News Czech Republic 14.09 - 16.09.2012

A Prague hospital has admitted a second person for methanol poisoning on Sunday. The fifty-eight year old man is conscious and admitted to drinking whiskey or cognac with a man who was hospitalized on Friday evening. More than 30 people have been hospitalised and are being treated in different parts of the country, but most victims are from Moravia. A sixty-three year-old man died on Sunday in the town of Přerov in the Olomouc region. The man was believed to have died from methanol poisoning, which would have brought the death rate up to 20, but later hospital staff announced the cause of death was excessive amounts of ethanol.

Police charged another four people on Sunday

The Czech police have brought charges against 23 people in connection to the methanol poisoning around the country, which has claimed the lives of 19 people so far. Four people were charged on Sunday. Members of the emergency task force announced on Saturday that excessive amounts of methyl alcohol were found in 36 samples of hard liquor. Some had more than 26 times the legal amount. More than 30,000 inspections in bars, restaurants and street stalls were carried out by the police since Friday evening, when a ban on the sale of all liquor with more than 20 percent alcohol content was announced. The police is focusing not only on the producers and distributors of the laced alcohol, but now also on the suppliers of the raw methanol. There may actually be a single source of the methanol used in the bootleg liquor, according to the police. Police president Martin Červíček said on Saturday that the investigation has made significant progress especially in the Zlín, Olomouc and Silesian regions. Yet, Mr Červíček underscored that the laced alcohol is not coming from a single source, and that the investigation is still in progress.

Health Minister says alcohol ban may be localised in the future.

The Czech Health Minister Leoš Heger said on a Czech Television talk show on Sunday that he will try to adjust the ban on hard liquor as quickly as possible, but that right now the blanket ban that was insituted on Friday night is a necessity. As soon as the police find all the sources of the alcohol with poisonous levels of methanol, and the number of vicitims begins to decrease, Minister Heger said he can imagine restricting the ban to certain localities or products. He hopes that ban will be lifted in less than a month, but did not rule the possibility that it may take longer.

Workers' Party stages another rally in Varnsdorf

Around 250 people attended a nationalist anti-Roma rally in the northern Bohemian town of Varnsdorf on Saturday. The far-right Workers’ Party of Social Justice (DSSS) organised the rally as part of its election campaign. The rally passed near apartment blocks with mostly Romani residents that were at the center of clashes last year. Rally participants chanted nationalist and racist slogans, but no open confrontations between the Romani inhabitants and the demonstrators were reported by the police. In 2011, Varnsdorf and other towns in the area saw anti-Roma protests over a number of weeks, some with up to 2,000 participants.

Culture minister to limit power of deputy Sankot

Culture Minister Alena Hanáková said on Czech Television on Sunday that she will limiting the scope of authority of her financial deputy Martin Sankot, but will not remove him from his post. After unexpectedly sacking the director of the Czech National Theatre Ondřej Černý, Ms Hanáková replaced him with Mr Sankot last week. But following intense criticism from the theatre staff, she named the technical director of the Naitonal Theatre Václav Pelouch as the interim chief on Friday. Ms Hanáková said she will meet with representatives of the theatre in the upcoming days to discuss the selection process for the new director.

Hradecká moves to Quebec final while Czechs advance in the Davis Cup

Lucie Hradecká will play in the final of the WTA Bell Challenge Tournament in Quebec City against Belgium’s Kirsten Flipkens, after beating France’s Kristina Mladenovic on Saturday evening. And the Czech team is one victory away from entering the Davis cup finals, after the Czech men’s duo Tomáš Berdych and Radek Štěpánek beat the Argentinean Carlos Berlocq and Eduardo Schwank on Saturday in Buenos Aires. Carlos Berlocq will replace his teammate Juan Martin del Potro, who pulled out due to injury, in the reverse singles on Sunday. Tomáš Berdych is expected to have an easy win against the less experienced Berlocq, which will secure a place for the Czechs team in the Davis Cup finals in November.

Weather

The weekend will be sunny or partly cloudy, with scattered showers in parts of the country. Daytime highs should range between 15 and 21 degrees Celsius.

 

Police charge 13 people in connection to methanol poisonings scare

The police have now arrested 19 people in connection with methyl alcohol poisonings around the country. The arrests came in three regions: Moravia-Silesia, Zlín, and Olomouc. The latest two suspects were arrested in Zlín on Saturday morning. Two others from the Zlín region have already been charged for breaking the law on product labeling. As of Saturday afternoon, charges have been brought against 13 people in connection to the case. A number of others have been arrested and are being questioned by the police. Arrests were made in different parts of the country, and most of the accused do not seem to be a part of a single case.

In recent days the consumption of laced bootleg liquor across the country claimed the lives of 19 people. Seven more people were hospitalized with methanol poisoning since Friday afternoon.

