Czech news in brief for March 16: Saturday's top headlines

On Friday, more than 1,600 Russian citizens residing in the Czech Republic flocked to the Russian Embassy in Prague to cast their votes in the presidential election. The embassy announced the turnout on social media. While some voters expressed opposition to President Vladimir Putin to Czech News Agency, others declined to disclose their choice. Voting took place from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., with long queues observed. Results will be disclosed after Russia's nationwide count, expected on Monday.

Prague's Easter Markets kick off today at Old Town and Wenceslas Squares, lasting until April 7. Visitors can enjoy 73 stalls at Old Town Square and 27 at Wenceslas Square, offering traditional Easter goods and delicacies like Czech sausages, gingerbread, and green beer. The markets feature over 1,500 performers and eco-friendly initiatives, including collapsible cups and recycling stations, echoing the sustainable approach of Christmas markets.

In Montafon today, Czech snowboarder Eva Adamczyková aims for continued success in the Snowboard Cross World Cup. Despite previous leg injuries in 2021, she qualified for this weekend's event with the second-best time. Adamczyková, 30, joined the World Cup late after a dance competition. Today's race begins at 2:15 p.m., with Czech athlete Kryštof Choura also advancing to the main event.

Restaurants of McDonald's worldwide experienced a computer system outage, affecting locations in Japan, Hong Kong, Australia, New Zealand, Europe, and elsewhere. Although McDonald's denied a hacker attack, disruptions prevented orders via mobile apps and self-service kiosks, leading to complaints on social media. Some locations gradually resumed operations after several hours. The outage affected restaurants in the Czech Republic and Slovakia for about two hours.

Saxon Minister-President Michael Kretschmer and Czech President Petr Pavel met in Dresden Friday to discuss the importance of continued support for Ukraine against Russian aggression. The visit took place on the 85th anniversary of the occupation of the Czech Lands by Nazi Germany. Kretschmer praised the Czech Republic's efforts in supporting Ukraine as well as currently strong Czech-German relations. Both leaders emphasized the need to use historical experiences to work towards a better future.

The Prague Green Party has accused Prague Mayor Bohuslav Svoboda of violating the law by spreading whooping cough knowingly and has filed a criminal complaint against him. Svoboda, infected with the disease, attended public events without a mask this week, raising the risk of transmission. The Greens cited Section 152 of the Czech Penal Code, which mandates a jail sentence or property confiscation for such actions. The Greens deemed Svoboda's actions irresponsible.

Critics selected three Czech animated films for the prestigious Annecy International Animated Film Festival in France, out of a possible 3,277 films from 108 countries. The movies, produced by the Maur Film company, showcase a variety of animation techniques and took a combined 12 years to create. The films include a black-and-white romance, a holiday-themed grotesque, and a debut documentary by Ukrainian director Anastasia Falileieva. The festival will take place in June.

Pilsen will face Fiorentina in the quarterfinals of the European Conference League, Europe’s third-tier knockout competition, with the first leg taking place at home on April 11 and the second leg in Italy a week later. Czech midfielder Antonín Barák will play for Fiorentina, who were last year's finalists. If Pilsen advances, it will face the winner of the Bruges-on PAOK Thessaloniki matchup. Pilsen on Thursday night defeated the Swiss Servette FC on penalties in the round of 16.

Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský vehemently criticized former Russian Dmitry Medvedev's endorsement of violence against Ukrainians as a purported peace plan, denouncing it as an emblem of the Kremlin's imperialistic agenda. Lipavský urged the international community to reject appeasement strategies, citing historical precedents. He emphasized the necessity for a clear peace solution, advocating for Ukraine's proposed 10-point plan, which includes the total withdrawal of Russian forces from Ukrainian territory.

The Czech Presidential Office has received 410 pardon requests since Jan. 1, but President Petr Pavel has not yet granted any, according to a press release from the Presidential Office. While Pavel's predecessor Miloš Zeman granted 26 pardons during his 10-year term, Pavel has stated that he will only grant pardons in truly exceptional cases. He also plans to revise the criteria for granting pardons set by Zeman.