Czech news in brief for November 4: Saturday's top headlines

Public prosecutors have announced they will not reopen the 1980s Olšany Cemetery case that saw three young men charged with vandalizing Czechia’s largest cemetery. Lawyer Tomáš Nahodil’s request to reopen the case, citing new information, was dismissed for lack of relevance. The case had been marred by manipulation by the communist secret police.

Robert Fremr, who presided over the case and earlier this year ran for the post of Czech Constitutional Court judge, maintains he did not knowingly collaborate with the secret police. The case involved over 100 charges, including subversion against the communist regime and vandalism. It is known as one of the last major political trials in communist Czechoslovakia. 

On Saturday afternoon, seismographs in the Karlovy Vary town of Cheb recorded a 3.25-magnitude tremor on the Richter scale. It is the first time in the current series of tremors that have hit the region in recent days that the magnitude has surpassed 3. Tremors became more pronounced on Wednesday this week, and on Friday the city registered a 2.6-magnitude earthquake.

People close to the epicenter were able to feel light tremors or movements, but no damage was done. Tremors typrically occur in Chebsk as an earthquake swarm. This is a type of seismic activity in which seismic energy is released not in the form of a single strong earthquake and possible aftershocks, but in a series of a large number (up to several thousand) of weaker events over several days to months.

The National Cyber Security Office in Czechia reported today an above-average number of cyber incidents in October, totaling 27 cases, although none were considered highly dangerous. September also witnessed an increase, with 21 recorded incidents. The primary issue in October was service disruptions caused by Distributed Denial of Service attacks, which accounted for about two-thirds of the incidents.

These attacks are commonly used in cyber warfare scenarios, similar to the situation in Ukraine. Prominent targets included the Interior Ministry, police, government, parliament, and Prague Airport websites. The NoName057 Russia-affiliated group itself claimed responsibility for the attack and its connection to the Crimea Platform meeting in Prague.

The Czech Republic is currently undergoing severe atmospheric pressure fluctuations, posing challenges for individuals sensitive to weather changes, according to meteorologist Dagmar Honsová in Novinky.cz. Rapid drops in air pressure, often occurring ahead of cold fronts, can adversely affect people, leading to joint pain, burning sensations, and fatigue due to irritation of cartilage receptors and nerve endings. 

Honsová noted that air pressure in the country ranged from 1,008 to 1,012 hectoPascals (hPa) on Wednesday, dropping to 984 to 989 hPa (substantially below average) on Friday morning, before rebounding on Friday afternoon. These changes can induce headaches, joint pain, malaise, and sleep disturbances, Honsová notes. She expects sudden air-pressure changes to persist in the coming days.

Between 18 percent and 38 percent of doctors in Prague's largest hospitals have formally decided to not work overtime in December, according to Czech health authorities. The decision comes amid the ongoing government-hospital argument about working hours in Czech hospitals, as well as pay. Doctors want to be able to work 24 hours in a row and want the state to drop the obligation to work more overtime hours.

The reduction in overtime is not expected to significantly affect patient care during December, as it aligns with the winter schedule. However, some routine surgeries may be postponed and waits may be longer for emergencies. In some hospitals outside Prague, the situation is more severe, with up to 400 out of 900 doctors at Hradec Králové University Hospital refusing overtime.

Around 15 centimeters of snow blanketed the Krkonoše ridges after heavy snowfall this morning, marking the first significant winter snowfall in the mountain's highest reaches. A strong wind temporarily halted the Peca pod Sněžkou to Sněžkou cable car. The snow – wet, due to a sub-zero temperature – covered Sněžka, where the wind chill made it feel like minus 12 degrees Celsius. 

Lower Krkonoše areas experienced rain, with Špindlerův Mlýn recording nearly 30 liters of precipitation per square meter. Wind speeds reached 70 to 80 kilometers per hour (km/h) on Sněžka, exceeding the cable car's 60 km/h operational limit. The cable car from Špindlerův Mlýn to Medvědín remained unaffected.

Czechia and Slovakia, along with 10 other EU member states, have jointly called on the European Commission (EC) to establish an "industrial alliance" supporting the development of small modular nuclear reactors (SMRs). They emphasize the need for EU legislation to ensure innovative SMR projects benefit from support.

These countries, including Bulgaria, Croatia, Finland, France, Hungary, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Slovenia, and Sweden, have consistently advocated for nuclear energy within the EU. In contrast, Germany, Austria, and Luxembourg oppose nuclear energy as a long-term solution. The EC, aiming to reduce dependence on Russian fossil fuels, is increasingly supportive of nuclear technology.

Saudi Arabia Friday announced its plans to suddenly cancel a conference in the Saudi capital of Riyadh featuring Czech Minister of Trade Jozef Síkela. Due to be held on Monday, Síkela was to discuss Czechia’s sourcing of Saudi oil and other infrastructural cooperation.  

According to Czech authorities, the cancelation was due to the security dangers currently facing the Middle East. However, Saudi diplomatic sources have said that the actions of Czech politicians in recent days – taking a clear pro-Israel stance in the Israel-Palestine war – have chiefly caused this. The Saudis say they are playing the role of peacemaker in the conflict, condemning ground operations in the Gaza Strip and promoting the establishment of a Palestinian state. 

Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala has arrived in Sub-Saharan Africa, where in the next few days he will conduct visits to Ethiopia, Kenya, Nigeria, Ghana, and the Ivory Coast, as described by the Prime Minister's Office website. He aims to enhance Czech companies' access to these markets, in partnership with the Czech Union of Industry and Transport (SP).

Fiala, accompanied by two dozen company representatives and SP head Jan Rafaj, plans to support local market penetration and Czech development projects in Africa. In Ethiopia, he will meet with leaders to discuss economic cooperation and energy infrastructure. In Kenya, he'll engage in discussions on defense cooperation and opportunities in pharmaceuticals. The Nigeria visit will focus on agriculture and technology, he will discuss trade in Ghana, and center on healthcare and defense in the Ivory Coast. 

The Czech Hydrometeorological Institute has reported that the Šumava area (in the South Bohemia and Pilsen regions, bordering Germany) received its first snowfall of the year on Friday evening, with nearly 10 centimeters accumulating on Blatné vrch (Muddy hill).

However, gradual warming from Sunday is set to cause the snow to gradually melt. Last year's ski season in South Bohemia and Šumava began on Dec. 10 – meteorologists assume it will begin around a similar date this year. Snowfall also began in the Krkonoše mountains during the day Friday, with heavier snow expected Saturday.

Prague police have charged an individual with making threats of violence against Ukrainians in a video posted online. The person in question recently published a video in which he threatened to "walk down the street and stab Ukrainians with a knife". The police reported on the X network said that the accused may face up to three years in prison.

The man was apprehended by the extremism and terrorism department of the Prague police and is charged with committing violence against a group of residents and individuals, which, under the Criminal Code, includes threats of death, bodily harm, or significant damage.

A batch of 100 kilograms of French Morbier cheese – potentially carrying the bacterium Escherichia coli –  has entered the local market, according to a statement from the State Veterinary Administration (SVS) Friday. This cheese was primarily distributed in smaller stores and the Kaufland chain in September-October. While most of the affected products have been removed from sale, consumers still purchased some. 

The SVS advises consumers not to consume this product, which was divided into various batches with different expiration dates. The bacteria can lead to watery or bloody diarrhea, primarily endangering vulnerable groups like young children, the elderly, the ill, and pregnant women.