Czech supermarkets rush to comply with government ban

Large supermarket chains around the Czech Republic have announced that they have taken all hard alcohol products off their shelves overnight, following a ban that was issued late Friday evening. Chains such as Tesco, Billa and Kaufland said they had employees working night shifts on Friday night in order to comply with the government ban. The Czech Agriculture and Food Inspection Authority has announced that liquor stronger than 20 percent does not have to be taken off the shelves, but must be covered from view, and blocked in the cashier systems by all retailers. The police carried out inspections in supermarkets and shops throughout the night. Alcohol producers, restaurants and storeowners have criticized the ban, saying it will only promote illegal sales of alcohol. The ban was issued by the government indefinitely, until the case of bootleg liquor which has caused fatal methanol poisoning is resolved. So far, approximately 19 people were arrested in connection with the case, but a single source of poisoned alcohol has not been determined yet.

Police discover large amounts of bootleg alcohol in south Moravia

The police have confiscated approximately 1,240 liters of unstamped bottled alcohol from a family house near the south Moravian city of Znojmo late Friday night. Police spokeswoman said on Saturday that more than 600 liters of rum, 500 liters of vodka and dozens of bottles with other hard liquor were found without proper duty stamps that would verify its source and tax compliance. The content of the bottles is now being tested for methanol. On Friday, police had also discovered barrels with 500 liters of bootleg alcohol in the town of Hustopeče near Brno. The amount of tax evasion in this case was estimated to be approximately 75 thousand crowns.

Remains of 12 ethnic Germans reintered in Jihlava

Remains of twelve ethnic Germans were put to rest on Saturday in the city of Jihlava in the Vysočina region. The remains were taken from a mass grave two years ago in the Budínka field near the town of Dobronín. The mass grave allegedly contains the remains of victims of the “revolutionary guards”, murdered in the final month of World War II. The service at the St. Jacob’s Church in Jihlava was attended by approximately 200 people and was led in German by reverend Dieter Lang. Reverend Lang, whose own family comes from the Vysočina region, called for reconciliation between Czechs and Germans in his sermon. In May and June of 1945, some Czech towns and villages saw spontaneous violent acts committed by the Czech-speaking population against ethnic German residents. Between 1945 and 1947, three million ethnic Germans and Hungarians were forced to leave Czechoslovakia by the government, based on the so-called Beneš Decrees. It is still unkown how many ethnic Germans perished as a result of the deportation and sporatic violence that took place in the wake of the Allies‘ victory.

Hradecká to advance to the singles semis in Quebec

Czech tennis player Lucie Hradecká has won the quarter final against the American Lauren Davis at the WTA Bell Challenge Tournament in Quebec City. Hradecká will face France’s Kristina Mladenovic in the women’s singles semi-final on Saturday evening. The 27 year-old received the silver medal in this summer Olympics women’s doubles with her partner Andrea Hlaváčková, and got to the final of the US Open in the beginning of September.

Explosion in a flat injures three people

An explosion took place in a Prague 6 apartment building late on Friday night, injuring three people. More than 60 residents of the building were evacuated and provided with temporary accommodation by municipal authorities. The police found explosives and other dangerous substance in an apartment belonging to a 33-year-old resident of the building. The special task force was called in to inspect the site. None of the residents have been allowed to re-enter the building yet.

Traditional Znojmo wine festival off to a good start

On Friday evening, the first day of the traditional annual wine festival in Znojmo, over 15 thousand people gather in the south-western Moravian town. The festival’s pinnacle will be on Saturday afternoon, with attendance expected to increase, when a parade with knights, historical figures such as John of Luxemburg, his wife Eliška Přemyslovna and the Greek god of wine Dionysus will pass through the center of the town. Wine festivals take place across the whole of south Moravia and other parts of the country in September and October of every year. The Znojmo festival is probably the most famous and best attended among them.

 

Government bans hard liquor sales

The Czech government has banned all sales of hard liquor in the Czech Republic indefinitely after the 19th person died on Friday from methyl alcohol poisoning. Affected are all establishments where hard liquor is normally sold including hotels, shops, bars and restaurants. Under the ban, effective immediately, proprietors are no longer allowed to sell liquor stronger than 20 percent. An earlier ban had prevented alcohol sales by street vendors only. Sellers failing to heed the ban could face a fine of up to three million crowns. The recent incidence of methanol poisonings in the Czech Republic has shocked the country; five new cases were registered on Thursday; the newest case is a 30-year-old in Prague who fell ill on Friday after drinking laced alcohol and is in critical condition.

Police arrest seventeen people over methanol-laced alcohol

The police have now arrested 17 people in connection with methyl alcohol poisoning. The arrests came in three regions: Moravia-Silesia, Zlín, and Olomouc. Earlier in the day, police president Martin Červíček revealed that eight people had been charged following a meeting of the emergency task force set up by the government to deal with the crisis; the number of those charged has since gone up to 11. In recent days the consumption of laced bootleg liquor across the country claimed the lives of 19 people.

