Czech news in brief for July 10: Friday's top morning headlines

Karolína Muchová and Linda Nosková will meet in the Wimbledon women's final on Saturday, marking the first all-Czech final in the tournament's history. Muchová, seeded 10th, beat American Coco Gauff 6-2, 1-6, 7-6 in a deciding super tie-break, while top-seeded Nosková defeated Ukraine's Marta Kostyuková 6-4, 6-4.

Tennis royalty weighs in: Martina Navrátilová called the matchup "an incredible achievement" for Czech tennis, and Wimbledon organizers marked the occasion with chessboard-themed graphics captioned "Czech Mate." The final tips off on Saturday at 5 p.m. CEST.

A fire at the former Baťa factory complex in Zlín destroyed roughly two-thirds of Building 34, the largest structure in the complex at 65,000 square meters. Firefighters, aided by helicopters and drones, expect to continue battling the blaze into Friday; no injuries have been reported.

Structural damage: Shoe company Vasky reported CZK 150 million in losses to stored goods, while sportswear maker Alpine Pro estimated damage at over CZK 500 million. Building owner Cream Group says the site was insured; demolition may be required if the remaining structure is unsalvageable.

Interior Minister Lubomír Metnar (ANO) said his ministry has finalized migration legislation now before the Chamber of Deputies, including a bill digitizing residence permits and adding mandatory registration for EU citizens staying more than 90 days. A separate proposal would tighten temporary protection rules for Ukrainians who fled the war.

What changes: Metnar said the legislation is also meant to speed up deportations for international residents convicted of crimes, curb misuse of welfare benefits, and track traffic violations committed by foreigners; critics say some aspects of the bill could unnecessarily complicate life for non-EU foreign nationals in Czechia.

Czechia moved up to fifth place on a monthly list of hostile governments published by Russian outlet Vzglyad, tied with Poland, Finland, and Sweden. The ranking cited continued Czech military and financial support for Ukraine, including participation in NATO's Ramstein Flag 18 exercise near the Kaliningrad region.

Score breakdown: Germany topped the list with 95 of 100 points; Czechia scored 75. The publication credited Czech funding for long-range ammunition production for Ukraine, though the specific June increase it cited could not be independently confirmed.

Prague's Technical Roads Administration begins repairs on Hlávka Bridge this Saturday, running through the end of the summer holidays. Trams will be rerouted off the bridge entirely in both directions, and car traffic will be squeezed into a single lane heading toward Holešovice; the direction into the center stays open. The work addresses corrosion between the bridge's 1911 historic section and its 1962 addition, and is timed to overlap with an already-planned Metro C closure this week.

Plan ahead: This overlaps with a separate reconstruction starting July 13 at the main train station's departure hall, so expect knock-on delays across that whole stretch of Prague through late summer.

Bringing home the Bacon: Juliette Binoche, Jeffrey Wright, and Kevin Bacon each presented films at the Karlovy Vary festival on Thursday. Binoche introduced "Three Colors: Blue," while Wright and Bacon showed "Basquiat" and "Family Film," respectively.

Ruzyně's giant mural finished: A 700-meter mural spanning 1,800 square meters is now complete along the route from Václav Havel Airport into central Prague. Thirty Czech and international artists contributed to the piece, ranking it alongside Berlin's East Side Gallery in scale.

Bonnie Tyler's Czech footprint: The Welsh singer behind "Total Eclipse of the Heart" and "Holding Out for a Hero" died at 75 on Wednesday after a prolonged illness. Her songs were widely covered in Czech by artists including Karel Gott and Lucie Vondráčková.