News in brief for June 25: Petra Kvitová advances to final at German Open

Temperatures between 26 and 30 degrees Celsius are in the forecast for most areas of the Czech Republic tomorrow, with highs of around 32 degrees Celsius in the areas of Polabí, Poohří, Mostecká pánev, and Plzeň. The Czech Hydrometeorological Institute has issued a warning for extreme temperatures in these regions as well as areas in Central and Northern Bohemia, including Prague. 

Tuesday will bring cooler weather, according to the Institute, as warm air from the south will be overtaken by a cold front arriving on Monday evening. The Czech Republic experienced several days of heatwave over the past week, which ended with strong storms heading into the weekend.

Czech Minister of Foreign Affairs Jan Lipavský has called for a crisis staff meeting at the ministry this evening to discuss the latest developments in Russia. In addition to analyzing the events surrounding the uprising of the Wagner military company led by Yevgeny Prigozhin, the staff will also focus on coordinating positions with the member states of the European Union and the North Atlantic Alliance.

The crisis staff meeting was prompted by the recent events in Russia, specifically the uprising of the Wagner military company. The Wagner group, led by Yevgeny Prigozhin, has been involved in various conflicts around the world, including Ukraine and Syria. The staff will analyze the situation and assess the potential implications for Czech foreign policy.

The Czech Republic's baseball team has won Prague Baseball Week for the first time eight years this weekend. In the final, they defeated the BBJO Globetrotters, a team made up of foreigners competing in Europe, by a score of 9-5. The Czech team topped the Globetrotters on both Friday and Saturday after defeating Austria and New South Wales earlier in the week.

Last year, the tournament's final games were cancelled by rain, due to which the Czechs could not play in the semi-finals against the Globetrotters and finished third. For the Czech team, the tournament in Prague comes ahead of the 2023 European Championships, which will be played from September 24 to October 1 in Prague, Brno, Ostrava, Třebíč, and Blansko.

In addition to Greece, Egypt, Croatia, and Turkey, which are traditionally among the most popular summer holiday destinations for Czech tourists, interest is also growing this year in previously less-popular destinations. These locales include Albania, Montenegro, and Madeira.

Travel agencies and tour operators contacted by Czech News Agency report year-on-year sales increases to these destinations ranging from tens to hundreds of percent. One of the attractions, according to them, is the relatively lower price, while in the case of Madeira, it is primarily the demand for more active holidays.

The Czech government is set to discuss a draft law on Wednesday that aims to implement a package for the consolidation of public finances. The proposal, which involves amendments to over 60 laws, includes measures that require legislative changes.

Notably, the package does not include cuts to subsidies and reductions in state expenditures, which are expected to cover approximately half of the planned consolidation amounting to 150.7 billion Czech crowns over two years. The package includes an amendment to the gambling law, which, among other things, clarifies the rules for the legal operation of online gambling.

Czech tennis star Petra Kvitová has advanced to the final at the German Open in Berlin and will compete for her 31st title on the WTA circuit. The ninth-ranked player in the world defeated Russia's Ekaterina Alexandrova 6-3, 6-4 in semifinal action on Saturday evening. It was Kvitová's second win of the day after a rescheduled quarterfinal against world number four Caroline Garcia, who Kvitová topped 6-4, 7-6.

In the decisive German Open final on Sunday, Kvitová will face Croatia's Donna Vekic. She'll be one of two Czech stars competing for a title on Sunday, as Barbora Krejčíková will play in the Birmingham Classic final after topping China's Zhu Lin 6-3, 6-2. The top-seeded Krejčíková will face second seed Jeļena Ostapenko from Latvia in the final match.

Czech citizens are currently not facing any immediate danger in connection with the events in Russia, and the Czech Republic is closely monitoring the situation, Czech Minister of Defense Jana Černochová announced on Saturday evening after a meeting with the Chief of the General Staff and the Director of Military Intelligence.

Černochová assured the public that authorities are carefully monitoring and evaluating any potential impacts on the Czech Republic. The Ministry of Defense is working in coordination with other relevant authorities to gather and analyze information regarding the situation in Russia, she added.

A forest fire broke out in the municipality of Konecchlumí in the Jičín Region on Saturday. The fire has affected an area of over 250 square meters and has spread to a nearby meadow. A total of 17 firefighting units, consisting of approximately 80 firefighters, have been deployed to the scene. In addition, the incident commander has requested the assistance of a helicopter equipped with a Bambi Bucket.

The fire was first reported by the local fire department in the Královéhradecký Region. The cause of the fire is still under investigation. The firefighting efforts are being coordinated by an incident commander, who is overseeing the deployment of resources and ensuring the safety of the firefighters.

Ground forces from foreign armies took part in the BAHNA Ground Forces Day in Strašice on Saturday, with German, Austrian, Slovak and Polish armies demonstrating their equipment, a spokesperson from the Czech Land Forces Command tells Czech News Agency.

The main attractions from the Czech army were the Leopard battle tank and the Starkom mobile jammer. According to the organizer estimates, more than 50,000 people came to the parade, one of the biggest public parades held by the Czech army. The presence of foreign armies was interrupted in recent years by pandemic restrictions.

A sport aircraft pilot tragically died on Saturday near Havlíčkův Brod Airport. The crash is currently being investigated by the police. The incident occurred in the afternoon when an ultralight aircraft crashed and subsequently caught fire in the vicinity of Poděbaby, near Havlíčkův Brod.

The pilot, whose identity has not been disclosed, succumbed to injuries at the scene. The spokesperson for the emergency services in the Vysočina region, Petr Janáček, confirmed the unfortunate event. Further details regarding the cause of the crash are yet to be determined as the investigation continues.