News in brief for July 24: Top headlines for Czechia on Monday

Around 450 Czech travel agency clients were repatriated from Rhodes due to extensive forest fires during two night flights, and more repatriation flights are being planned in the coming days, the Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs said this afternoon.

The ministry has requested travel agencies to halt sending tourists to Rhodes and assist Czechs in returning home. While the Foreign Ministry has not issued a blanket travel warning for Rhodes, it cautioned about fires in the northeastern region of Corfu, where 60 Czechs were evacuated from a hotel, but later returned and continued their stay. Representatives of the Foreign Ministry have again held talks with travel agencies today.

In response to the growing risk of forest fires in Czechia this summer, the Czech Fire and Rescue Service announced today that it has rented two Black Hawk helicopters from a Slovak company for CZK 52 million. 

The use of aerial support proved effective during a fire in Czech Switzerland last year, where challenging terrain hindered ground control, said Fire Chief Vladimír Vlček. He also mentioned that the rented helicopters have already been deployed three times this year. This summer, firefighters can also use two Bell police helicopters with 900-liter duffel bags to fight any blazes.

A new survey by the STEM polling agency has found that the number of Czechs willing to accept lower wages to keep their jobs is at its lowest in 30 years, with about three-fifths of the working-age population unwilling to do so.

However, concerns about unemployment have been on the rise, with nearly two-fifths of respondents expressing fear of losing their jobs. Despite a gradual decline in the unemployment rate since March, it still remains higher than the previous year. The survey indicates that 39 percent of working-age Czechs are worried about unemployment, particularly those nearing retirement age or facing financial difficulties.

Data released by the Czech Statistical Office (ČSÚ) today shows that confidence in the Czech economy in June rebounded by 1.1 points to reach 91.4 points, following two months of decline. Both entrepreneurs and consumers showed increased optimism. Numbers above 100 suggest increased confidence in near-term business performance.

However, when compared to the previous year, overall confidence remains lower. Business confidence rose by 0.1 points, to 91.1, with the most significant increase seen in the industrial sector, rising by 2.9 points, to 88.1. On the other hand, the construction industry experienced a decline of 4.2 points, reaching 99 points.

The Czech Hydrometeorological Institute has today warned of strong thunderstorms in southeastern Czechia, with gusty winds of around 75 kilometers per hour. Afternoon temperatures will exceed 31 degrees Celsius in the eastern half. 

Despite expected rainfall, a fire risk remains in force for most of the country, especially in northwestern regions, Central Bohemia, Vysočina, and Southern Moravia. Meteorologists anticipate a decrease in fire risk from Tuesday onwards with rainier and colder weather approaching as a wavy cold front moves eastward across Central Europe. In parts of the South Bohemia, Vysočína, South Moravia, Olomouc, Zlín, and Moravian-Silesia regions, strong thunderstorms will appear from noon today until midnight.

Czech Geological Survey head Zdenek Venera revealed this afternoon that the protective wall near the Turów coal mine at the Czechia-Poland border effectively safeguards surrounding groundwater from mining impact – but only on the Polish side.

Venera noted that water levels in nearby Polish wells have increased significantly, indicating that the wall's impermeability has surpassed agreed specifications. However, Czech wells continue to experience a decline, hitting historic lows, preventing a clear positive effect from the wall on Czech territory.

Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala announced that the army may send planes to evacuate Czech tourists from the fire-stricken Greek island of Rhodes if repatriation flights by travel agencies are insufficient. Hundreds of Czech tourists were already evacuated due to the fires. Fiala stated that Airbus and CASA military aircraft are ready for potential evacuation.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs estimates that 4,000 to 5,000 Czech citizens are on the island, with many not directly affected by the evacuation. The government is coordinating with the Greek side to ensure a smooth process. The fire on Rhodes triggered the largest evacuation operation in Greek history.

A new safety line from the Cope with 20 campaign will address self-harm among Czech children. According to the organization, up to 15 percent of students have experienced the urge to do so. The campaign advises patients to seek alternative ways of relief from self-harm, especially when they are triggered by difficult situations and social media.

The line provides guidance on how to overcome the critical 20 minutes, during which the urge to self-harm tends to weaken. Children are encouraged to find relief in activities like movement, dancing, or seeking comfort from someone else. The campaign aims to help children cope and prevent self-harming behaviors.

The Czech National Bank warns of a manifold increase in online banking attacks, accounting for over 10 percent of registered crimes in the country. The 2022 Report on Financial Market Supervision reveals that cybercrime targeting the public, including vulnerable consumers, is becoming more sophisticated. Crimes committed in cyberspace rose almost 100 percent to 18,554 cases last year.

Attackers often employ manipulative techniques to obtain personal security information and access victims' accounts for monetary gain. The central bank urges financial institutions to regularly inform clients about cyber threats and protective measures to prevent potential fraud.

A Tunisian court will hold a hearing on Monday for a Czech woman arrested there after her husband's death. The woman, originally from Ostrava, is currently in custody. The Foreign Ministry is in contact with her family.

According to Fareed Ben Jahha, spokesman for the courts in Monastir and Mahdia, the accused wife will remain in custody until the investigation reveals the causes and circumstances of her husband's death; the man's neck allegedly showed signs of strangulation. Further details about the case are yet to be disclosed.

A seller from the Czech Republic has listed an originally packaged 4GB first-generation iPhone on eBay for GBP 123,456, or CZK 3.4 million. The phone has been available since June 24, and the seller set a fixed price in July, adjusting it according to auction results. A potential buyer located in Bílovec near Ostrava expressed interest in purchasing it.

The iPhone was introduced on January 9, 2007, by Apple's Steve Jobs in San Francisco, but it only hit sales counters in June, limited to certain markets. The 4GB version originally cost $499, with an additional $100 for double the memory. At a July auction by LCG Auctions in the U.S., the 4GB variant, still sealed from the factory, fetched a staggering $190,372.80 (over CZK 4 million).