News in brief for July 8: Top headlines for Czechia on Saturday

Czech tennis stars Jiří Lehečka and Petra Kvitová are competing to make the round of 16 at the men's and women's tennis tournament at Wimbledon this afternoon, although both players' matches have been suspended due to rain.

Lehečka currently leads American Tommy Paul two sets to none, while Kvitová is up one set to none over Serbia's Natalija Kostić. Should they win, they won't be the only Czech players in the round of 16 at Wimbledon: Markéta Vondroušová and Marie Bouzková will face each other on Sunday, with one of the Czechs set to make next week's quarterfinals.

The body of a 43-year-old woman was discovered by people on the surface of the pond in Poděbrady near Olomouc on Saturday morning. According to the police, she apparently drowned. The police learned about the dead body on the surface of the water prior to 8 a.m.

"It is most likely that the woman went swimming in the morning and subsequently drowned," police spokesman Libor Hejtman told press. A doctor was summoned to revive the woman, but his efforts were unfortunately unsuccessful. "An investigation on the spot did not reveal any suspicious circumstances," added Hejtman.

Roughly 47 percent of Czechs polled do not believe that the Ukrainian counter-offensive will not contribute to a faster end to Russian aggression, according to a new survey conducted by Median for Radiožurnál. About 31 percent of respondents shared the opposite opinion.

People over the age of 59, those without a high school diploma and residents of Moravia and Silesia were most likely to say that they did not believe a Ukrainian counter-offensive would bring a faster end to the war. Around a quarter of those surveyed had no opinion on the matter.

The 57th annual Karlovy Vary International Film Festival nears its end as the winning films will be announced and awards presented during a ceremony at Hotel Thermal on Saturday evening. The Festival President's award will be presented to American actress Robin Wright and Czech actress Daniela Kolářová.

A total of 11 films are competing for awards at this year's festival, one less than originally anticipated because the producers of a Chinese film in competition withdrew their movie at the behest of the Chinese government. There are two Czech films in the main competition, Sensitive Person from debut director Tomáš Klein and We Have Never Been Modern by filmmaker Matěj Chlupaček.

A dramatic car chase took place in the streets of Brno on Friday afternoon, reminiscent of scenes from an action movie. Two BMW drivers raced each other through traffic and did not pay attention to regulations. Their ride culminated in a collision with a motorcyclist and damages to parked cars on Za Mostem Street.

According to the police, the two drivers were men aged 25 and 31, with the younger driver attempting to outrun the older one. During the chase, a tragic incident occurred when the younger driver ran over a motorcyclist who was on the road at the time. The motorcyclist was violently thrown into the air after and suffered serious injuries. Police are now appealing for witnesses to the incident to contact them as soon as possible.

A fire broke out in a restaurant at the Trhovky campsite near the Orlík dam in the Příbram district in the early hours of Saturday morning, which caused damages estimated to exceed CZK 1 million. In addition to the restaurant, four camping structures and a caravan were also hit.

Firefighters from Central Bohemia immediately arrived at the scene and tried to extinguish the fire. Before their arrival, however, two people tried to put out the fire with a hand-held fire extinguisher and suffered smoke inhalation. Paramedics then took them to the hospital. The cause of the fire is currently under investigation.

Russian opposition journalist Farida Kurbangaleeva was removed from Thursday's press conference held at Prague Castle following a meeting between Czech President Petr Pavel and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Kurbangaleeva, who has been living in the Czech Republic for several years and is currently associated with the Republic project, was taken out of the hall by the Castle's protective service. Castle spokeswoman Markéta Řeháková declined to provide further information regarding the expulsion.

Kurbangaleeva previously worked as a presenter on the Rossiya 1 TV channel until 2014 when she left due to the Russian occupation of Crimea. From 2017 to 2020, she collaborated with Radio Free Europe. Zelenskyy's visit to the Czech Republic included meetings with Prime Minister Petr Fiala, Senate head Miloš Vystrčil, and House of Representatives head Markéta Pekarová Adamová.

Brno-based airline ticket seller Kiwi.com reported a nearly CZK 500 million loss last year, news agency ČTK reported. The company has been operating at a loss for the past four years, including the pre-pandemic year of 2019, with a cumulative loss of almost CZK 2 billion. Despite a significant market recovery in the first quarter of last year, following the pandemic, Kiwi.com still ended 2022 in the red.

However, the company achieved record-breaking revenues of CZK 50 billion from ticket sales, a milestone in its 10-year history. Kiwi.com's management does not anticipate profitable operations this year, projecting a return to positive numbers and profitability by 2025. The company, founded in 2012, employs 1,100 people worldwide.

Prague police have launched an investigation into a series of thefts at a department store in Prague's Vinohrady district. The unknown suspect has been repeatedly stealing brand-name t-shirts and sweatshirts since late May. Police have obtained surveillance footage capturing the suspect in the act.

If anyone recognizes the individual or has information about his whereabouts, they are urged to contact the police at 158. Detectives suspect that the thief has a history of theft and has caused significant financial losses totaling more than CZK 10,000. The suspect faces up to five years in prison if caught and convicted of the crime of theft.

Actress Robin Wright delighted audiences at the 57th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival by personally presenting The Princess Bride. The festival saw Wright introduce the beloved film in the Great Hall of the Thermal Hotel. Directed by Rob Reiner, The Princess Bride had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in 1987.

Recognized for her roles in films such as Forrest Gump and her acclaimed performance in the House of Cards series, Wright is set to receive the Festival President's Award on Saturday at the closing ceremony. The festival has witnessed strong ticket sales, nearly returning to pre-pandemic levels of interest, according to organizers.

According to a recent survey by the Center for Public Opinion Research (CVVM), 63 percent of people in the Czech Republic perceive the coexistence of Roma and other inhabitants negatively. This represents a decrease from previous years and is the lowest negative rating since CVVM began tracking public opinion on the matter in 1997.

The survey also found that half of the public believes that employment opportunities for Roma are worse compared to other residents, while opinions regarding housing opportunities were more divided. The government's handling of the Roma issue received mixed reviews, with similar proportions of respondents expressing satisfaction and dissatisfaction.