Czech news in brief for July 11: Saturday's top afternoon headlines

Czech President Petr Pavel and Prime Minister Andrej Babiš received historic revolvers as gifts from Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan during the NATO summit in Ankara. The firearms, presented to all summit leaders, came as a surprise to many officials because they included ammunition and required handling under national firearm regulations.

Dueling arms: Babiš said his revolver will likely be displayed at the government’s Liechtenstein Palace, subject to security approval. Pavel, who holds a firearms license, said he expects to register the weapon through standard procedures after receiving the required documents.

Czechia has sent a Black Hawk helicopter to France to help fight extensive forest fires in the south of the country. The aircraft, operated by a private company and equipped with a 3,450-liter firefighting bucket, departed from Přerov Airport and is heading to the Valence area.

Key details: French authorities are dealing with a new heatwave, drought and strong winds that have increased wildfire risks. Czech firefighters will also support wildfire monitoring and response efforts in Greece later this summer.

Around 62 percent of Czechs are planning, considering or have already taken their main summer vacation, according to a STEM/MARK survey. Household budgets remain the biggest factor in travel decisions, with most respondents saying price influences their plans.

Holiday budgets: More than half of respondents plan to spend up to CZK 15,000 per person per week. Foreign trips remain more popular than domestic holidays, with 53 percent planning vacations abroad and 34 percent choosing destinations within Czechia.

Mounted ranger patrols have returned to the Krkonoše National Park for the summer season, monitoring popular hiking areas and assisting visitors. The two-person teams patrol some of the park’s busiest routes, including the source of the Elbe River, while helping enforce park rules.

Forest rangers: The patrols, first introduced in 2012, are intended to improve communication with visitors and protect sensitive mountain habitats. Krkonoše National Park, Czechia’s oldest national park, attracts about 13 million visitors each year.

Drought conditions are expected to intensify across Czechia through at least the middle of next week, with little rainfall forecast, according to climatologists. The prolonged dry spell is already reducing river levels and could lead to lower crop yields, particularly in Moravia, where conditions are most severe.

Heatwave to blame: Experts say this year’s unusually dry spring and lack of winter snowfall have left deep soil layers depleted, while higher temperatures are increasing evaporation. Farmers estimate drought-related crop losses of between 10 and 40 percent.