Czech news in brief for August 23: Sunday's top afternoon headlines

Prime Minister Andrej Babiš said the government will step up efforts against illegal drug sales, claiming inspections of 1,000 shops and distribution points found legal violations in 63 percent of cases. He said authorities had documented around 900 violations and seized about 500,000 products, including kratom, cannabis and hashish.

Kratom crackdown: Babiš said the government plans to raise the minimum age for buying kratom from 18 to 21 and ban online sales. The proposed changes could take effect in January, pending parliamentary approval.

A photograph by Czech astronomer Jakub Koukal was been selected as NASA’s Astronomy Picture of the Day on Saturday, showing 1,706 meteors captured in a time-lapse around the peak of the Perseid meteor shower. The image, taken at the Valašské Meziříčí Observatory, is the second Czech photo featured by NASA this week.

Czech success: NASA also selected a Perseid photograph by Jakub Kuřák earlier this week, marking an unusually strong showing for Czech astrophotography.

A new STEM/MARK survey finds that only one-third of Czechs maintain a regular sleep schedule, making irregular bedtimes and wake-up times the biggest factor linked to poor sleep. Seven in 10 people experience sleep problems at least occasionally, with younger adults particularly likely to disrupt their routines.

Sleep by age: More than half of people over 60 maintain regular sleep schedules, compared with just one-fifth of those under 29. Shift workers and people with irregular working hours report the poorest sleep.

A forgotten ivory figurine of the Christ Child dating to the early 17th century has been discovered in the municipal museum in Česká Třebová. The roughly 10-centimeter figure had been stored in a box and was once marked for disposal before museum staff recognized its potential value and had it restored in 2024.

Historic discovery: Experts believe the figurine was made in the same workshop as the famous Salzburg Christ Child. It is now on display in a special case at St. James’ Church in Česká Třebová, with guided tours available on Sundays at 3 p.m. during the summer.

Liberec’s Crystal Valley Week is showcasing Czech glass, jewelry and costume jewelry at 36 venues through Aug. 29, with 80 events featuring work by 120 artists. The festival also highlights the international reach of the region’s glassmaking tradition, including appearances by members of Brazil’s Panará Indigenous community.

Festival highlights: The program includes glass installations at Liberec Botanical Garden, a restored 1841 chandelier and cultural events with the Panará community.