News

Customs officers have uncovered thousands of unlabelled tobacco products during inspections in the Cheb region of western Czechia. Both conventional and electronic cigarettes carried invalid or no excise markings, indicating an attempt to evade excise tax. At a shopping centre in Aš, officers found nearly 70,000 unlabelled cigarettes and almost one litre of liquid for disposable e-cigarettes in vehicles parked behind retail premises. The goods were valued at more than CZK 547,000, with the estimated tax loss close to CZK 325,000. In a separate check at a business in Pomezí nad Ohří, customs officers seized 1,480 disposable e-cigarettes worth over CZK 1.4 million. The potential excise tax loss was estimated at more than CZK 1.18 million.

The incoming coalition of ANO, the Freedom and Direct Democracy (SPD) and the Motorists’ parties wants to tighten the enforcement of child support payments. According to coalition lawmakers, changes to the Criminal Code taking effect on January 1 will make the current system ineffective. Senator Jana Mračková Vildumetzová of ANO said the new government, which takes office on Monday, plans to amend legislation approved this summer. Outgoing justice Minister Eva Decroix (Civic Democrats) urged the coalition to wait for an analysis of the new rules’ impact. Under the reform, non-payment of child support will no longer be a criminal offence in most cases, though interest on unpaid amounts has been increased.

• The Czech national ice hockey team lost 0–5 to Sweden in Zurich and finished second at the Swiss Games behind their Nordic rivals. Sweden recorded their sixth win of the current Euro Hockey Tour season, following up on their triumph at the Finnish Games in November. Four of the goals came in the third period. For coach Radim Rulík’s team, the tournament served as a dress rehearsal for the February Olympic Games in Milan. The Czechs played less than 16 hours after beating Switzerland, and the lack of recovery appeared to show. Sweden took control after opening the scoring on a power play and sealed a dominant victory late on.

Today’s attack on celebrations of the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah in Australia’s Sydney was condemned by outgoing Prime Minister Petr Fiala and his successor, designated prime minister and ANO party leader Andrej Babiš. Other Czech politicians also expressed condolences to the victims’ families. Babiš described the shooting at Sydney’s Bondi Beach, in which 12 people including one attacker were killed according to broadcaster ABC, as a vile and unjustifiable terrorist act. Fiala called it an act of pure evil. Police said nine people died in the attack and officers shot one of the two attackers. The second attacker was wounded and is in critical condition. Australian and Israeli media reported that around 2,000 people were attending Hanukkah celebrations at the beach.