Daily news summary
PM: Measures to tackle migration crisis must include western Balkans
EU plans to tackle the ongoing migration crisis must include measures controlling the flow of refugees from the western Balkans, Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka stated after the cabinet meeting on Monday. That includes monitoring the Greek-Macedonian border, so-called Plan B which could prove difficult to implement given Germany’s insistence on the fulfillment of agreements between the EU and Turkey in lowering refugee numbers. According to Mr Sobotka, whose position was agreed by the government ahead of the European Council meeting, any joint solution needed to take Greece and Macedonia into account, including the return of refugees from Greece to Turkey. The migration crisis is expected to be discussed at length at the upcoming EU summit in Brussels.
iDnes.cz reports a man carrying a concealed firearm was stopped from attending a public meeting with the head of state
Czech police investigated two security incidents tied to President Miloš Zeman’s three-day tour of the Liberec region last week, reports news site iDnes. According to the website, one man tried to take a concealed firearm into a public meeting with the head of state in Tanvald. Stringent security, including door frame metal detectors, revealed the legally-held weapon. The police did not want to comment the exact type of gun; the case is being treated as a misdemeanour. In another incident, writes iDnes, police responded to a threatening email warning Mr Zeman not to visit the town of Lomnice nad Popelkou. No charges were filed in that case after the police tracked down and questioned the sender.
Westinghouse signs deal with Czech utility ČEZ for testing fuel for Temelín
The Westinghouse Electric Company said on Monday that it has agreed with Czech energy giant ČEZ to a program to test and license nuclear fuel for its Temelín nuclear power plant with a view to a future tender for nuclear fuel supply. Westinghouse said it will supply fuel assemblies for use at the reactor with testing taking place over a two year period to ensure compatibility with existing fuel. The Russian nuclear fuel company TVEL currently supplies fuel for Temelín’s two nuclear reactors with the deal due to expire in 2020 – but with the option for a further five year extension.
Hygiene officers handed establishments fines worth almost 13 million in 2015
Hygiene officers handed down fines worth almost 13 million crowns in the Czech Republic last year, ordering the closure or temporary closure of 259 restaurants and cafeterias. The number was higher than in 2014 by 105, Chief Hygiene Officer Vít Valenta confirmed. Officers conducted just over 23,000 checks of establishments: fines handed down most often concerned the improper storage of foodstuffs or short-comings in on-site technical parameters. Hygiene officers are continuing checks this year: 2,200 establishments were contolled from January 1 to February 20. Of those, 10 were ordered to shut down, 17 to be santised, and 24 to destroy foodstuffs no longer suitable for consumption.
Spending watchdog finds millions paid for unused IT systems
The Czech spending watchdog, the Supreme Audit Office, has published a critical report on spending by the Ministry of Industry and Trade on information technology and systems between 2010 and 2014. It found that the ministry had 112 different systems in use. Some of the systems have hardly or not at all been used it concluded. A system for trading excess chemicals with the aim to stop their illegal dumping cost 5.3 million crowns but was used just once for a trade totaling 13,000 crowns. Another system for trading secondary products and materials from sorted rubbish was still unused when the office report was concluded. It found that some parts of the ministry organized tenders without reference to anyone else and that prices for similar services contracted with outside firms were sometimes twice as high.
Twenty-nine people died on Czech roads in February
Twenty-nine people died on Czech roads in February – nine fewer than the same period last year. Together with January, 57 people have lost their lives since the beginning of the year – January saw the lowest number of road fatalities in 26 years, the Czech News Agency reported, citing police statistics.
Up to 20 centimetres of new snow expected
Heavy snowfall in mountainous areas and snow and rain in lower-laying parts of the Czech Republic are expected over the coming days, meteorologists report. Up to 20 centimetres could fall in areas of around 800 metres and higher. Prague saw snowfall on Monday evening.
Czech women tennis players slip in rankings
Czech women tennis players have slipped in the WTA rankings published Monday. Top singles player Petra Kvítová has dropped from 8th to 9th place follower her quarterfinal exit at the Doha tournament last week. Lucie Šafářová and Karolína Plíšková have both dropped one place to 13th and 20th places respectively. In the mens’ ranking, Tomáš Berdych remains at number seven.
Drnovice stadium to go under the hammer
Drnovice football stadium, which saw top flight action in the 1990s but since fell into disrepair, is up for auction; the starting bid will be three million crowns, according to the Czech News Agency. ČTK spoke to Josef Machů of the Prokonzulta auction house, who estimated its current value at 5.5 million crowns. The stadium is sited in the village of Drnovice near Výskov in Moravia; in the 1990s the home club, sponsored by the firm Chemapol, briefly made it into the Czech Republic’s top league. The team was third in 1999/2000 and faced Munich 1860 in the UEFA Cup.
Football: Čech rues 3:2 loss to Manchester United
London football club Arsenal, third in the Premier League, fell 3:2 to a young Manchester United side on Sunday, a result which Czech goalkeeper Petr Čech called a step back after Arsenal’s recent win over league leaders Leicester. Arsenal are in third spot, five points behind the leaders, while Tottenham Hotspur are second. The last time the Gunners won the league title was in 2004.
