News in brief for Aug. 19: Top headlines for Czechia on Saturday

Fraudsters posing as the National Office for Cyber & Information Security (NÚKIB) have continued to exploit trust and swindle victims out of substantial sums. The scammers impersonate bank employees, claiming to have access to NÚKIB data, and coerce victims to transfer funds to a fictitious "reserve account" to prevent theft.

NÚKIB, responsible for safeguarding Czech cyberspace, urges caution. Despite prior warnings, the scam has persisted, netting hundreds of thousands in losses. NÚKIB vehemently asserts its personnel never solicit funds; any such encounter should be reported to law enforcement.

The Slovak and Czech music world is grieving the loss of Vašo Patejdl, renowned co-founder of the band Elán and a pivotal figure in Czech and Slovak music. His death was announced by music columnist Jaroslav Špulák, who described him as "the most faithful musician from Elán, who thought about music constantly and could talk about it brilliantly."

Patejdl, aged 68, succumbed to a brief and severe illness. Elán is one of Slovakia's most renowned rock groups. The band has released more than twenty albums and became a symbol of the Slovak music scene. Patejdl's talent and passion for music were key factors in the band's success.

Temperatures exceeding 30 degrees Celsius will persist in the Czech Republic over the coming days according to the Czech Hydrometeorological Institute, who have issued an ongoing high-temperature warning that encompasses the entire country. Saturday is expected to see maximum temperatures ranging from 29 to 33 degrees Celsius, and the skies should remain mostly clear, with minimal chances of rain.

Sunday is projected to see a slight temperature increase, with highs ranging between 30 and 34 degrees Celsius. Skies are expected to be mostly clear, although cloud cover and isolated showers could occur in the north and northwest. High temperatures and clear skies are forecast through Monday and Tuesday, though rain could be seen on Wednesday.

Wimbledon champion Markéta Vondroušová has been eliminated from the Western & Southern Open tennis tournament in Cincinnati during quarterfinal action. In a riveting match between two Top 10 players, she fell to world number one Iga Świątek from Poland 7-6, 6-1. The Polish player dominated the second set after a closely contested opener.

Czech compatriot Karolína Muchová, meanwhile, has advanced to the semifinals after her opponent, Marie Bouzková, withdrew due to health issues during the third game. Muchová will next face world number two Aryna Sabalenka today at 7:30 p.m. Prague time in a bid to make the final match of the Cincinnati tournament.

Renowned music columnist and critic Jiří Černý has passed away at 87, his publicist Jan Rejžek has confirmed. A trailblazer in Czechoslovak music journalism, Černý pioneered coverage of rock and roll, introducing icons like the Beatles and Karel Kryl in the 1960s. He authored the first Czechoslovak radio hit show and headed Rock&Pop magazine.

Active in politics, Černý aided in founding the Civic Forum in 1989 and presented the Tribute to Václav Havel concert in 2011. Colleagues and young columnists have acknowledged his pivotal role in Czech music journalism.

The planned two-month shutdown of the second unit at Temelín nuclear power plant started yesterday for safety system checks, turbine assessment, and fuel assembly replacement. The disconnection of the turbogenerator from the transmission system marked the start of it, with the reactor cooling over the weekend and reactivation planned for Monday.

Around 48 of 163 fuel assemblies will be replaced, while checks on safety divisions, pumps, and the protective building will be conducted. This is the fifth out of six shutdowns scheduled this year for ČEZ's nuclear units, coordinated to minimize overlap. Temelín's final shutdown will occur this year.

Czech attitudes towards accepting Ukrainian refugees and their interest in events in Ukraine have remained relatively stable, according to CVVM agency polls in June and July. About 9 percent of Czechs favor permanent settlement of Ukrainian refugees, consistent with previous data, while 64 percent prefer temporary admission followed by a return to their country of origin.

Interest in Ukrainian developments has slightly dipped from last spring but aligns with recent levels. In terms of refugee integration, 46 percent view it as successful, and the same proportion holds the opposite view. Over 40 percent support the Czech government's Ukraine stance, with 54 percent in disagreement.

Reflecting on the start of the mushroom-picking season, Czech police warned mushroom gatherers earlier this week to be careful what they collected. A case in point was mushroom pickers in the forest in Česká Lípa who found a Panzerfaust warhead, which is a type of anti-tank system that Nazi Germany created during WWII in addition to mushrooms.

"Fortunately, they were sensible, did not manipulate the weapon in any way, and contacted 158," Czech police wrote on the social media site X, adding that pyrotechnicians took care of the weapon.

During a climb in Austria's Tyrol region, a 36-year-old Czech climber suffered severe injuries when he fell about 15 meters while secured on a rope by a 41-year-old compatriot. The injured man was left unconscious and wounded below his partner. The accident led to the release of their top security.

The unconscious climber was airlifted to the University Clinic in Salzburg. The incident occurred while the climbers were on the Fleischbank Ostwand ridge in Kaisergebirge (The Kaiser's Mountains) range.

Czech women's volleyball team faced a disappointing start in the European Championship, suffering a 0:3 loss to Azerbaijan (21:25, 10:25, 15:25). The defeat complicated their advancement from Group C, as Azerbaijan was expected to be a manageable opponent. Struggling in passing, defense, and attack, the Czech players only showed parity in the first set.

Reflecting its struggle, the Czech team had a mere 28 percent success rate in attack. While Gabriela Orvošová led the Czech side with 9 points, Azerbaijan's Polina Rahimova dominated the game with 17 points. Czechia's next volleyball ball is against Greece in Düsseldorf on Sunday.