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Sales of new passenger cars in the Czech Republic increased by 5.85% year on year to 129,810 vehicles in the first half of this year. In June alone, the market recorded a nearly 19% rise in sales to 26,398 vehicles, the highest monthly figure since 2018. The strongest demand was for the Škoda brand, while interest in vehicles with alternative powertrains continues to grow, the Czech Car Importers Association said in a press release today.

Volkswagen ranked second with 9,919 vehicles sold, followed by Hyundai with 8,292. Toyota and Dacia took the next positions. The best-selling models were the Škoda Octavia (9,716), Škoda Kodiaq (7,808), and Škoda Kamiq (6,412), followed by other Škoda models such as the Karoq, Scala, and Fabia.

Each person in the Czech Republic received an average of nearly two defined daily doses of medication last year. The daily average stood at almost 1,992 doses per 1,000 inhabitants, which is 143 more than in 2021. In total, 267 million packs of medicines worth nearly CZK 105 billion at manufacturer prices were delivered to pharmacies and healthcare facilities in Czechia last year, according to the annual report of the State Institute for Drug Control (SÚKL).

More than 66,000 medicines were registered, with around 650 new ones added. In practice, 9,702 of them were actually marketed, and more than 6,600 were covered by public health insurance. Over the past two years, the number of registered medicines increased by around 3,000, while the number of marketed and reimbursed medicines slightly declined.

Czech businessmen Michal Strnad and Pavel Tykač are interested in buying part of the stake held by China's Sinochem in the Italian tyre manufacturer Pirelli, the Italian daily Corriere della Sera wrote on Friday, citing informed sources.

The two investors are reportedly looking to acquire a 10 to 20 percent stake in the company. At current market prices, Pirelli has a market value of around 7.5 billion euros, or roughly 181 billion Czech crowns.

The report says the talks are still at an early stage, with differing views on the company's valuation between the Czech investors and Sinochem seen as the main obstacle to a deal.

Jiří Lehečka and Marie Bouzková have advanced to the third round of The Championships, Wimbledon. The 13th seed Lehečka defeated Slovakia's Alex Molčan 6-3, 6-2, 6-4, while the 21st-seeded Bouzková beat Italy's Tyra Caterina Grant 7-5, 6-3.

Meanwhile, Karolína Plíšková was knocked out in the second round after losing 6-1, 6-3 to defending champion Iga Świątek.