Czech news in brief for July 4: Thursday's top headlines

Today, Czech tennis player Barbora Krejčíková, seeded 31st, advanced to the third round at Wimbledon after defeating American Katie Volynets in two tie-break sets. Her former doubles partner Kateřina Siniaková, however, lost to Julia Putintsevová from Kazakhstan after initially leading the match. Seventeen-year-old Brenda Fruhvirtová also lost in the second round to Spaniard Paula Badosa. Krejčíková will face Spain's Jessica Bouzasová next, aiming to equal her best performance at Wimbledon from her debut in 2021

On the first day of the four-day electronic and dance music festival Beats for Love, 34,000 people attended the event in Ostrava's Lower Vítkovice area. The main stage, Love, featured a performance by Belgian DJ Lost Frequencies and attracted the most attention. This year, the festival introduced a new "molten district" featuring light and fire installations, as well as the redesigned Zion stage decorated with a giant lion's head. Festival director Kamil Rudolf plans to continue upgrading other stages in the future.

German actor, director, and producer Daniel Brühl, known for his multiple European Film Award wins, was presented with the Award of the President of the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival by Jiri Bartoska. Brühl's arrival on the red carpet drew a large crowd and media attention. Presenter Marek Eben praised Brühl for his success and humble demeanor. Brühl's career peaked with the tragicomedy "Good Bye, Lenin!" – it was released in 2003.

Sparta Prague Football Club has announced that they will not allow a fan to purchase a permanent ticket after he presented former captain Ladislav Krejčí with a jersey bearing the number 88 and the inscription "Jude Slávie" for signature. The club stated that this action goes against their values and the values of Krejčí himself. The anti-Semitic chant "Jude Slávie" is still being used by some fans, despite the club's long-standing opposition to it. The number 88 was used by neo-Nazis to greet Hitler.

Mosquito populations have surged in the Czech Republic, with the Třeboň region experiencing the highest numbers in four years due to a wet, warm spring. Tourists and locals report that repellents are only partially effective. Campsites, forests, and water areas are heavily affected. Experts advise using cooling treatments for bites. Increased mosquito activity raises concerns about disease transmission as new species emerge due to climate change.

The deadline for beverage manufacturers to attach lids to plastic bottles expired at the end of June, aiming to reduce plastic waste. Some Czech manufacturers adapted early, despite initial customer resistance. Coca-Cola reported customer acceptance, while Kofola highlighted increased costs. The measure, part of the EU’s 2019 strategy, coincides with other initiatives like charging for plastic bags and banning single-use plastics. The goal is 90 percent PET bottle collection by 2026.

Over 500 artists from various electronic dance music genres will perform at the four-day Beats for Love festival, which started today in Ostrava’s Lower Vítkovice area. Headlined by French DJ David Guetta, the event, described as Central Europe's largest electronic dance music festival, will culminate on Saturday. Last year's festival attracted around 150,000 attendees. New features include a cashless payment system and the Talking Beats conference.

A recent survey by the Center for Public Opinion Research (CVVM) reveals that 52 percent of Czechs believe the government neglects the social situation of families with children, up from 28 percent in 2020. Support for flexible working hours and part-time jobs for parents is high while merging various child and housing benefits is less popular. The survey, conducted from March 15 to June 2, included 951 respondents.

New passenger car sales in the Czech Republic rose 3.2 percent year-on-year in the first half of the year to 119,221 vehicles, with June sales up 9 percent to 22,334 cars. Škoda remained the top-selling brand despite a 3 percent drop in sales. Hyundai and Toyota followed, with 10 percent and 17.6 percent increases, respectively. SUVs dominated the market, making up 47 percent of sales.