Czech news in brief for September 9: Tuesday’s top headlines

Czechia expelled a Belarusian diplomat accused of espionage and gave him 72 hours to leave, the Foreign Ministry said Sunday. The Security Information Service, working with Romanian and Hungarian intelligence, dismantled a Belarusian KGB network in Europe, uncovering a former Moldovan intelligence deputy accused of passing secrets. Eurojust said it coordinated the operation, which led to the suspect’s arrest in Romania for treason.

Healthcare unions staged a demonstration in Prague Monday over low wages, overtime and staff shortages, but Palackého Square remained empty of workers. Union leaders said exhausted employees stayed away, though video messages described long hours and second jobs. They demanded at least a 10 percent pay rise and more funding in the 2026 budget. The Health Ministry pledged reforms, citing rising medical student numbers and salary increases.

Czech Radiokomunikace has begun building the Prague Gateway DC, a CZK-2-billion data center on the capital’s outskirts, the company said Monday. Scheduled to open in 2027, it will offer over 2,000 server racks and 26 megawatts of power, making it among the largest in the region. Officials say it could join a proposed Czech AI gigafactory project, strengthening Europe’s supercomputing and artificial intelligence infrastructure.

Sabotage attacks on critical infrastructure in Europe have nearly tripled since 2023, a Czech security official said Sunday. Jan Padourek of the Interior Ministry warned Russia will keep seeking influence despite any ceasefire in Ukraine. Attacks range from arson to undersea cable damage and GPS jamming. He urged investment in resilience, stressing that security must be a shared responsibility of the state, society and individuals.

Czech scientists say beta-acids from hops can treat wounds infected with antibiotic-resistant bacteria, including MRSA. Researchers at Hradec Králové University Hospital reported the extracts outperformed standard antibiotics in animal tests, aiding both infection control and healing. The study, published in Antibiotics, involved several Czech institutions and produced a patent. Scientists hope industry partners will help bring the natural treatment into clinical use.