Czech news in brief for March 5: Thursday's top morning headlines

Eight flights carrying about 1,000 people stranded in the Middle East due to regional fighting have landed in Prague, authorities said Wednesday. Five flights were operated by Smartwings and three by the Czech military, evacuating passengers from Oman, Dubai, Jordan and Egypt. More flights were expected later Wednesday. The evacuations follow strikes by Israel and the United States on Iran and retaliatory attacks that disrupted air travel across the region.

Lawmakers in the Czech Republic’s lower house are set Thursday to debate court requests to lift immunity for former Prime Minister Andrej Babiš and far-right leader Tomio Okamura so they can face criminal prosecution. A parliamentary committee recommended rejecting both requests, and the chamber is expected to follow. Babiš faces charges tied to the long-running Stork’s Nest subsidy case, while Okamura is accused of inciting hatred over a migration poster.

Doctors in the Czech Republic are studying ways to address rising obesity as use of modern weight-loss drugs grows. Researchers at Institute for Clinical and Experimental Medicine in Prague tracked 100 patients for six months and said each lost at least nine kilograms using anti-obesity medications. About 80,000 Czechs have prescriptions, paying 3,000–10,000 crowns monthly. Deputy Health Minister Igor Karen said officials are considering insurance coverage for some patients.

About two-thirds of people in the Czech Republic believe too many foreigners work in the country, though opposition to foreign labor has gradually declined, according to a new survey by the STEM. The poll found 58 percent see foreign workers as helping fill labor shortages. Concerns remain that foreigners take jobs from Czechs, but attitudes are easing as the economy improves and labor shortages persist.

Temperatures in the Czech Republic will rise a few degrees daily this week, with Sunday as the only exception, meteorologists said Thursday. Days will be mostly sunny, with morning and evening fog, while nights remain near freezing in valleys and mountains. Highs will range from 10–17 °C, depending on cloud cover. A weakening high-pressure system will bring clear to partly cloudy skies, light variable winds, and occasional showers midweek.