Reading time: 2 minutes 
Summary for: Czech news in brief for December 4: Thursday's top morning headlines
Pavel rejects defense of candidate Turek
1️⃣ Pavel rejects defense of candidate Turek
President Petr Pavel said he remains unconvinced by explanations from Motorists’ nominee for environment minister, Filip Turek, who faces backlash over racist and extremist social media posts and questions surrounding his finances. Speaking in Hungary, Pavel called Turk’s responses evasive and incompatible with ministerial standards. Turek denies some authorship and claims media distortion. The president is meeting new government nominees, but says little could change his current stance.
2️⃣ Czechia braces for rain, warmer weather
Czechia will see a shift from cold, foggy conditions to milder, wetter weather this week. A frontal system is expected to bring rain and mixed snow to higher areas on Friday, with temperatures rising slightly. Over the weekend, warmer, humid air from the southwest could push daytime highs up to 10 °C above normal. Sunday and Monday will remain mostly cloudy, with scattered rain, while nights in western regions may still bring frost.
3️⃣ Czech school evacuated due to explosion threat
Police evacuated about 450 people from Mariánské náměstí Elementary School in Uherský Brod on Wednesday after a dangerous substance, flammable isopropyl alcohol, was found in a classroom cabinet. Firefighters and a pyrotechnician secured and removed the material without injuries. The surrounding area was temporarily designated a danger zone. Authorities said there was no immediate risk to residents and promised a full investigation into how the substance ended up at the school.
4️⃣ Moldy muffins found at KFC in Karlovy Vary
Food safety inspectors found four visibly moldy muffins at a KFC in Jenišov, Karlovy Vary, prompting the restaurant to destroy the products and face administrative proceedings. Operator AmRest says it has reinforced controls. SAFIA previously cited issues at other KFC locations, including thawing chicken in stagnant water in Prague-Dejvice and selling expired marinated meat in Liberec. The findings renew concerns over consistency in food safety compliance.
5️⃣ Brno festival turns bad habits into holiday art
A new Brno event is turning festive frustrations into cultural commentary. The Christmas Festival of Bad Habits offers a sober, alternative space to traditional holiday markets, highlighting everyday vices, from procrastination to alcohol dependence, as part of an art installation by Kateřina Šedá. The project, running Dec. 4–23, invites visitors to reflect, laugh, and confront their habits while coinciding with the launch of Šedá’s book compiling 9,500 submissions from the “National Collection of Bad Habits.”
