Weekend headlines: Czech resorts prepare for an early ski season

This weekend's snowfall and cool temperatures have allowed resorts in the Czech mountains to prepare for skiing season. While most resorts don't open until around the holidays, slopes across the Czech Republic have begun to produce snow with the help of snow cannons this weekend in order to kick off the season as soon as possible.

"This year it started snowing a few days earlier than in previous years," Martina Žáčková, spokeswoman for the Razula Ski Area in Velké Karlovice, told iDnes.cz. "As a rule, we don't start [making snow] until the end of November. But this year, we will use every opportunity to make snow, to take advantage of the old electricity prices and start the season as soon as possible."

Snow continued to fall in most areas of the Czech Republic on Saturday night and Sunday morning, with the heaviest levels of snowfall seen in South Moravia. No major traffic interruptions have been reported today, though drivers are advised to continue to use caution while on smaller roads.

The Czech Hydrometeorological Institute has issued an ice warning for most areas of the country tonight, valid from 10:00 p.m. Sunday evening through 10:00 a.m. Monday morning. Freezing rain is forecast to lead to the formation of light ice throughout most of the country, including Prague.

Due to surging energy prices, three-quarters of Czechs are cutting down on energy usage, according to a new survey conducted on 1,034 respondents by the Modern Energy Union (Svaz moderne energetyky) in November. According to the Union, the current crisis is also an opportunity for the Czech Republic to grow towards greater self-sufficiency.

According to the survey, more than 90 percent of respondents are concerned about the current rise in energy prices, and 74 percent of them said that they are trying to cut down on energy consumption. About a third of those surveyed said they planned to planned to invest in long-term solutions to reduce energy usage, such as installing solar panels.

More than 5,300 migrants have illegally crossed the border into the Czech Republic from Slovakia in South Moravia since border check were introduced at the end of September, South Moravian Chief of Police Leoš Tržil told reporters this weekend. Most of the detained migrants say that they have come from Syria, according to Defense Minister Jana Černochová, who visited the checkpoints on Saturday.

The Czech Republic re-introduced checks at the Slovak border due to a high influx of migrants in late September. Most of the migrants are travelling through the Czech Republic to Germany and other countries in western Europe. The checks have been repeatedly prolonged, and are currently in force through December 12.

Today is the World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims, which is celebrated on the third Sunday of each year. In Prague, a memorial service at the Memorial to Traffic Victims in Chodov, located at the beginning of the D1 highway, began at 11:00 a.m. this morning. The event is organized yearly by the Czech Association of Traffic Accident Victims.

According to statistics provided by Czech Police, 390 people have been killed in traffic accidents in the Czech Republic from January through the end of October this year, while another 1,497 people were seriously injured. While these numbers are higher than last year, long-term trends have seen a gradual decline in deaths and injuries resulting from traffic accidents.

The Archdiocese of Prague has listed the historic Jindřišská Tower for sale for 75 million crowns, according to information posted to the Archdiocese website. The Jindřišská Tower, located in Prague's city center, is listed among the city's UNESCO-protected landmarks. Dating back to the 15th century, it stands 66 meters tall and was previously used as the bell tower for the nearby Church of Saint Henry and Saint Cunigunde.

"We are gradually evaluating our real estate and for properties that are unproductive, we are trying to sell them for a profit and allocate the funds primarily to rental housing," Archdiocese spokesperson Jan Balík told Deník N. "The Jindřišská tower has been a hot potato for many years. The tower can generate some revenue, but it is not that simple."

A Belarusian activist who is studying in the Czech Republic has been detained by Prague police after staging a protest at IKEA Zličín. According to Radio Free Europe, the student took an ax to two bedside tables while dousing them with red paint. He was protesting recent reports of IKEA using prisoner labor in Belarus to construct its furniture.

According to the student himself, speaking to Radio Free Europe, he waited until there were no children in the vicinity to stage his protest, and calmly waited for police to arrive after he had finished. The bedside tables he targeted in the protest were specifically made in Belarus.

A majority of Czechs want to cut down on spending this Christmas season, according to a STEM/MARK survey conducted for Home Credit on more than 500 respondents in October. A total of 57 percent of those surveyed said that they would spend less on Christmas gifts this year compared to 2021.

About ten percent of those surveyed said that they would not be buying Christmas gifts at all this year due to rising prices and economic instability. Another 15 percent said that they would wait for post-Christmas sales before buying gifts. In a previous survey conducted last year, 40 percent of Czechs said that they would cut down on Christmas spending, while four percent said that they would not be buying gifts.

Police in Prague have begun an investigation into racist insults shouted at Czech Television reporter Richard Samko during an anti-government protest on November 17, police tweeted this morning. On Friday, Romea.cz published an article about the racist insults addressed to Samko, and released video of the incident.

"Detectives are investigating the case of a verbal attack on a Czech Television reporter," Czech Police tweeted today. Police are also investigating a separate incident in which Aktuálně.cz reporter Radek Bartoníček was physically assaulted by another participant in the November 17 protest.

The driver of a Pendolino train that crashed in Bohumín in June was most likely under the influence of alcohol, Prima TV reports based on information provided by regional police spokesperson Daniela Vlčková. The driver died in the accident, while five others were were injured.

"It has been ascertained that the Pendolino train driver was under the influence alcohol when the accident occurred," Vlčková said, adding that the case is still under investigation. If the information is confirmed, the driver's family may lose their right to be compensated by Czech Railways.