News

Czech tennis player Jiří Lehečka reached his first Masters final after defeating France’s Arthur Fils 6–2, 6–2 in the semi-finals in Miami. The 24-year-old will face world number two Jannik Sinner of Italy for the title.

Lehečka won the match in one hour and 15 minutes, avenging his quarter-final defeat to Fils in Doha earlier this year and levelling their head-to-head record at 2–2. It will be the seventh ATP final of his career and he is chasing his third title.

In the women’s doubles, Kateřina Siniaková and her American partner Taylor Townsend also advanced to the final after beating Gabriela Dabrowski and Luisa Stefani 4–6, 6–4, 10–3.

A 43-year-old Czech monk has been killed by a leopard in Kumana National Park in Sri Lanka, local outlet Onlanka reported, citing police sources.

The Czech Foreign Ministry confirmed the death, stating that the embassy is in contact with both the victim’s family and local authorities.

According to Hiru News, the monk had been seen meditating in a cave in the Kumana national park on March 25. His body was later found with severe injuries to the neck and chest. Wildlife officials identified leopard tracks at the scene.

Proposed changes to licence fees could be devastating for Czech Television, according to Karel Novák, chairman of the broadcaster’s supervisory council. Novák warned the public broadcaster could face insolvency and has called an extraordinary council meeting for April 8 to discuss the issue with management.

He was responding to remarks by lower house speaker and SPD leader Tomio Okamura, who said the ruling coalition planned to abolish licence fees for selected groups including seniors over 75, companies, young people under 26, and people with disabilities as of mid-2026, which would slash Czech TV's income by a third.

Although the proposal has not yet been formally submitted, Novák said it cannot be ignored since, if adopted, it would have a devastating impact on Czech Television.

The National Security Authority (NBÚ) has launched an inquiry into remarks made by government envoy for the Green Deal Filip Turek (Motorists) regarding the latest package of EU sanctions against Russia as a possible security breach. According to Czech Radio Turek referred to information that should be classified and inaccessible without proper clearance.

Speaking on a Czech Television debate program on Sunday, Turek mentioned a forthcoming twentieth sanctions package prepared by the European Union. “There are tough sanctions against Russia, but they are classified, so I cannot disclose them here,” he said.

Sanctions are typically discussed and approved under confidential procedures requiring NBÚ clearance, which Turek does not hold, Czech Radio noted.