News

The discovery of a dead person on the tracks this morning halted train traffic in Prague from the main station towards Smíchov and Vršovice for about 20 minutes. This was reported to journalists by Martin Kavka, spokesperson for the Railway Administration for Emergency Situations. The deceased is a foreigner born in 2002, police spokesperson Richard Hrdina told ČTK. The police are investigating the circumstances of the death.

People setting off fireworks in banned areas in Czechia risk heavy fines under new rules in force since December. News site Novinky.cz reports, that police can impose on-the-spot penalties of up to 10,000 crowns, rising to 100,000 crowns in administrative proceedings. The ban applies to fireworks of category F2 and higher within 250 metres of hospitals, care homes, animal shelters, zoos and registered animal farms. The agriculture ministry has published an online map showing restricted zones and the reasons for them. Police and municipal wardens will monitor compliance on New Year’s Eve, though some admit proving offences may be difficult.

The regulated part of electricity prices for households will fall by 15.1 percent from the start of next year, saving consumers an average of 420 crowns per megawatt hour compared with this year. Larger customers are also set to save hundreds of crowns per MWh. The decision was announced by the Energy Regulatory Office, which has already factored in relief from fees for subsidised renewable energy sources approved by the government in December. The cabinet of Prime Minister Andrej Babiš, the ANO party leader, decided that the state will fully cover these costs next year, adding about 17 billion crowns to the 2026 budget. Payments for gas will remain unchanged.

Czech police have proposed charging former MP Dominik Feri (TOP-09 Party) over an additional rape case, prosecutors said. The case concerns a girl who was 17 at the time and who testified that although the sexual encounter was consensual, Feri removed a condom without her consent. The investigation was reopened after the Constitutional Court ruled that such conduct can amount to rape. Feri is already serving a three-year prison sentence for the rape of two other women and an attempted rape, which he denies. Elected in 2017 at the age of 21 as parliament’s youngest-ever member, he rose to national prominence and on social media as a rare young political celebrity before resigning his seat because of rape charges.