News: Tuesday, November 19th, 2024

Russian gas imports to Czechia rise sharply due to price

Gas imports from Russia to Czechia have surged in recent weeks. While most of the year saw the majority of gas entering the country from Germany, in November, over 95% of the supply came through Slovakia. Experts attribute this shift to the predominant flow of Russian gas in that direction.

Analysts explain that the primary driver of this trend is the lower market price of Russian gas, as imports through Germany have become more expensive due to transportation fees.

Statistics from the Energy Regulatory Office (ERO) reveal that Russian gas supplies to Czechia dropped sharply following Russia's invasion of Ukraine and were nearly negligible for most of last year. However, since last autumn, the share of Russian gas has been gradually increasing, though it remains a minority portion of the overall supply.

Explosion in shop in center of Karlovy Vary

An explosion damaged a Vodafone store in the centre of Karlovy Vary this morning. According to the first information, leaked gas apparently accumulated in the place and exploded. The explosion knocked out the shop window and damaged its equipment, but there were no injuries, said Martin Kasal, spokesman for the regional fire brigade.

"What exactly happened inside the building is being determined by fire investigators in cooperation with colleagues from the Czech Police," Kasal added. Firefighters from two units intervened at the scene.

Czechia violates EU law by barring other EU citizens from joining political parties

The European Court of Justice ruled today that Czechia and Poland violated EU law by preventing EU nationals from joining their political parties. The court stressed that EU citizens residing in a member state other than their own must have equal access to resources needed to exercise their electoral rights.

The court ordered both countries to comply immediately, warning that failure to do so could lead to financial penalties at the European Commission's request.

The European Commission began addressing Czechia's restrictions in 2012 by opening formal proceedings for breaching EU rules. Despite repeated criticism, Czechia has maintained that its laws comply with EU regulations.

Culling of 18,000 poultry due to Avian Influenza begins in Nalžovské Hory

In Nalžovské Hory, located in the Klatovy region, the culling of approximately 18,000 ducks, partridges, and pheasants at the Klatovy Fishery farm began today. This follows the confirmation of a highly pathogenic Avian Influenza outbreak on Friday, which has already resulted in the deaths of around 4,500 birds, primarily domestic ducks.

All remaining live birds—13,500 in total—must be culled. According to Marek Svoboda, head of the animal welfare department at the Regional Veterinary Administration for the Pilsen Region (KVS), the operation, initially planned to take two days, could be completed by this evening if no complications arise due to extensive preparation.

The operation involves 16 farm workers handling the culling, 18 firefighters—three working directly in the infection zone and the remainder serving as support staff—and three state veterinarians.

Number of cases of acute respiratory diseases in southern Bohemia continues to rise

The number of acute respiratory infections in southern Bohemia continues to rise, with 1,343 cases per 100,000 inhabitants reported in the region—a 13.3% increase compared to the previous week.

The highest infection rates are among the youngest children, with 3,202 cases per 100,000 children under the age of five. In contrast, the elderly population (65 and older) has the fewest cases, with 547 per 100,000 inhabitants, representing a 5.1% decline from the previous week.

Due to the surge in respiratory infections, nearly all hospitals in the region have introduced restricted visiting policies. In most facilities, visitors are required to wear respirators, and the public is encouraged to reconsider non-urgent visits.

American donor bequeathed CZK 4 million to Lidice Memorial

An American donor has bequeathed an unexpectedly large sum of money to the Lidice Memorial commemorating the victims of the Lidice massacre in 1942, the news site Novinky.cz reported. In his will, Donald R. Yadesky bequeathed $165,000, or roughly CZK 4 million, to the memorial. Yadesky, who lived in Lawrence Park Township, Pennsylvania was a long-time supporter and member of the Friends of History Society. He died in early January 2022 at the age of 85.

Tereza Stehlíková of the Lidice Memorial told Novinky that the donation would significantly help the fundraising campaign announced for the costly repair of the memorial. The administrators have so far raised around 1.5 million from small donors.

"We don't know his exact connection to Lidice, but we have been able to find out that he did this in memory of his beloved parents and out of respect for the men, women and children murdered in the Nazi punitive action for the assassination of Nazi protector Reinhard Heydrich," Stehlíková said.

Experts urge balanced regulation of e-cigarette sales

Addiction experts in Czechia have called for a balanced regulation of e-cigarette sales. They recommend banning colourful packaging and candy flavours which are attractive to children and teenagers, while retaining fruit and tobacco flavours to encourage more adults to switch from conventional cigarettes to e-cigarettes. Experts have warned against a complete ban on flavours in e-cigarettes saying it would undermine efforts to reduce the negative effects of smoking, but support uniform packaging across all nicotine products for consistency in regulation. An amendment to the decree is currently being prepared by the Ministry of Health.

Weather Forecast

Mostly cloudy with some snow showers, in the mountains snow. Maximum temperatures 1 to 7 °C.