Daily news summary

Parts of collapsed bridge being transported to concreting plant

Workers have begun disassembling parts of a footbridge which collapsed in Prague’s Troja over a week ago. Parts of the bridge are being transported to a nearby concreting plant for expert assessment, the spokeswoman for the Technical Administration of Roadways of the Capital of Prague Barbora Lišková confirmed.

The cause of the sudden collapse, on December 2, has not yet been determined. Four people were injured in the accident, two of them seriously.

Ski season officially launched in most parts of the country

The Czech skiing season was launched in most parts of the country this weekend, following heavy snowfall in the previous days. According to ski-operators, conditions on the slopes were very good.

Some 3,500 people took to the slopes in the country’s biggest ski centre in Špindlerův Mlýn in the Krkonoše Mountains. According to the Czech News Agency, there are also dozens of kilometres of maintained cross-country ski trails currently open in the Czech mountains.

Filmmaker Drahomíra Vihanová dies at 87

Czech filmmaker, documentarist and screenwriter Drahomíra Vihanová has died at the age of 87. Prague’s FAMU film school confirmed that Mrs Vihanová, a native of Moravský Krumlov, passed away on Sunday after suffering from a short illness. The director belonged to the golden 60s generation of the Czech New Wave, completing studies at Prague’s FAMU and working alongside filmmakers such as Frantíšek Vláčil and Otakar Vávra.

Her drama debut, Squandered Sunday (from 1969) was banned for political reasons by the communists and only screened 20 years later, after the fall of the regime in 1989.

In 1994, Vihanová directed Pevnost (The Fortress) with Hungarian actor György Cserhalmi and Miroslav Donutil in lead roles

Cable car use on Snežka restricted to lower half of mountain

Strong winds on Monday meant that the use of the cable car on the Czech Republic’s highest peak at 1,602 metres, Snežka, was restricted to the lower level, from Pec pod Snežkou to Růžová hora. The cable car can remain in operation during winds of up to 60 kilometres per hour.

Meteorologists warned that along the ridges of the peak, winds could reach up to 110 kilometres per hour. There is around a metre of snow at the mountain’s top.

Speed skater Sáblíková takes silver in 3,000 World Cup event

Czech speed skater Martina Sáblíková finished second in the 3,000 metres event at Salt Lake City in the United States.

The three-times Olympic champion crossed the line in around 3.57 minutes, less than a second behind winner Natalia Voroninova from Russia.

It is the best result of the season for Sáblíková, who has been suffering from back-pain.

Football: Čech criticises teammates in Southampton draw

Arsenal football goalkeeper Petr Čech criticised his teammates suggesting that many of the players weren’t fully prepared against Southampton, with who they trailed from the third minute on Sunday.

The Gunners’ Giroud equalised late for the team to salvage a point.

Čech told Match of the Day that Arsenal “deserved to get a point for the second half performance” Express.co.uk reported. The London club is fifth in the Premier League standings.

Weather

Tuesday should be mostly cloudy with a chance of rain. Daytime temperatures will be higher than in recent days, around 8 degrees Celsius.