Liquefied natural gas (LNG) shipments to Europe late last year showed Russia could not use gas as great leverage over Europe, and the gas shortfall supported efforts to build more LNG capacity on European shores, Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky said on Wednesday. Lipavsky told Reuters in an interview that diversion of LNG cargoes to Europe after prices surged late last year amid lower supplies from Russia showed there were alternatives to Russian gas and supported the argument for investing in infrastructure. “I like to say (Russian President) Vladimir Putin gave Europe a great Christmas gift because he showed that we are not dependent on Russian gas,” Lipavsky said. “I am not saying we can only be dependent on LNG, but this is a very good example that Russia cannot afford to use gas as some fundamental economic lever, because if Europe builds sufficient mechanisms, terminals, it will diversify its energy security.” The Czech Republic consumes around 8.7 billion cubic metres of natural gas per year, most of which comes from Russia through Germany. Lipavsky, whose ministry has a special envoy for energy security, said the Czech government aimed to gain access to an LNG terminal in some neighbouring country....
German prosecutors are investigating a Czech millionaire for allegedly driving along an autobahn at up to 417 km/h. Radim Passer is accused of holding an illegal motor race on the A2 motorway between Berlin and Hannover in July 2021. The driver of the Bugatti Chiron vehicle had recorded the incident and posted a clip on YouTube earlier this year, generating widespread criticism in Germany. The 58-year-old millionaire drove “at an inappropriate speed, disregarding traffic rules and in a reckless manner in order to reach the maximum possible speed,” prosecutors said. The man faces a two-year prison sentence or a significant fine if convicted. Passer’s company develops multifunctional houses in Prague, and he is reportedly worth €246 million. The public prosecutor’s office in Stendal, in the state of Saxony-Anhalt, said on Monday that it could charge the millionaire later this week. German Transport Minister Volker Wissing has slammed the driver’s attitude, noting that while Germany has no speed limit, vehicles should always be “under control”.
Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky, Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg and Slovak Foreign Minister Ivan Korčok will together visit Ukraine on February 7-8 on the invitation of their Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba. The first-ever visit by the foreign ministers of the Slavkov or Austerlitz format to Kyiv is to demonstrate solidarity with Ukraine, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry’s press service said in a statement. Kuleba and his Czech, Slovak and Austrian counterparts will hold talks with key agenda items such as “further support for Ukraine in countering Russian aggression, the implementation of a comprehensive containment package for the Russian Federation, strengthening security cooperation, supporting the economic and financial stability of our state,” it said. The Slavkov format ministers are also planning to visit the zone of Ukraine’s Joint Forces Operation to familiarize themselves with the current situation, Kyiv said. Meanwhile, the US government has again warned that Russia could invade Ukraine at any time. “We are in the window. Any day now, Russia could take military action against Ukraine, or it could be a couple of weeks from now,” White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan told Fox News on Sunday. Two US officials earlier told Reuters that Russia had assembled about...
The deployment of new NATO troops in the countries of its eastern wing is in the interests of Czech security and the Czech Republic should participate in it, the country’s foreign minister Jan Lipavský said in Brussels on Thursday. Following talks with NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, Lipavský assured that NATO remains united in rejecting Russian demands which threaten Czech sovereignty. The Czech government is considering providing further aid to Ukraine after sending artillery ammunition. On Wednesday, the Czech government decided to ship Ukraine 4,000 shells worth about CZK 37 million. Ukraine however has not yet requested the assistance of Czech personnel on its soil. At the NATO headquarters, Lipavský discussed, in particular, the tension between Russia and Ukraine. The West fears that Russia will use 100,000 troops prepared at the Ukrainian border to attack a neighboring state and plans to avert the invasion through negotiations. However, to support its own security, NATO continues to strengthen its military presence on its eastern wing and, according to Thursday’s statement by Slovak foreign minister Ivan Korčok, the organization is considering deployment of its troops to Slovakia. “The creation of such units would be in the interests of the security of Czechia. I believe that our country will...
A Czech tourist was thrown out of Venice after she was caught posing for photos topless on a war memorial. The 30-year-old stripped off last Friday afternoon, dumping her belongings on the monument — which pays homage to Italy’s war heroes — as she went for a swim in the freezing lagoon, and then lay beside the statue of a murdered female partisan to pose for photos. She was banned from Venice for 48 hours and fined 450 eur (11 000 crowns). Local Mario Nason was out walking with his son when he saw the woman and her two companions on the monument, which sits on the waterfront. Dedicated to the women who gave their lives in their fight for freedom under fascism, it consists of a bronze statue of a murdered partisan, half in the water, half on a platform of bronze and concrete. Placed near the gardens of the Biennale, it is one of the relatively few statues dedicated to women in Italy. “It was a beautiful day and we saw two people taking photos. I saw a strange movement and then I saw this woman swimming without a care in the world,” said Nason. “I thought she must...
