Czech news in brief for October 19: Saturday's top headlines

A drunk driver in Ostrava struck and seriously injured a pedestrian who was, perhaps ironically, also wanted by authorities for driving under the influence. The accident occurred shortly after midnight when the 23-year-old driver veered onto the sidewalk, hitting the 40-year-old man. While investigating the scene, police discovered that the injured pedestrian was also wanted, and a public prosecutor consented to his detainment.

Czech table tennis player Hana Matelová has guaranteed at least a bronze medal after advancing to the semifinals in doubles at the European Championships in Linz. Alongside Slovak partner Barbora Balážová, they defeated Swedish duo Linda Bergström and Christina Källberg in the quarterfinals. In the semifinals, they will face Slovak-Polish duo Tatiana Kukuľková and Natalia Bajorová.

A bear attacked an elderly mushroom picker near the village of Kanianka, in Slovakia's Trenčín Region, on Saturday morning. The aggressive bear, a female with two cubs, attacked the man in a forest between Šútovce and Poruba. Rescue teams dispatched an ambulance and helicopter, confirming the man is conscious despite his injuries. Authorities are deploying a response team to euthanize the bear and have urged residents to avoid the area. This latest incident follows a fatal bear attack in early October.

Companies forced to halt operations due to recent floods can apply for state wage subsidies in November. The Labour Office will reimburse half of the wages paid to employees or contractors during the work stoppage, up to CZK 18,400 per worker. The Povodeň 2024 program, approved by the government in early October, is expected to cost around CZK 1 billion. The subsidies aim to help businesses recover in affected regions, excluding Prague and three other areas.

If an audit from the Ministry for Regional Development uncovers that contractors responsible for the digitization of Czechia's construction permit (DSŘ) systems underperformed, they could face consequences, Minister Petr Kulhánek said. The audit will examine the quality of the systems' software and hardware, for which CZK 330 million has already been invoiced. The systems, launched this summer, have faced multiple issues. The audit's results are expected by January 2025.

Marek Výborný has been re-elected as the leader of the Czech Christian Democrats (KDU-ČSL), defeating outgoing chairman Marian Jurečka in a second-round vote at the party's congress. Výborný, who resigned as leader in 2020 due to family reasons, emphasized continuity and bringing in new faces. He aims to strengthen the party ahead of next year's parliamentary elections. Výborný also thanked Jurečka for his leadership and highlighted the need for unity within KDU-ČSL and the Together coalition.

The Slovak Prosecutor General's Office has halted its investigation into Czech journalist Kristina Círoková and others reporting on sects, including the AllatRa movement. Círoková, who works for Seznam Zprávy, was accused of promoting a movement that suppresses rights, but the prosecutor’s office ruled the act was not criminal. The investigation had drawn criticism from Seznam Zprávy’s editorial staff, who labeled it as intimidation.

The Czech Interior Ministry has denied claims that the state will not complete an in-depth pyrotechnical survey in Vrbětice following the 2014 ammunition depot explosions. Ministry spokesman Miroslav Jašurek stated that the ministry, in collaboration with other departments and the Zlín Region, is working on a solution. The 2014 blasts, attributed to Russian GRU agents, claimed two lives, and experts have so far only surveyed up to 50 cm below the surface.