Czech news in brief for August 1: Friday's top headlines

Police have temporarily halted the facial recognition system at Vaclav Havel Airport due to new EU artificial intelligence regulations, authorities said today. The system, active since 2019, helped detain 155 wanted individuals, including serious offenders. Under the new law, continued use requires court approval, which police aim to secure by year’s end. While praised as effective, the system has faced public criticism over privacy concerns. Airport officials declined to comment, citing police responsibility.

Over 17,600 Czechs abroad have registered to vote in October’s parliamentary elections, but the number remains well below the expected 50,000, a Foreign Ministry official said today. Martin Smolek, senior director of the ministry’s legal and consular section, noted that 4,000 voters joined since spring following the introduction of postal voting. The deadline to register is Aug. 24. Senate Deputy Chairman Jiří Oberfalzer still hopes for strong turnout among Czechs overseas.

The children's ombudsman office received 113 complaints in its first month, including 14 directly from children, national deputy ombudsman Vít Alexander Schorm said Friday. Most reports involved children's rights, often in families under social or legal supervision. The office, active since July 1, is led temporarily by Schorm until a permanent ombudsman is appointed. In addition to family issues, complaints targeted the education system and school oversight. The office is also identifying systemic problems for future action.

Czech firefighters completed two emergency missions in Greece, helping stop a blaze near Nea Artaki on Evia and extinguishing hotspots near Mosia and Kastania, officials said Thursday. Working alongside Greek and Moldovan crews, the team operated under the EU Prepositioning program. A second Czech rotation arrived at 1 p.m. and will remain on standby until mid-August. The first group conducted training, hydrant testing, and area surveys during its two-week deployment.

A cyberattack temporarily disabled websites of the Czech police, Interior Ministry, and other institutions Thursday, Radiožurnál reported. The Russian hacker group Server Killers claimed responsibility, possibly in retaliation for Czech involvement in a recent Europol operation targeting pro-Russian hackers. Most sites were restored, though the Supreme Audit Office’s site remained down after 7 p.m. Authorities confirmed a DDoS attack and are investigating its origins.

Czech Amnesty International criticized the country's €49.8M arms exports to Israel in 2024, citing possible violations of international law amid the Gaza conflict. The Czech Foreign Ministry defends the shipments as non-lethal and legal. Amnesty says transparency is lacking and warns of complicity in war crimes. Israel ranked fourth in Czech arms export licenses last year.

After over two years, trains from Kladno will return to Prague’s Masaryk Station on August 4 as part of a major rail modernization. Connections from Kralupy will resume August 2, and new stops at Praha-Bubny and Praha-Výstaviště will improve transfers. The week-long closure of Masaryk Station ends Saturday. Some trains will still be diverted to other stations during ongoing upgrades, including weekend work at the Main Station.

A recent study shows 528 babies were born to underage Czech mothers in 2022, about 0.5 percent of total births. Births to girls under 14 remain rare, while 17-year-olds make up the majority. A current case involving a 12-year-old mother in Karlovy Vary drew attention to the issue. Support from families and social services is crucial, researchers said.

Cultured meat start-up Mewery secured CZK 61 million from the EIC Accelerator program to scale lab-grown pork production using animal cells and microalgae. The funding will boost pilot production and industry collaboration. The company also received the EU’s Seal of Excellence, marking it as a leading biotech innovator. Mewery plans to partner with meat producers for rollout.