The foreign ministry on Monday advised Czech nationals to avoid non-essential travel to Ukraine.
The American Hockey League (AHL) on Friday suspended San Jose Barracuda forward Kryštof Hrabik for 30 games for directing a racist gesture toward Boko Imama of the Tucson Roadrunners during a game earlier this month. Multiple reports describe Hrabik imitating monkey-like movements in the direction of Imama, who is Black, during a January 12 game in San Jose, California. “The AHL believes that individual inclusion learning is a key element of improving league-wide culture,” said the league in a statement. “As such, as part of his suspension, Hrabik will be provided the opportunity to work with the National Hockey League’s Player Inclusion Committee to participate in education and training on racism and inclusion.” Hrabik, 22, is a Czech Republic national in his second year with the San Jose Sharks’ minor league affiliate. “People should know that I had absolutely no inappropriate intent. The gesture was made in the heat of battle and while I didn’t mean anything racist by what I did, I realize now through my own ignorance how my gesture could be interpreted,” Hrabik said in a statement. “I fully accept the consequences of my actions and am not appealing the discipline imposed by the AHL.” “Even though I...
Defense Minister of the Czech Republic Jana Černochová reaffirmed the government’s readiness to supply Ukraine with military material amid the Russian military build-up near the border. “The Czech Republic is historically, politically and in terms of alliances on Ukraine’s side. If Ukraine needs help, we will do our best to help,” Černochová said in an interview with daily Hospodářské noviny. At the same time, the minister noted that the supply of arms or ammunition to Ukraine should be coordinated with other countries, including Visegrad countries, Germany, Austria or the Baltic states. As Hospodářské noviny reported, Černochová is currently negotiating with the Czech Army Chief Aleš Opata about the possible needs of Ukraine. Moreover, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Lieutenant General Valerii Zaluzhnyi is expected to come to Prague soon. At the same time, the Czech army will send six members of its special forces to Ukraine for a joint exercise ‘Silver Sabre 2022’ in late February or early March. The exercise takes place under NATO’s plan to develop the Ukrainian Armed Forces. The US and the UK have already decided to ship weapons to Ukraine. Germany, however, has declined to join them, contending that such a move could...
Germany’s Transport Ministry has criticized a stunt that saw a Czech millionaire drive his high-powered sportscar along a public highway at speeds of up to 417 kilometers per hour. A video posted online this month shows Radim Passer pushing his Bugatti Chiron to extreme speeds on a stretch of Germany’s A2 Autobahn between Berlin and Hannover. Beneath the video, Passer wrote that the stunt was filmed last year on a 10-kilometer straight section with three lanes and “visibility along the whole stretch.” “Safety was a priority, so the circumstances had to be safe to go,” he said. But the car can be seen passing several other vehicles on the highway and the light in the video suggests it was at twilight. While much of Germany’s Autobahn network famously has no speed limit, the Transport Ministry said in a statement Wednesday that it “rejects any behavior in road traffic that leads or can lead to endangering road users.” “All road users must abide by the rules of the road traffic regulations,” it added, citing the first clause of Germany’s road traffic law, which states that “anyone participating in traffic must behave in such a way that no other person is harmed,...
Czech inflation accelerated at the end of 2021 but the focus of investors has already shifted to the start of this year when consumer prices are expected to rise at the faster pace in over two decades. The annual inflation rate rose to 6.6% in December, from 6% in the previous month, data from Czech Statistics Office showed Wednesday. The last time the country experienced such rapid inflation was in September 2008. The average rate of inflation for the whole of 2021 was 3.8 percent. This was also the highest seen since 2008. Three central bank board members said this week that price growth may approach 10% in early 2022 before it starts slowing later in the year. The central bank has pledged to continue with one of the European Union’s most aggressive campaigns of interest-rate increases, after lifting borrowing costs by a cumulative 3.5 percentage points since June. The biggest contribution to annual December inflation came from cost of transportation and housing. While commodity prices and supply-chain problems are among key price drivers, the central bank says its monetary-policy tightening is aimed at preventing current high inflation from becoming a long-term phenomenon The Czech Republic has the lowest jobless...
Stephanie Matto alias Stepanka Matto is a Czech-American YouTuber, model, and founder of a Not Safe For Work (NSFW) platform Unfiltrd
Customers will now need to provide a negative COVID test or proof of a booster shot to enter restaurants.
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