Czech news in brief for September 5: Saturday's top morning headlines

Synthetic "fake weed" shops could soon face swift police closures, while Czechia's minimum wage still isn't enough to cover basic living costs and rent. Elsewhere, drivers can keep testing 150 km/h on the D3, and a reported bear family has put residents near Zlín on alert. Good morning, here's your Saturday headline mix.

Coalition leaders, including Prime Minister Andrej Babiš, have proposed giving Czech police powers to temporarily close businesses selling products that threaten health or lives. The measure primarily targets cannabis shops selling synthetic cannabinoids in major cities.

What could change: Police could close a business for up to 14 days, with owners allowed to appeal within three days. Supporters say current enforcement is too slow, while critics warn the proposed police powers are too broad.

Czechia’s minimum wage was insufficient to cover basic living costs and rental housing last year, according to an analysis by the Research Institute for Labour and Social Affairs. The net minimum wage would have needed to be 7 to 24 percent higher, depending on location.

Wage rise expected: The gross minimum wage is CZK 22,400 this year. The government is expected Monday to approve a calculation raising it to CZK 24,900 from January.

Drivers can continue traveling at up to 150 km/h on part of Czechia’s D3 motorway through the end of the year when conditions permit. The trial covers the section between Planá nad Lužnicí and Úsilné near České Budějovice.

Gathering data: The trial was originally due to end in September. The Transport Ministry extended it to gather more data on driver behavior and accidents before deciding by year-end whether to make the higher limit permanent.

A 22-year-old Czech woman died Friday after falling about 150 meters from a rocky slope while hiking with her father in the Austrian Alps. The accident occurred on a trail between the Großer Bösenstein and Sonntagskarspitze peaks.

Key details: A police helicopter recovered the woman after she suffered fatal injuries, while a crisis team assisted her father. The pair were hiking a route whose traverse between the two peaks is considered particularly challenging.

Children in Lhotsko near Zlín reportedly spotted a female bear with two cubs about 30 meters from a playground Friday afternoon. Police and local authorities have urged residents to exercise caution, particularly when walking dogs in nature, and the sighting is currently being investigated.

What we know: No tracks have been found to confirm the sighting. A wildlife expert said a female with cubs in the area would be unusual, though bears have previously passed through the region.