet.

A motocross racer died Saturday after suffering fatal injuries during a race in Benátky, near Svitavy, paramedics said. Emergency crews, including a helicopter from Olomouc, were dispatched but could not intervene. Police confirmed the victim was born in 1960 and are investigating the crash. The track owner, currently abroad, declined to comment. The event had 139 registered racers.

Nineteen-year-old Czech tennis star Jakub Menšík will compete for his first ATP title today at the Miami Open, facing tennis legend Novak Djokovic. Menšík, who lost his first final in Doha, considers Djokovic his idol and previously pushed him to three sets in Shanghai. Djokovic is aiming for his 100th career title, joining Roger Federer and Jimmy Connors in the exclusive club. The final starts at 8:00 p.m. Prague time.

Andrej Babiš has raised concerns about proposed changes to school lunch menus as part of his pre-election campaign. He claims the changes, such as reducing meat and increasing vegetarian options, will negatively affect children’s diets. The new guidelines, currently under review, aim to reduce salt and sugar, boost vegetables, legumes, and fish, and provide healthier options. The changes are set to be implemented by September.

Czechia’s Office for Personal Data Protection issued six fines totaling CZK 351.2 million last year, according to its annual report. Cybersecurity company Avast received the most fines, for misusing user data. The watchdog also penalized firms for spam and investigated police biometric data use. The report warns of growing privacy risks as digital technologies evolve and highlights concerns over state register data access by banks and insurers.

The Czech police’s Office for the Documentation and Investigation of Communist Crimes (ÚDV) is still reviewing thousands of unresolved cases from 1948 to 1989. According to its director, Dalimil Sypták, the work requires extensive archival research but provides justice for victims of the regime. Each year, the office identifies dozens of perpetrators, mostly former State Security (StB) and military officials. The most common charges include abuse of power and bodily harm.