Czech news in brief for June 29: Monday's top morning headlines

This weekend saw Czechia shatter heat records with public pools turning people away, and heat maps showing unprecedented temps on city surfaces. By Sunday evening at least 85 people had collapsed in Prague alone. Despite the fact that health officials warned us away from beer this weekend, the Czech president was spotted at a historic Castle haunt sharing a cold one with a certain celeb. How did you beat the heat and, more importantly, when will it end? Read your morning mix to catch up on the headlines and find out.

Keanu Reeves arrived in Prague this weekend not as an action star but as the bassist for alt-rock trio Dogstar, whose sold-out SaSaZu show takes place tonight. Before soundcheck, the band made a stop at Prague Castle, where President Petr Pavel welcomed them and rounded off the tour with cold beers at the historic Vikárka pub.

Most culturally engaged president? It's the latest in a string of cultural cameos for the president, who has recently turned up at Iron Maiden's Rock for People set and Julian Lennon's exhibition at the Leica Gallery.

A Prague prosecutor has charged nine people in connection with Czech Casting, a pornography operation that lured young women with false promises of legitimate modelling work between 2016 and 2019. The 629-page indictment covers alleged offences against 18 women and targets the full operation: organisers, financiers, photographers, cameramen and performers. Those convicted face five to twelve years for trafficking in women.

Why it matters: The case is one of the largest organized sexual exploitation prosecutions in Czech legal history. Several hundred women are believed to have participated in castings run by the Netlook company; prosecutors say the women's apparent consent was the result of psychological pressure, not genuine agreement.

After a weekend of record-breaking heat, a cold front moving in from the west will divide Czechia sharply on Monday. Western Bohemia drops to around 28°C while Moravia and Silesia stay at 35–39°C. The bigger risk is storms: meteorologists are warning of torrential rain, hail above two centimetres, and wind gusts of 70–90 km/h, mainly in the afternoon and evening.

In the forecast: Overnight temperatures may not fall below 24°C in some areas, meaning another difficult night before any relief arrives.

Sales of energy drinks in Czechia have climbed steadily, with units sold up 40 per cent between 2022 and 2025 across major retailers. Rohlík reported a 56 per cent year-on-year jump in 2025, with growth continuing at a similar pace into 2026. Younger consumers drive volume through cheap private-label cans available from as little as CZK 10, while the 25–35 age group favors branded products. Customers are also going sugar-free, with the sugar-free share on Rohlík rising from 28 to 33 per cent in a single year.

On the radar: Health Minister Adam Vojtěch says he backs a ban on sales to under-16s, with a cross-party proposal in development in the Chamber of Deputies. Around 70,000 Czech schoolchildren consume energy drinks at least once a week.

According to data from the Bank Card Association, Czechs made 416 million card payments abroad last year, spending over CZK 430 billion in the process. Experts say two pitfalls catch travellers out repeatedly. Currency conversion (always use the local currency to avoid fees) and ATM fees; charges vary significantly by bank, and non-bank machines in tourist areas tend to be the most expensive.

Worth knowing: Some banks (including Česká spořitelna, Fio and Moneta) let you block DCC in advance in your app, so you never have to think about it at the terminal.

Vysočany gets a mural for Mína. Prague 9 has commissioned a portrait of influencer Dominika Mína Elischerová, who died in a traffic accident in Thailand in March, on Kolbenova Street opposite the Pragovka Gallery. The money raised for her repatriation went instead to the Mína Fund, which supports disadvantaged girls under 26 in sport.

10,000 Witnesses, one swimming pool. The Jehovah's Witnesses held their first national convention in Prague in twenty years, drawing more than 10,000 members to the O2 Arena, baptismal pool included. The church narrowly kept its Czech registration last year after a Ministry of Culture investigation into allegations of shunning former members.

Prague Zoo's newest arrival is Gaston's great-grandson. A southern fur seal pup was born on June 5 to first-time mother Daisy, great-grandson of the legendary Gaston who died in the 2002 floods. Visitors can meet him from around mid-August.