Czech news in brief for August 7: Friday's top morning headlines

Every morning, our editors round up what you need to know today: drone security fears at Prague Airport, a new tool that ranks tram sweatiness, and how to navigate Prague's packed festival weekend. Good morning, here's your mix.

Prague Airport is reviewing its security procedures after a drone carrying an explosive device was discovered near a Ukrainian cargo aircraft at Germany's Leipzig/Halle Airport, and a separate drone strike forced a DHL plane into an emergency landing. Prime Minister Andrej Babiš said Czechia would strengthen airport security in response, while police confirmed the country is already under an elevated terrorist threat alert.

The Prague precedent: This isn't hypothetical for Václav Havel Airport; in May, a civilian drone entered restricted airspace there, diverting one flight to Vienna and delaying several other flights before police tracked down the operator. Read the full story.

A Czech girl, born in 2013, died Thursday after falling roughly 90 meters from a cliff on Cima di Valbona while hiking with her family at around 2,600 meters. Italian rescuers rappelled from a helicopter to reach her but she died of her injuries; the Czech Foreign Ministry confirmed the death and said the Milan consulate is in contact with local police.

A grim summer: She's at least the sixth Czech citizen to die in European mountains since mid-July, following fatal falls on Mont Blanc, in Slovakia's Malá Fatra, near Salzburg, and on Austria's Wildspitze.

Temperatures climb back into the tropics this weekend after a brief Friday cooldown, with highs of 26 to 30 degrees Saturday and up to 34 degrees Sunday in southern Moravia. Wednesday brought a new regional heat record of 41 degrees in Strážnice, and forecasters say thunderstorms are possible Sunday evening before the heat continues into next week.

No relief in sight: Monday stays warm despite a chance of storms, and temperatures are expected to climb as high as 35 degrees again later next week.

Tesco's British owners have reportedly hired bankers from Citigroup and Goldman Sachs to find buyers for their Central European operations, with the Czech and Slovak businesses, 363 stores combined, expected to be sold together, separate from a planned auction of 198 Hungarian stores. Tesco Czech employs roughly 7,000 people and is estimated to be worth CZK 10 to 15 billion.

Who's circling: The Schwarz Group, owner of Lidl and Kaufland, and Poland's rapidly expanding Biedronka chain are the names most often mentioned as potential buyers.

Police have recorded 236 cases of riding a bike or scooter under the influence since June 1, up from 167 in the same period last year, with most incidents clustered in city centers as riders leave bars and pubs late at night. The offenses carry fines between CZK 2,500 and 20,000 but, unlike drunk driving, don't affect a driver's license.

Where it's worst: The Central Bohemian Region logged the most cases at 54, more than double last year's count, while Prague recorded just two.

Singer Marek Ztracený plays the biggest concert of his career on Letná Plain Friday night, with an estimated 70,000 to 80,000 attendees expected and gates opening at 4:30 p.m. Saturday brings the Prague Pride Parade, departing Wenceslas Square at noon on a new route ending at Štvanice Island instead of its usual Letná finish, since crews need the plain cleared after the concert.

Getting around: A one-way extraordinary tram line 44 runs Friday from roughly 4 to 7 p.m., metro line A gets extra service after the concert, and several streets around Wenceslas Square and Old Town Square close to cars from noon to 4 p.m. Saturday for the parade. Drivers are advised to use P+R lots on the outskirts, since no parking is available near Letná. More full traffic restrictions here.

State honors for underground figure. Czech artist Milan Knížák will be laid to rest Friday with state honors at Prague's Strašnice Crematorium, with a national flag, anthem, honor guard, and three salutes. Knížák, who died July 26, was a founding figure of the Czech underground and led the National Gallery for nearly two decades.

Potter madness descends on Prague. Harry Potter exhibition has landed at Prague's Letňany fairgrounds, part of a world tour that's drawn more than four million fans through New York, Paris, Barcelona, Abu Dhabi and beyond. Prague's run features a first edition of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, the Sorting Hat, film costumes and interactive rooms for potion-making, through March 2027 with tickets from CZK 550.

New tool tracks tram A/C. A new tracker called Smrdíme.cz shows how many of Prague's trams are running without air conditioning in real time, pulling live data from the city's open data platform. At the time of writing, 71 percent of the fleet, 188 of 256 trams, had no AC running.