News

Czech tennis player Jakub Menšík defeated world number two Jannik Sinner 7–6, 2–6, 6–3 in the quarterfinals of the prestigious tournament in Doha.

Menšík struck 29 winners and dictated the pace with a precise forehand, managing to play at a higher tempo than Sinner.

“I knew who I was up against, but honestly I don’t even know how I did it. I went on court to win, not just to enjoy the match,” Menšík said in a post-match interview.

He  is the first Czech player ever to defeat Sinner.

The government will take steps to gain full control of energy group ČEZ, Industry and Trade Minister Karel Havlíček (ANO) said during Friday’s presentation of the cabinet’s economic strategy.

The state plans to buy out shares held by minority shareholders, although the minister has not yet specified concrete measures. He has previously indicated that preparatory steps would begin later this year.

The state, through the Finance Ministry, currently holds around 70 percent of shares in ČEZ, with the remaining stake owned by minority shareholders. Acquiring those shares would make the state the sole owner of the company.

The creators of the film Broken Voices have decided to change the name of the main character for future screenings. The move follows a coplaint by one of the victims in the real-life case that inspired the story who identified herself in the film, partly due to the use of the same first name.

The decision was made by the production company Endorfilm together with the film’s co-producers and director and screenwriter Ondřej Provazník..

According to the producers, the name change is intended to prevent misunderstandings and to ensure that public debate remains focused primarily on child protection and the prevention of abuse of power. Provazník had previously expressed regret that the film had caused psychological distress to some real-life victims.

The film is inspired by the case of convicted choirmaster Bohumil Kulínský.

Veterinarians have confirmed bird flu at a commercial egg-laying hen farm in the municipality of Kosičky in the Hradec Králové region. The facility houses more than 230,000 laying hens. All poultry will have to be culled. Due to the large number of birds and complex logistics, the culling will begin early next week.

In recent years, this is the largest farm affected. The previous biggest outbreak in the Czech Republic was discovered at the end of December 2022 at a large-scale poultry farm in Brod nad Tichou in the Tachov region, where all 742,000 hens were culled due to the H5N1 virus subtype.

Veterinarians also confirmed bird flu in Kosičky a week ago at a duck farm. It was the first outbreak in a commercial breeding facility this year. The new outbreak is located approximately 500 meters away. Veterinarians will establish a three-kilometer protection zone and a ten-kilometer surveillance zone around the site.