Czech news in brief for August 2: Friday's top headlines

Two Czech travel agencies have relocated clients due to fires in Croatia. Extreme heat and drought have also caused fires in Spain, Greece, Northern Macedonia, Albania, and Bulgaria. No tours have been canceled yet, but travel agencies are on high alert and advising tourists to register with the Drozd travel system for safety updates. The situation remains monitored, with crisis channels established to respond swiftly.

The Brno Museum of Roma Culture has opened an exhibition in Hodonin to mark International Roma Holocaust Day. The exhibit, titled Stories of Survivors, highlights the experiences of Roma and Sinti imprisoned in concentration camps, focusing on the annihilation of the “Gypsy family camp” at Auschwitz-Birkenau on August 2-3, 1944.

Director Jana Horvathova emphasized the importance of acknowledging this genocide, with 90 percent of the pre-war Roma population murdered. The exhibition will be on display until the end of October.

Karolína Muchová and Linda Nosková fell short of reaching the Olympic doubles final, losing to Italians Sara Errani and Jasmine Paolini 3-6, 2-6. The Czech duo will now play for bronze against either Spaniards Sara Sorribes and Cristina Bucsa, or Russians Mirra Andrejeva and Diana Shnaider. Muchová and Nosková, replacing injured Markéta Vondroušová, reached the semis with three comeback wins but couldn't overcome Errani and Paolini.

East Bohemia, Moravia, and Silesia are expected to face powerful storms this afternoon, with torrential rain and strong winds, potentially bringing up to 30 liters of water per square meter, according to the Czech Hydrometeorological Institute (ČHMÚ). The storm warning, effective from 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. today, includes the entire Pardubice region, parts of Vysočina and Hradec Králové, and all of Silesia and Moravia except Znojmo. The storms are expected to weaken by evening.

A new app will guide users through the underground history of Prague Castle, showcasing five key archaeological sites typically inaccessible to the public. Developed by Czech Academy of Sciences experts, the app offers virtual tours with 3D scans and timelines of areas like the Chapel of the Virgin Mary and St. Vitus Cathedral’s crypt. Available in Czech, English, and German, the app aims to protect these fragile sites while educating the public.

The Czech Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs announced that the minimum wage could rise to CZK 20,600 per month in 2024 and CZK 22,100 in 2026, up from the current CZK 18,900. The proposal for a CZK 1,700 annual increase is based on the Ministry of Finance’s April prediction, with the final decision expected by September 30. The government aims for the minimum wage to reach 47 percent of the average wage by 2029.

Czech President Petr Pavel signed the ratification document for the Czech-German agreement on the Elbe (Labe) waterway Thursday. The agreement, which requires Prime Minister Petr Fiala's co-signature, aims to optimize the waterway from Pardubice to Hamburg for cargo ships while balancing water management and environmental needs. The Czech Republic will ensure navigation parameters from Ústí nad Labem to the German border, while Germany will maintain a depth of 140 cm on its section.