Czech news in brief for November 7: Friday's top afternoon headlines

Police have charged 13 people and four companies in a new branch of the Dosimeter corruption case tied to the Prague Transport Company (DPP). The accused include businessmen Michal Redl, Pavel Kos, and others already charged in the 2022 case, along with new suspect Jaroslav Kříž and his firm Purum. The charges again concern contracts linked to DPP operations.

Czech hotels and other mass accommodations hosted 21.2 million overnight stays in the third quarter, up 1 percent from last year, the Czech Statistical Office reported Thursday. Domestic guests spent 13.2 million nights, slightly down 0.4 percent, while foreign visitors increased stays by 3.4 percent to 8 million nights. Prague remained the top destination for non-residents, followed by South Moravia, and German tourists accounted for the largest share of international arrivals.

Pope Leo XIV praised late Czech Cardinal Dominik Duka for promoting reconciliation, religious freedom and dialogue between faith and society. In a condolence letter to Prague Archbishop Jan Graubner, the pope highlighted Duka’s courage under Communist persecution, when he served in the underground church and was imprisoned. Duka, who led the Czech Catholic Church from 2010 to 2022, died Tuesday at 82. His funeral will be held Nov. 15 at St. Vítus Cathedral.

Only 4 percent of Czechs aged 18–60 rely solely on the state pension, while three-quarters believe the state will not adequately support them in retirement, an Ipsos survey for Portu found. Younger people are increasingly saving or investing on their own, while older Czechs show slightly more trust in state support. Nearly one in ten has no retirement savings and no plans to build any financial cushion.

Archaeologists have uncovered remains of prehistoric settlements and artifacts up to 7,000 years old in Central Moravia during surveys for the D55 motorway between Kokory and Přerov, team leader Marek Kalabek said Friday. Finds include ceramic vessels, stone tools, a Neolithic building ground plan, and a 7,000-year-old axe. Construction of the motorway section is expected to begin next year.

New Chamber of Deputies Speaker Tomio Okamura removed the Ukrainian flag from one of Czechia's parliamentary buildings Thursday, sparking fierce backlash and a flag-raising response.