Czech news in brief for August 29: Saturday's top morning headlines

Petr Pavel is warning Czechs and Poles not to fall for a suspected Russian influence campaign, 17 Czech tennis players are set to compete as the US Open begins, and police have charged five men under a new law targeting AI-generated porn. Good morning, here's your Saturday headline mix.

Foreign Minister Petr Macinka has called on President Petr Pavel to withdraw his constitutional lawsuit against the government as a condition for improving relations between the two sides. Pavel filed the lawsuit after the government blocked his planned trip to a NATO summit in Ankara, arguing that the cabinet had infringed on his constitutional powers.

What’s next: Pavel’s office says his position has not changed. The government has separately asked the Constitutional Court to reject any attempt by Pavel to withdraw the case and issue a final ruling on the dispute.

Prague’s planned Top Tower, which would become the Czech Republic’s tallest building at 126 meters, has received a building permit from Prague 13. The 44-story project in Nové Butovice would include apartments, shops, offices and shared spaces, with a large shipwreck-like steel structure designed by artist David Černý attached to the tower.

Next steps: The permit can still be appealed, potentially delaying construction by up to a year. Critics have also questioned whether the project’s small apartments, some around 20 square meters, could end up being used primarily for short-term accommodation.

The world’s most expensive postage stamp, the British Guiana 1c magenta, is on display in Prague for the first time as part of an exhibition featuring stamps valued at nearly CZK 1 billion. The 1856 misprint, the only one of its kind, is estimated to be worth more than CZK 250 million.

Where to see it: The Treasures of World Philately 3 exhibition at Prague’s Municipal House runs through Sept. 6 and also features the rare Upside-Down Jenny stamps, a strip of 12 Penny Blacks and historic Mauritius stamps.

President Petr Pavel has condemned what he described as a targeted influence campaign seeking to worsen relations between Czechs and Poles, with security services investigating suspected Russian involvement. The campaign used fake social media profiles and fabricated websites to promote claims that Poland planned to annex Czech territory. Pavel said the operation appeared designed to create tensions and urged people on both sides of the border not to fall for it.

Border ties: Czech and Polish officials have rejected the claims, while investigators in both countries are examining the campaign. Pavel said there is not yet definitive evidence linking it to Russia.

A total of 17 Czech tennis players, 12 women and five men, will compete in the main draw of the US Open, which begins Monday in New York. The Czech contingent includes three players who advanced through qualifying: Dalibor Svrčina, Gabriela Knutson and Lucie Havlíčková. Svrčina will make his US Open main-draw debut after reaching the final qualifying round on his fourth attempt.

What to watch: The first round of the US Open begins Sunday, with Czech players including Karolína Plíšková and Jiří Lehečka taking part in the first day of action.

Czech police have charged five people this year over a new offense involving the use of artificial intelligence to create and distribute pornographic images using another person’s identity. Police recorded 35 cases under the new law in the first seven months of 2026, with all five charged suspects being male.

New offense: The law, introduced in January, applies to both adults and children and carries a potential prison sentence of up to five years. Police say AI tools have made it possible to create convincing fake images in seconds, with cases involving blackmail as well as so-called pranks.

Czech police investigated more than 14,000 cybercrime offenses in the first seven months of 2026, about 2,000 more than during the same period last year. More than two-thirds involved fraud, with criminals often posing as police officers or bank employees. Fraudsters have also misused personal data from NÚKIB staff, while artificial intelligence is increasingly being used to create convincing fake documents, messages and videos.

What to watch out for: Authorities are warning people to verify requests for money or personal information through official channels.

After scattered storms this weekend, Czechia could see another stretch of high temperatures in early September, with Norway’s Yr.no weather service forecasting temperatures as high as 31 degrees Celsius in Prague and 34 degrees in Brno next week. The Czech Hydrometeorological Institute expects warmer weather from Tuesday, though longer-range forecasts remain subject to change.

What’s next: Yr.no forecasts the heatwave could peak next Sunday before thunderstorms and rain bring a change, particularly in South Moravia.