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Prime Minister Andrej Babiš and Foreign Minister Petr Macinka on Tuesday opened a conference bringing together Czech economic, agricultural and science diplomats from the country's embassies and consulates, along with representatives of key agencies supporting exports and investment.

The five-day working meeting, held at the Czernin Palace in Prague, is focused on strengthening and more effectively advancing Czech economic interests abroad.

In his opening remarks, Foreign Minister Macinka said the role of the state is not to replace the market or private enterprise, but to create conditions that enable Czech companies to succeed even in the most demanding international markets.

Prime Minister Babiš stressed that that the government's foreign policy must be active, pragmatic and focused on delivering tangible results.

In the comind days the conference will feature panel discussions with the ministers of industry and trade, finance, defence, transport, agriculture, health and the environment.

American actor and two-time Oscar winner Dustin Hoffman, French actress Juliette Binoche, and acclaimed American cinematographer Robert Richardson, a three-time Oscar winner and multiple nominee, will receive the Crystal Globe for Outstanding Artistic Contribution to World Cinema at the 60th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, the organizers announced on Tuesday.

Richardson will also present the premiere of the documentary portrait Robert Richardson: The White Devil together with director Jana Hojdová during the festival.

The President’s Award of the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival will be presented to American actor Jeffrey Wright.

Police have reported the presence of a man carrying a firearm in Čelákovice, near Prague, who was allegedly heading toward a local vocational school. A special intervention unit has been deployed to the scene, police said in a post on X.

According to police, the armed man is mentally disturbed and is travelling in a blue Škoda Fabia with the registration plate 5AB 7197.

Authorities are urging anyone who spots the vehicle to immediately call the emergency police line 158, but not to approach or attempt to intervene in any way.

Markéta Vondroušová, the 2023 Wimbledon champion, has been banned from tennis for four years after failing to provide a sample during an out-of-competition doping control last year.

The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) announced the sanction on its website, noting that failure to provide a sample carries the same penalty as a positive doping test.

Responding to the ruling, the 26-year-old denied ever using performance-enhancing substances. The incident occurred during an out-of-competition test in December. Vondroušová argued that the inspector from Germany’s anti-doping agency did not follow standard procedures and was therefore denied entry to her apartment. The inspector stated in her report that all required procedures had been followed.