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Patrik Štěpánek, the last of the three Czech soldiers killed in Afghanistan, was buried with military honours in his home town of Plzen on Friday. The ceremony was attended by Defence Minister Lubomír Metnar and General Chief-of-Staff Aleš Opata.

The three Czech servicemen were killed by a suicide bomber while patrolling an area near Bagram Military Base earlier this month. All three were promoted to the rank of officer in memoriam and will be awarded medals for bravery.

Saturday should be clear to partly cloudy with day temperatures between 29 and 33 degrees Celsius.

A long-distance Flixbus driven by a Czech crashed on Autobahn 19 at Linstow, south of Rostock in the early hours of Friday. According to DPA news reports 16 passengers were injured 8 of them seriously.

According to Danish media reports, the bus was travelling from Stockholm to Berlin and had picked up passengers in Copenhagen before the crash in Germany. The driver reportedly suffered lighter injuries. The cause of the accident is being investigated.

People have collected close to eight million crowns in aid of the families of the three Czech soldiers killed in Afghanistan, according to a spokesperson for the Military Solidarity Fund which set up a special account for that purpose.Contributions are pouring in from individuals, firms, sports clubs and their comrades-in-arms.

Members of the Chrudim unit in which they served are organizing a charity race in their memory in September, the proceeds of which will go to the account in aid of their families.

Police in south Moravia have cracked down on a drugs gang, which produced and sold party drugs in the Czech Republic and abroad.

Eleven people were arrested and the police confiscated 40 kilograms of marihuana, over 600 marihuana plants, 150 tablets of the party drug Ecstasy as well as a firearm and ammunition.

Trade unions in the health sector have called a strike alert in support of higher wages. They have also called on doctors and nurses to abide by the labour code with respect to overtime and have urged inspectors to check-out work conditions in hospitals.

Many hospitals admit that due to a shortage of staff they force doctors and nurses to take more overtime hours than the labour code allows.

The unions have written an open letter to Prime Minister Andrej Babiš saying that the government should keep its promise of a ten percent raise for health workers.

Health Minister Adam Vojtěch said on Thursday that wages in the health sector had already risen by 30 percent in the last five years and the hike now being considered was four to five percent.

There are 260,000 people working in the heath sector and another 100,000 in social services.

A two-day military event highlighting key historical moments and present-day defence has got underway in Králíky in Eastern Bohemia. Entitled Cihelna (Brick) 2018, this year’s edition of the annual event is focusing on the years 1938 and 1939, including the occupation of the border regions by the Nazis and the outbreak of WWII.

A procession of military technology overseen by men in period uniforms got underway on Friday morning. Visitors can also enjoy demonstrations by Czech Army soldiers and reserves. The event is supported by the army.

The head of the Czech Tennis Federation, Ivo Kaderka, has come out strongly against a radical overhaul of the Davis Cup. From next year the international team competition will be decided by a season-ending, 18-team tournament at a neutral site.

In an interview with news site iDnes.cz, Mr. Kaderka described Thursday’s approval of the changes as the “execution” of the Davis Cup. He said the competition had “died” due to the immense stupidity and greed of people attempting to acquire more power and money.

A number of Czech politicians have criticised President Miloš Zeman’s decision not to speak in public in connection with Tuesday’s 50th anniversary of the invasion of Czechoslovakia by Warsaw Pact states. TOP 09 chairman Jiří Pospíšil said Mr. Zeman was neglecting his constitutional duties in not taking part in events marking such a momentous anniversary for the country.

Pirates’ leader Ivan Bartoš said he was not surprised by the president’s “sad” announcement in view of his worldview. The Civic Democrats’ Petr Fiala said it said a lot about Mr. Zeman himself.

The president’s spokesman said the head of state had been brave in 1968 itself and that was worth more than a thousand speeches five decades later.

Prime Minister Andrej Babiš and the chairs of the Senate and Chamber of Deputies will speak at a ceremony marking the anniversary at Czech Radio on Tuesday.

Meteorologists have again issued warnings of increased likelihood of fires in most parts of the Czech Republic. In the coming days they will take effect in all regions of the country, except South Bohemia and Moravia-Silesia, in view of the continuing hot, dry weather.

A number of such alerts were cancelled earlier this week following heavy rainfall.