Reviews of autopsies uncover no additional methanol-related deaths

Reviews of more than 150 autopsies of people who died in the Moravian-Silesian region over the last four months have revealed no further methanol-related deaths, forensics specialists have said. Methyl alcohol poisoning was uncovered earlier in the case of a woman from Havířov who died in May. That case is reportedly not related to the current wave of methanol poisoning in the country. Nineteen people in the Czech Republic (the latest a 66-year-old woman in Moravia-Silesia found dead in her apartment) have died in recent days as a result of consuming bootleg liquor laced with methyl alcohol. Twenty-seven others remain in hospital in serious condition; on Thursday alone five new cases were registered.

Deputy prime minister: additional cuts needed at all ministries

Additional cuts in the civil service will affect all government ministries Deputy Prime Minister Karolína Peake has revealed. Speaking to journalists the head of the smallest party in government, LIDEM, said a major cut in funds might be needed at the Culture Ministry while the Ministry for Regional Development might be closed entirely. She stressed what was key was not the closing of ministries per se but a reduction in their agendas. A report compiled by the deputy prime minister will be discussed at the cabinet level; she said in advance she expected to be met with resistance from individual ministries. In June, the government assigned Mrs Peake the task of proposing cuts in areas of the civil service; under the plan, almost 12 billion crowns are to be saved in 2014 and as much as 25 billion crowns one year later. According to the deputy prime minister, the ministries together have only proposed cuts of 1.6 billion crowns.

Former intelligence head to run for president

Karel Randák, the former head of Czech counter-intelligence, has confirmed his intention to run for the post of Czech president. Mr Randák said as a single individual he did not have enough opportunities to combat corruption in the Czech Republic; he added that he would discontinue his membership of the board of businessman Karel Janeček’s anti-corruption fund. The former intelligence chief said that along with collecting signatures, he would address independent senators. He will need either to secure support from members of Parliament or at least 50,000 signatures. More than 20 candidates have now announced they are running; numerous polls have placed former interim prime minister Jan Fischer and former Social Democrat prime minister Miloš Zeman at the forefront.

Prague airport prepares ceremony ahead of renaming

Prague’s Ruzyně international airport is preparing steps ahead of its planned renaming after Václav Havel. The step will officially take place on October 5th – the day the ex-president, who died last December, would have turned 76. According to organisers, a special ceremony marking the occasion will be attended by diplomats serving in the Czech republic as well as key political and cultural figures. The new name of the airport will be visible not only from the front of the building, ČTK reported, but also from the airfield itself. An exhibition of photographs honouring the Czech Republic’s first president will also open on the same day in Terminal 2.

World Press Photo opens in Prague

World Press Photo 2011 opened on Friday at Prague’s Karolínum, the exhibition’s regular venue in the city centre. Works on display include the winning photograph in the competition taken by photographer Samuel Aranda, capturing unrest in Yemen.

Funeral ceremony for Radoslav Brzobohatý to be held next week

The funeral for legendary Czech actor Radoslav Brzobohatý, who died this week at the age of 79, will be held on Friday, September 21st in Prague-Strašnice. It is not yet clear whether the ceremony will be private or open to members of the public. Mr Brzobohatý was widely recognised as one the country’s finest actors, starring in seminal Czech New Wave films such as All My Compatriots and The Ear, as well as the TV series F.L Věk. Czech TV has honoured the late actor by broadcasting several of his films; on the day of his passing, the broadcaster aired All My Compatriots as well as a 2009 documentary by director Jiří Strach.

T.G. Masaryk remembered on 75th anniversary of his passing

September 14th marks 75 years since the death of Czechoslovakia’s first president Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk. A strong advocate of Czechoslovak independence during World War I, Masaryk was key in the country’s founding in 1918. He was elected president on November 14, 1918 and was re-elected in the years 1920, 1927 and 1934. Masaryk died in 1937 - less than two years after leaving office, at the age of 87. On Friday, historians in the Czech media recalled his many contributions to the state not only as president but as a philosopher and humanist.

Tennis: Czechs face Argentinians in Davis Cup semi-final

Members of the Czech tennis team began their Davis Cup semi-final against Argentina on Friday, with Radek Štepánek facing Juan Martin del Potro in Buenos Aries. The players have faced each other on four previous occasions with the Czech winning three times. But Štepánek on Friday in the first rubber fell to his opponent by a score of 4:6, 4:6,2:6. Earlier this week it was unclear whether Del Potro, who is battling a wrist injury, would be ready to play.

Press: Czech NHL players could play in domestic league

Hockey legend Jaromír Jágr and Kladno will play several league matches at a Prague’s O2 arena this season, reports news website idnes. The reason is to allow a far greater number of fans view the club’s league matches, including one of the sport’s biggest stars. According to the daily, other Czech players like Tomáš Plekanec, Marek Židlický and Tomáš Kabrle could also play in the Czech league given developments in the NHL where a lockout appears increasingly likely as time for a new Collective Bargaining Agreement runs out.