Czech news in brief for December 10: Wednesday's top afternoon headlines

The Czech National Office for Cyber and Information Security (NÚKIB) warned today against Chinese companies I-S00N and Integrity Tech, saying both cooperate with Chinese intelligence agencies and conduct cyber operations against Czechia and its allies. NÚKIB backed a similar warning issued by the UK. The office said the two firms form part of a broader network of private entities in China that develop offensive tools and carry out state-backed cyber activities.

The government has approved a regulation allowing psilocybin-assisted therapy for severe depression starting Jan. 1, outgoing Health Minister Vlastimil Válek said. The treatment will be available to patients who do not respond to standard antidepressants or whose depression is linked to cancer. The Health Ministry cited psilocybin’s low toxicity and minimal addiction risk. Roughly 700,000 people in Czechia suffer from depression or anxiety, with depression twice as common among women.

Greenpeace delivered an appeal with 35,000 signatures to the Presidential Office today opposing the Motorists’ nominee to lead the Environment Ministry, the group’s Jaroslav Bican said. Motorists chairman Petr Macinka, the incoming foreign minister, is slated to head the ministry temporarily under the planned ANO–SPD–Motorists government. Environmental groups and experts say Motorists candidates are unsuitable for the role. Student protests on Monday also rejected placing the party in charge of the environment portfolio.

President Petr Pavel said in Liberec today that Czechia should maintain support for Ukraine for both principled and practical reasons, warning that ending aid could harm future opportunities in Ukraine’s postwar reconstruction. Parties in the emerging ANO–SPD–Motorists coalition have called for reassessing assistance. SPD leader Tomio Okamura reiterated his party’s opposition to funding and the Czech munitions initiative. Pavel said sustained support also strengthens Czech security and future economic prospects.

Temperatures across Czechia broke records for the third straight day, with 60 long-running stations surpassing or tying their Dec. 10 highs, the Czech Hydrometeorological Institute has revealed. Official stations saw peaks up to 15.6 degrees Celsius in the České Budějovice area. In Pilsen, Kašperské Hory set a new record at 12.6 degrees Celsius, alongside Hojsova Stráž and Horská Kvilda. Despite the warmth, values remained below the 1953 regional record of 19 degrees Celsius.