News in brief for July 6: Actress Robin Wright arrives at Karlovy Vary to receive honors

Prague firefighters successfully contained a diesel leak on the Vltava River near the Stefanik Bridge, preventing further spread of the spill. The leak, measuring approximately 50 by 50 meters, was addressed using sorption cylinders to absorb the diesel. Police will investigate the source of the leak, which remains unknown at this time.

Firefighters, along with environmental department and Vltava River Basin staff, worked together to mitigate the incident. The spill was carried away by the river current, prompting firefighters to place sorption rollers near Helm's weir. Finding the source of the leak may take time, as investigations into its cause are ongoing.

Meta Platforms, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, has launched the Threads text network in approximately 100 countries worldwide. However, the app is not yet available in the European Union due to concerns regarding personal data usage. Within the first seven hours of its launch, ten million users signed up for Threads, marking a successful start.

The app, similar to Twitter, allows users to write longer messages of up to 500 characters and publish videos up to five minutes long. Meta is leveraging its connection with Instagram to gain popularity and has already attracted brands, celebrities, and influencers to the platform. Threads aim to provide an alternative to Twitter and capitalize on its user base.

A rain-free weekend with tropical temperatures is predicted for Czechia this weekend. The mercury will gradually rise, reaching a maximum of around 33 degrees Celsius on Sunday. Monday will be even hotter but with the possibility of storms. The forecast for the next week also predicts temperatures above 30 degrees Celsius.

According to the Czech Hydrometeorological Institute, the tropical weather will continue with highs exceeding 30 degrees Celsius. Today and Friday will be partly cloudy with isolated showers, mainly in the south and east. However, the weekend will be clear to partly clear, allowing temperatures to rise to 31 degrees Celsius on Saturday and 33 degrees Celsius on Sunday.

American actress Robin Wright arrived in Karlovy Vary on Wednesday. She is set to receive the festival president's award on Saturday. Today, she will present the "Princess Bride," in which she had a prominent role. Wright, who started her career as a model, gained recognition for her performance in "The Princess Bride" and later had a breakthrough with the historical drama "Moll Flanders" alongside Morgan Freeman.

She is best known for her role in the TV series "House of Cards," for which she received numerous awards and nominations. Wright has been recognized for her contributions to the industry with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Deauville American Film Festival.

The European Commission (EC) has acknowledged in its Rule of Law Report that the Czech Republic has made positive strides in judicial reforms but remains deficient in corruption investigations, particularly in high-profile cases, according to the EC's annual assessment of the rule of law in EU member states. While the Czech Republic introduced an anti-corruption strategy for 2023-2026, concerns persist over delays and possible political interference in corruption cases.

The EC also highlighted issues regarding the working conditions of organizations supporting sexual minorities and uncertainties surrounding ethics rules for lawmakers. Positive developments were noted in the justice sector, but slow progress was observed in digitizing the judiciary. The report serves as a basis for recommendations and dialogue between the EC and member states.

The Czech Republic has the highest reduced value-added tax (VAT) rates among its neighboring countries, according to a study by consulting company Mazars. The Czech Republic currently applies two reduced rates of 10 percent and 15 percent but the government's consolidation package aims to unify them at 12 percent. In comparison, Poland applies reduced rates of 8 percent and 5 percent, Slovakia has rates of 10 percent and 5 percent, and Germany uses a single reduced rate of 7 percent.

The study emphasizes the need to consider both the rates and the distribution of goods and services to assess the overall VAT system of a country. VAT is a significant source of tax revenue for the Czech state, accounting for over half of all collected taxes.

Czech tennis players Petra Kvitová, Barbora Krejčíková, Jiří Lehečka, and Jiří Veselý advanced to the second round of Wimbledon. Kvitová, a two-time champion, defeated Jasmine Paolini in three sets, while Krejčíková beat Heather Watson in straight sets. Lehečka and Veselý also secured victories over their opponents.

The 18th seed Karolína Plíšková, last year's finalist, suffered a surprise defeat against Natalija Stevanovičová. In other matches, Novak Djokovic earned his 350th Grand Slam win by defeating Jordan Thompson, while Iga Šwiateková dominated Sara Sorribes to reach the second round.

Czech President Petr Pavel and his wife Eva attended the international KVIFF film festival in Karlovy Vary on Monday, aiming to highlight the event's significance. The couple participated in the screening of Restore Point, a sci-fi film directed by Robert Hloz.

The couple's presence drew media attention as they joined the screening at the Thermal Hotel. Prime Minister Petr Fiala and Culture Minister Martin Baxa also attended the festival, discussing funding contributions from platforms operating in the Czech Republic. The festival, featuring around 2,000 films, runs until July 8 with strong ticket sales.