Daily news summary
PM Sobotka and Foreign Minister Zaorálek attend anti-terrorist rally in Paris
Czech Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka and Foreign Minister Lubomír Zaorálek are attending the national unity march in Paris on Sunday to honor the 17 victims killed in the terrorist attacks this week. A number of world leaders, including German Chancellor Angela Merkel, British Prime Minister David Cameron, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, take part in the massive anti-terror rally, which has drawn around a million people. The French government has taken exceptional security measures to ensure security of the event.
Interior Minister: CR in no immediate danger of terrorist attack
Czech Interior Minister Milan Chovanec has repeated that there was no immediate threat of a terrorist attack in the Czech Republic. Speaking to Czech television on Sunday, Mr Chovanec also said that a threat of an attack from a smaller terrorist group, such as the one in Paris this week, cannot be fully ruled out and cannot be prevented. He said that the Czech police have no indication of a larger terrorist organization operating in the country.
Four people killed on railway tracks on Saturday
Four people were killed in the Czech Republic on Saturday after being hit by a train. A spokesperson for the railways inspection authority said all four incidents happened at spots where walkers are banned. In the first ten days of 2015, seven people died on the country's railways and one person was injured. 296 people were killed in railroad accidents last year, which is the highest number in the last decade.
Speed skater Sáblíková takes silver at European Speed Skating Championships
Czech speed skater Martina Sáblíková took the silver medal in the overall discipline at the European Speed Skating Championships in Chelyabinks on Sunday. The long-distance specialist, who was aiming for her fifth Euroepan allround title, won the 3,000 and 5,000 metres and finished second in the overall competition with 162.414 points. Sáblíková's longtime rival Ireen Wüst of the Netherlands took the gold for the fourth time in her career.
Biathlete Vítková takes silver in World Cup mass start race in Oberhof
Veronika Vítková has taken silver in the women's 12.5 km mass start biathlon event in Germany's Oberhof. It is her third medal at the World Championship after gold in the sprint and in women's relay. The 26-year-old Vítková finished 14 seconds behind Darya Domracheva of Belarus. Another Czech Gabriela Soukalová finished in tenth place.
Norway's Pedersen wins Jizerská Padesátka
Norway's Morten Eide Pedersen has won the Czech Republic's biggest cross-country skiing event, the Jizerská padesátka, finishing ahead of his compatriot Petter Eliassen. The Czech Republic's Stanislav Řezáč finished in seventh place. The women's race was won by Czech-born Kateřina Smutná, representing Austria. The 50-kilometre course had to be changed and shortened to 45 due to insufficient natural snow.
Record temperatures registered around the country
New temperature records were set for January 10 in more than 40 places across the Czech Republic. The highest temperature was recorded in Ústí nad Labem on Saturday, where it reached 16.8 degrees Celsius. Six weather stations registered its highest temperature on record for the month of January. The warm spell is expected to end on Sunday with temperatures dropping to around 0 degrees Celsius.
