Daily news summary
Czech president argued for maintaining dialogue with Russia at NATO summit
Czech president Miloš Zeman, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lubomír Zaorálek and Minister of Defense Martin Stropnický attended a two-day NATO summit in Warsaw, which got under way on Friday. Before leaving Warsaw on Saturday, the Czech head of state told journalists that he stressed the importance of maintaining a dialogue with Russia, which he said could change the stance of some Russian politicians. Mr Zeman has also welcomed the decision to maintain a stable military presence in Afghanistan and to fund Afghan security forces through 2020.
Prime Minister Sobotka wants EC chief Juncker to stay in post: Der Spiegel
Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka wants the president of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker to stay in his post. In an interview for the German weekly Der Spiegel, which was published on Saturday, Mr Juncker said that the Czech prime Minister had pressed him to remain in the post. Mr Juncker recently came under criticism from the Czech minister of foreign affairs, Lubomír Zaorálek, who said that he bears responsibility for the people of the United Kingdom voting to leave the European Union and should step down.
Cinemas in Prague and Brno to screen films from Karlovy Vary International Film Festival
Cinemas in Prague and Brno will screen films presented at the 51st Karlovy Vary International Film Festival. The festival's annual Official Echoes get underway this Saturday in the Aero and Světozor cinemas in Prague and in la Scala cinema in Brno. People will have a chance to see 25 films, including the winner of the festival's main competition, until July 17. The festival in Karlovy Vary comes to a close on Saturday night.
Hotel Thermal in Karlovy Vary to undergo reconstruction
Reconstruction of the Hotel Thermal in Karlovy Vary, the centre of the International Film Festival, will get underway next year right after the end of the film event. The costs of the reconstruction are estimated at 734 million crowns, Minister of Finance Andrej Babiš said on Saturday. Mr Babiš said no investments have been made into the state-owned hotel for the past 40 years. The planned reconstruction does not include the outdoor swimming pool, which has been closed for the past two years due to poor state.
Church in Prague to get three new bells
The Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary and Saint Charles the Great in Prague is set to get new bells on Saturday. The bells have been dispatched to Prague on a boat from Roudnice nad Labem. They are set to arrive in the capital at around 4 p.m. The church has been without bells since World War II, when they were confiscated by the authorities. The bells, called Virgin Mary, Charles the Great and Albert the Great, were manufactured in Poland. Their production was financed by church collection and private donations.
Two people seriously injured in tandem skydiving accident
A skydiving instructor and her client were seriously injured during a tandem jump at Kolín airport on Saturday. The people, who both sustained multiple fractures, were transported to a hospital by helicopters. The incident, which was probably caused by a faulty parachute, is being investigated by the police.
Czech athletes take another two silver medal at European Championships in Amsterdam
Czech sprinter Pavel Maslák took a silver medal in men's 400m final at the Eureopan Athletic Championships in Amsterdam. Maslák covered the track in a time of 45.36 seconds, seven seconds behind Britain's Martyn Rooney. Pole vaulter Jan Kudlička secured a fourth silver medal for the Czech team with a height of 560 centimetres.
