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Czech tennis player Radek Stepanek toppled second-seeded American James Blake 7-6 (9/7), 5-7, 6-2 on Sunday to capture his second career ATP title in the final of the 525,000-dollar Countrywide Classic. Ranked 101st in the world, Stepanek converted two service breaks in the deciding set to claim the victory over the world number nine. It was the Czech's second win in five career meetings against Blake, who had won the previous three encounters - all on North American hardcourts. Stepanek had attained a career-high world ranking of No. 8 in July 2006 before suffering a back injury that sidelined him for the final third of the year.

Russia could become an imminent threat to Europe in five to ten years' time, said Czech Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg in an interview for the Financial Times on Friday. According to Schwarzenberg, Russia seeks to regain the same status in relations to the U.S. that the Soviet Union once had. He said that investments into a prestige-oriented strategy and military power instead of civil infrastructure may once again leave Russia as "a giant with feet of clay." Mr. Schwarzenberg's statements were criticized by Czech opposition as well as by the Green Party which nominated him for the post of the foreign minister.

Two techno parties taking place in the Czech Republic at the moment are coming to an end. One of them, held in the village of Udrc near Karlovy Vary, western Bohemia, still has about 1500 still dancing at the site and it should be over by Tuesday. No complaints have been filed with the police so far. Meanwhile, the other gathering of techno music lovers that is taking place near Ceska Lipa in North Bohemia has provoked complaints by local inhabitants who said loud music has been bothering them since Saturday night. This party is expected to finish on Sunday.

About a thousand visitors to a public swimming pool in Karvina, North Moravia, had to be evacuated on Saturday due to a leak of chlorine and sulphuric acid, a spokesperson for the Moravian-Silesian fire-fighters said. One person inhaled the dangerous substance and had to be taken to the hospital. The accident happened after the staff poured chlorine into a tank with sulphuric acid by mistake. The police are investigating the accident for suspicions that the criminal act of public danger was committed.