News in brief for July 13: Top headlines for Czechia on Thursday

Markéta Vondroušová secured her spot in the Wimbledon final after a 6-3, 6-3 victory over Elina Svitolina today in the semi-finals. The Czech tennis player will vie for her first Grand Slam title against either Aryna Sabalenka or Ons Jabeur.

This marks Vondroušová's second time reaching a Grand Slam final, with her previous attempt at Roland Garros four years ago ending in defeat. It is also her second Grand Slam event since her return from maternity leave in April. The last Czech Wimbledon champion was Petra Kvitová in 2011 and 2014, while Karolína Plíšková was defeated in the 2021 final.

The upper house of the Czech parliament, the Czech Senate, approved today a government bill eliminating over 10,000 outdated laws, regulations, and directives from the Czech legal system starting next year. The bill, which the lower house already approved, is designed to improve transparency and clarity within the legal framework.

Interior Minister Vít Rakušan emphasized the importance of this initiative to streamline the legal system, given that the repealed regulations encompass laws dating as far back as 1918. The bill still needs President Petr Pavel's signature to come into effect.

Prague Engineering (Pražská strojírna), a subsidiary of the Prague Public Transport Company (DPP), has launched the largest rooftop photovoltaic power plant in Prague. The plant, located on the roofs of Prague Engineering's production halls and warehouses in Vinoř, is capable of covering the company's annual electricity consumption.

With 2,200 solar panels and a total capacity of 996 kWp, the power plant can produce up to 980 MWh of electricity annually, equivalent to the consumption of 300 households. The project, completed in 15 months, aims to achieve self-sufficiency and reduce CO2 emissions by approximately 500 tons per year.

Two individuals died and four others were injured in a crash involving a car, a truck, and a van near Třeboň in the South Bohemian region. The accident occurred on the I/34 road between Lišov and Třebon. The South Bohemian police and rescuers issued a press release suggesting that the crash may have been caused by a flat tire.

Emergency services treated six individuals on-site, with four being transported to a hospital in České Budějovice. Two people died on-site due to multiple injuries. This accident contributes to the 23 lives lost in traffic accidents in southern Bohemia this year.

Google Bard, a conversational tool powered by artificial intelligence, will support questions and answers in Czechia starting today. Additionally, the tool is now available to users in the European Union, lifting the previous restriction that required them to mask their location using a VPN. Google Bard currently supports over 40 languages. 

The latest update also includes new multimedia features such as audio playback of answers and the recognition of image-based instructions using Google Lens. However, the ability to export code and the option to choose answer lengths are currently limited to the English-language version.

The Czech Hydrometeorological Institute (ČHMÚ) announced that the Czech Republic will experience scorching temperatures at the end of this week, with daily highs reaching 35 degrees Celsius. Expect clear skies on Friday and Saturday, with temperatures ranging from 27 to 31 degrees Celsius on Friday and warming up to 30 to 35 degrees on Saturday and Sunday. 

Night temperatures will vary from 11 to 15 degrees Celsius on Friday, 13 to 17 degrees Celsius on Saturday, and 17 to 21 degrees Celsius on Sunday. However, Sunday will bring increased cloudiness and a chance of rain, showers, or thunderstorms in the southeastern half of Czechia. The trend continues next week, with daily temperatures still close to 30 degrees Celsius on Monday and Tuesday. 

A five-year-old girl from the Czech Republic died during a family vacation in Medulin, Croatia. The child complained of severe abdominal pains, prompting her parents to call an ambulance. Despite resuscitation attempts by both the parents and medical professionals, the girl could not be saved.

An autopsy has been ordered, but foul play is not currently suspected. The parents had taken the girl to the emergency room the previous evening for examination but were reportedly released. The incident occurred on Wednesday, and the body has been transferred to the pathology department for further investigation.

The Senate will vote on the Czech-American defense cooperation at its July meeting today. The treaty is expected to pass. In addition, it plans to repeal over 10,000 unused laws and introduce new regulations for public auctions. The treaty covers various aspects related to the potential presence of American soldiers in the Czech Republic.

While many NATO countries have similar defense agreements with the U.S., the Czech Republic remains the only Eastern member without one. The treaty does not involve establishing American bases or the presence of specific U.S. army units on Czech soil.

Czech tennis legend Barbora Strýcová and her Taiwanese partner, Hsieh Su-Wei, have advanced to the Wimbledon doubles semi-finals after defeating the French-Brazilian duo Garcia and Stefani. They will face Marie Bouzková and Spain's Sara Sorribes Tormo in the next round.

Strýcová, a five-time FedCup winner, returned to the courts after giving birth to her son Vincent. She reached the second round in singles and has shown impressive form in the doubles competition. Strýcová's main triumphs have traditionally come at Wimbledon, where she reached the semi-finals in singles in 2019 and won the doubles title with Hsieh the same year.

French President Emmanuel Macron paid tribute to the late Czech writer Milan Kundera during the NATO summit in Vilnius. Macron referenced Kundera in the context of European unity against Russia. He stated that the summit sent a clear message to Russia that it cannot divide or exhaust European partners and allies. Macron specifically mentioned Kundera's 1983 essay, "The Hijacked West," which calls for the defense of countries at the heart of Europe, including Czechoslovakia.

French politicians, including Transport Minister Clément Beaune and President of the French Parliament Yaël Braun-Pivet, expressed gratitude for Kundera's contributions to literature and Europe. French Culture Minister Rima Abdul Malak expressed immense sadness over Kundera's passing and highlighted his role in helping people navigate the world's absurdity.

The Czech government will not ban kratom and cannabinol HHC, the Pirate Party announced on Twitter following a cabinet meeting. Instead, the government aims to strengthen safeguards for users of these substances. The Department of Health's proposal to ban kratom and HHC was motivated by concerns about their accessibility to children. However, experts view kratom and HHC as relatively low-risk and recommend implementing clear regulations to govern their sale and control.

Jindřich Vobořil, the national anti-drug coordinator, confirmed that ready-to-implement legislation is available, which will classify kratom and HHC as psycho-modulating substances with established rules for their sale and control. Kratom is derived from a tropical plant, while HHC is derived from hemp, and both can have therapeutic effects in small doses but may induce depressive effects in larger quantities. These substances are commonly marketed as oils, tinctures, tablets, or powders.

The Czech government has decided to pay a fee of CZK 51.3 million, including VAT, to Michelin for inclusion in its prestigious gastronomic guide. Transport Minister Martin Kupka stated that the move is aimed at promoting the Czech Republic abroad and attracting tourists after the pandemic. The Ministry of Regional Development emphasized that the assessment by Michelin should cover the entire Czech Republic and not just restaurants in Prague.

The funding will be divided into two phases: an analysis of the gastronomic scene and evaluations of shortlisted establishments, followed by a marketing campaign targeting foreign tourists. The state, regions, and private sector are expected to contribute to financing. Culinary professionals argue that gastronomy plays a significant role in tourists' decision-making, and support for the sector is crucial for the country's competitiveness