Czech news in brief for June 19: Friday's top afternoon headlines

Police announced they were seeking to arrest the mayor of Karviná Jan Wolf in connection with the large-scale corruption and sports betting case that recently shook the Czech football scene. Wolf was one of the most high-profile suspects in the scandal, and already received a football ban and has been ordered to pay a fine of CZK 3 million. The local club MFK Karviná was also expelled from Czechia top league after being involved in match-fixing.

On holiday. "The mayor is on a planned vacation. I don't know what kind of game this is. He's supposed to be back next week," deputy-mayor Lukáš Raszyk told Czech Radio.

Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš is in Brussels today for high-ranking discussions on the next EU budget for the years 2028 to 2034. "Today will not be a fight. We will talk about numbers for the first time. We are still not satisfied, but the main battle will be in November," he told reporters before the summit, adding that he will seek to secure more money for Czechia in the next so-called "multi-annual financial framework."

High stakes. The European Commission published the first draft of the next seven-year EU budget last year, and negotiations have since heated up to decide what to do with and where to allocate the hefty envelope of EUR 1.76 trillion.

The Czech Republic will fail to meet its NATO commitment to spend at least 2 percent of GDP on defense in 2026, Prime Minister Andrej Babiš confirmed today, but assured that "we will manage to meet the 2 percent target" next year, "not as a one-off and for show but as part of a long-term plan."

Outlier. Czechia is one of just three NATO members - with Albania and Slovenia - who already spent less than 2 percent of GDP on defense last year, Secretary General Mark Rutte said earlier this week.

People should try to avoid drinking alcoholic and caffeinated beverages in very hot weather, the State Health Institute (SZÚ) warned today as temperatures surge across the country. Sweet or overly cold drinks should also be avoided as they tend to increase thirst, SZÚ wrote on social media. Ultimately, plain mineral water should be prioritized in those situations, health authorities said.

Health warning. Over a thousand people end up in the care of Czech emergency services every year because of high temperatures, the General Health Insurance VZP said. Men tend to be more affected, with sunburns and heat-strokes the most common problems.

Severe thunderstorms are expected on Saturday and Sunday afternoon or evening, the Czech Hydrometeorological Institute announced today. Heavy and torrential rain could be followed by hail and wind gusts of up to 75 km per hour. Temperatures are expected to rise over 31 degrees in most areas of Czechia over the weekend and could even reach 35 degrees or more in southern Moravia.