Czech daily news roundup: Thursday, December 23, 2021

Gas: Company Český Energetický Dodavatel a.s. has announced that it will no longer be able to supply it's customers with gas, according to the Electricity Market Operator (OTE) website. According to OTE data, the company supplies electricity to 4,283 customers and gas to 2,933 customers, so it has more than 7,000 customers. The market operator received the notice of termination on Wednesday. The company says high energy prices are behind the decisions. Customers are eligible to change suppliers from today through Dec. 26.

The Liberec region has had the coldest night of this winter last night, with the exception of the Frýdlant foothills. The temperature in many places dropped below minus five degrees Celsius and in the mountains below minus ten degrees. In the frost basin in the Jizera Mountains, temps dropped to almost minus 18 degrees, reading 17.9 degrees at the Rašeliniště station, according to the Ústí nad Labem branch of the Czech Hydrometeorological Institute (CHMI). Temperatures should rise today, however, and in the Czech Republic, only those in the mountains will enjoy a white Christmas; wind and rain are expected elsewhere, says CHMI.

The Czech Republic’s central bank has again moved to increase its key interest rate in an ongoing effort to subdue soaring inflation. The 1 percentage point hike to 3.75% announced by the CNB on its site Wednesday represents the fifth straight increase since June and was higher than expected by analysts. The bank, which considers high consumer prices a major threat, had indicated that it would increase the rate. Inflation jumped to 6% in November, the highest level in 13 years and well above the bank’s target of 2% target.

Lukáš Krpálek judoka, 31, and the current Olympic champion and world champion, has been named the Czech Champion of Sports 2021, followed by tennis player Barbora Krejčíková and slalom canoeist Jiří Prskavec, the organizers of the annual poll of sports journalists announced Wednesday night at a gala ceremony held at the Hilton Hotel in Prague. Krpálek won the Olympic heavyweight judoka competition in Tokyo this summer. Krejčíková won the doubles competition at the Tokyo Olympics, the French Open, and the WTA Finals this year, and Prskavec took home a gold medal from the Tokyo Olympics.

Christmas holidays have commenced today at most primary and secondary schools in the Czech Republic. Students will enjoy 11 days off, returning to the classroom on Monday, January 3. Some schools have announced the "principal's leave" due to the coronavirus epidemic this week, extending their holidays by three days. Schoolchildren will have another break on Friday, February 4, for the half-year holiday by week-long spring break, taking place at different periods throughout March and ending on March 20.