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Ukraine’s decision to halt the transit of Russian gas through its territory will not adversely affect Czech consumers, Trade and Industry Minister Lukáš Vlček told the ctk news agency on Thursday. He said the country’s gas tanks were 63 percent full and the country has alternative sources of gas supplies from the Netherlands and Norway. It has also signed contracts on gas supplies from Algeria.
The Czech Republic has also offered to provide Slovakia with gas transmission capacity through its territory, should the country make such a request. The minister said he had assured his Slovak counterpart Denise Saková that if Slovakia needs to use the Czech energy or gas infrastructure for gas transit, it is ready to provide the service and has sufficient capacity to cover Slovakia’s needs.
Last year in Czechia was the hottest in 250 years, since monitoring at Prague's Klementinum began in 1775, the Czech Hydrometeorological Institure reported. The average temperature in 2024 was 13.3 degrees Celsius, which is half a degree warmer than the previous record years of 2018 and 2023. What is noteworthy, according to meteorologists, is that the 15 warmest years recorded since 1775, were all after 1990 and 13 of them were in this century.
Klementinum, which is in the historic centre of Prague, has been monitoring the weather continuously since the start of 1775. The average annual temperature over the whole period was 9.8 degrees.
The start of the New Year has kicked off the largest and most successful fund-raiser in the country. The Three Kings Collection, organized by the Catholic charity Caritas, involves thousands of volunteers, most of them children, taking to the streets dressed as the Three Wise Men, singing carols and asking people to donate money to charity. Last year the collection raised a record 176 million crowns, the highest sum it has raised in any single year. For information on how to donate go to www.trikralovasbirka.cz.
Over a thousand people climbed to the top of Ještěd Mountain on the first day of the New Year in line with a tradition established in 1976. The four-kilometre route leads from Liberec to the highest peak of the Ještěd ridge, at an altitude of 1,012 m. Bořivoj Pohl from the Czech Tourist Club - TJ Lokomotiva Liberec, which has been organising the event for about 30 years, said he was happy that so many enthusiasts braved the cold and windy weather to observe the tradition. The climb has gained increasing popularity over the years. The year it was established only 93 hikers took part.
The traditional New Year’s concert of the Czech Philharmonic took place in Prague’s Rudolfinum concert hall on Wednesday evening. The orchestra performed works by French composers from the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries under the baton of conductor Tomáš Netopil. The soloists, violinist Josef Špaček and cellist and concertmaster of the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra Ivan Vokáč, received a standing ovation. The New Year's traditional gala concert at the Rudolfinum is an important cultural and social event.
The Mountain Rescue Service in the Krkonoše Mountains has warned hikers of possible danger on ridge hikes due to strong winds, according to information on the service’s website. The Sněžka Mountain peak was battered by gale-force winds reaching 190 kms per hour in places during the night and on Thursday morning. The cable car to Sněžka is also out of operation due to adverse weather conditions. Hikers have been advised not to take risks and to stay informed about developments on the service’s website.
Friday should be partly cloudy to overcast with scattered snow showers and daytime highs between -1 and 3 degrees Celsius.
On January 1, Ukraine halted the transit of Russian gas to Europe via its territory, following the expiration of a five-year agreement between Ukraine's Naftogaz and Russia's Gazprom. The Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico is strongly opposed to the move, whereas Czech politicians welcome it and claim that it will not have an impact on the country's economy.
At the start of January, the Three Kings will again be seen in cities, towns and villages across Czechia, raising money for the Catholic charitable organisation Caritas Czech Republic and its many good causes.
In a country known for its beer tradition, the rise of non-alcoholic beer is turning heads. More Czechs are choosing alcohol-free options, driven by health concerns and changing habits, with breweries responding to the growing demand. Even in pubs, non-alcoholic beer is becoming a staple on tap.
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