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The broad Social Democratic Party leadership is meeting to debate the problem regarding the party’s unsuccessful nominee for foreign minister. Party leaders have proposed shelving the issue until October 15th, ie. until after the Senate and local elections.

Miroslav Poche, whom the party nominated for the post, was rejected both by President Miloš Zeman and later by Prime Minister Andrej Babiš. President Zeman refused to appoint him to office and the post was temporarily filled by party leader Jan Hamáček, who is also serving as minister of the interior.

Saturday should be overcast and rainy around the country with day temperatures between 17 and 21 degrees Celsius.

Petra Kvitova advanced to the third round of the U.S. Open on Thursday, defeating China’s Yafan Wang 7-5 6-3.

“It was a tough game. I lost it in the first set but was able to rally in time,” Kvitove told journalists.

The Czech, who is hoping for a third Grand Slam title, will next face 26 seed Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus.

A decision on the means of financing new nuclear reactors in the Czech Republic should be made by the end of the year, Trade and Industry Minister Marta Nováková told journalists on Friday.

At present three options are on the table: creating a new subsidiary of ČEZ with Dukovany and Temelin assets, opening the door to a foreign investor, and splitting ČEZ to transfer its nuclear plants to a state-owned company.

Minister Nováková said that either way, ČEZ would be expected to play a significant role, since the country’s top nuclear experts were there.

Trade unions have reached agreement with the government on wage rises in the public sector as of January 2019.

According to Finance Minister Alena Schillerová there will not be a blanket increase and employees with lower wages should get a bigger hike. The average raise for public sector employees will be at around eight percent.

The projected wage increases will cost the state budget some 25 billion crowns.

Prachovské skaly, unique sandstone rock formations in the Český Ráj Protected Landscape Area, have been vandalized by spray paint, Czech Television reported.

Police are investigating the incident and experts from Charles University are to meet to consider how the paint could be removed without damaging the centuries-old sandstone.

The management of the nature reserve is considering special security measures.

A 26-year-old woman has been charged in connection with an incident of hate speech on social networks after a class photo of first-graders in a school in Teplice, which appeared in a regional daily, sparked threats and racist comments.

The reactions to the mix of Czech, Romany, Vietnamese and Arab children in the group photo sparked a shocking reaction on social networks, with remarks that they were a class of terrorists and should be gassed. Police have been investigating the incident for close to a year now.

The number of Czechs addicted to the home made drug pervitin –or crystal methamphetamine – has seen a steep rise in the past decade, according to National Anti-Drug Centre head Viktor Mravčík.

While ten years ago some 25 thousand young Czechs were addicted to pervitin, now their number has risen to 35 thousand.

Addiction to pervitin is the second most widespread addiction doctors are treating, immediately after alcohol.

Friday should be partly cloudy to overcast with day temperatures between 20 and 24 degrees Celsius.

The bankrupt Poldi Steelworks was auctioned off for a third time on Thursday, to an anonymous bidder for 256 million crowns.

The minimum bid was set at 160 million crowns with the estimated value of Poldi’s assets given as 180 million crowns.

The first two auctions that took place earlier this year fell through after the bidders failed to pay the bid amount within the set time limit.

The former jewel of Czech steel-making, has been in insolvency since last December.