Czech news in brief for August 26: Tuesday's top headlines

Czech Post uncovered 675 fraudulent websites posing as its official site over the past three years, cybersecurity expert Vladimír Karas said Tuesday. Dozens of phishing campaigns appear monthly, often near Christmas and Easter, luring users with fake package fees. Recent scams direct customers to a fraudulent domain, cz-post.com. Karas warned phishing emails, which make up 90 percent of global cyberattacks, often use urgency, errors, and suspicious links to trick recipients into sharing sensitive data.

U.S. President Donald Trump’s initiative on Ukraine negotiations marks an important shift, Czech President Petr Pavel told ambassadors Tuesday at Prague Castle. Pavel cautioned, however, that peace remains distant, citing Russia’s “false game” and its war against Ukraine. He said authoritarian states are consolidating in opposition to the global order, pointing to China’s support for Moscow, Iran and North Korea’s backing, and the spread of Russian propaganda worldwide as evidence of this trend.

A petition urging the Czech Republic to accept children from Gaza for medical treatment and temporary residence has drawn 539 signatures. The Czech Red Cross will meet President Petr Pavel as talks with ministries continue. Organizers say transport would be handled by the Interior Ministry’s Medevac program. More than 14,800 Gaza patients need urgent care, with malnutrition causing at least 111 deaths, including 80 children, according to UN and local estimates.

The number of new build-to-rent (BTR) apartments in Prague continues to grow, with 3,320 units in use in the first half of 2025, up 420 from the end of last year. Management firm BTR Consulting reports 23 active projects and a total of 13,000 furnished rental apartments, a 1,000-unit increase. Rents rose modestly, vacancy fell to 5 percent, and demand from tenants is increasing, as most units are owned by institutional landlords.

The European Commission has approved Gilead Sciences’ HIV prevention injection, Yeytuo, for use across the EU, including the Czech Republic. The drug, based on lenacapavir and developed with Czech virologist and biochemist Tomáš Cihlár, was recommended last month by the European Medicines Agency for its twice-yearly dosing and high effectiveness. U.S. regulators approved it in June under the name Yeztugo. Gilead must negotiate pricing and reimbursement with national health authorities.

Two minor earthquakes were recorded near the Orlik reservoir Monday, the Institute of Earth Physics at Masaryk University reported. The first tremor, with a magnitude of 2.5, struck near the village of Klucenice at 12:51 p.m. A slightly stronger quake of 2.6 magnitude followed at 5:22 p.m. Seismic experts said the data is preliminary and will be refined. No damage or injuries have been reported in connection with the tremors. The strongest Czech earthquake in decades occurred in the West Bohemian Cheb area in 1985 and had a magnitude of 4.6.

Seventeen Czech locations recorded subzero temperatures Tuesday morning, setting Aug. 26 records at 15 long-term stations, the Czech Hydrometeorological Institute said. The coldest reading came from Kvilda-Perla in the Bohemian Forest at minus 4.8 degrees Celsius. Other frosty spots included Březník and Rokytská slatě at minus 3.9 degrees Celsius. Temperatures in Broumov, Rýmařov and several other towns also fell to new lows. The institute said this continues a streak of unusually cold August mornings.

Two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitová ended her professional tennis career Tuesday after a straight-sets loss at the US Open. The 34-year-old Czech fell 6-1, 6-0 to France’s Diane Parry in the first round. Kvitová, who had battled Covid-19 in recent weeks, called the moment “the end of a great era” after 19 seasons on tour. She said her farewell at Wimbledon in July felt easier than Tuesday’s emotional goodbye in New York.

The Prague Stock Exchange slipped for a fourth straight session Tuesday, with the PX index down 0.11 percent at 2,297.05 points. Energy giant ČEZ and banks Komerční banka and Moneta led the losses, while Erste Group shares rose 1.54 percent. Drone maker Primoco UAV gained 2.05 percent despite reporting a profit decline, citing expectations of new contracts. The steepest drop came from insurer VIG, down 1.04 percent. The PX remains slightly below its mid-August record highs.

This year’s Czech cereal harvest reached 7.5 million tons, nearly 500,000 tons more than last year, ensuring domestic consumption, the Agriculture Ministry said Tuesday. Winter wheat production topped 5million tons, about 300,000 more than in 2024. Rapeseed output rose to nearly 1 million tons but is still below demand, meaning imports will be required for the first time in years, the Agrarian Chamber said. Harvesting of the final half percent of crops continues.