Czech news in brief for March 23: Saturday's top headlines

Thousands gathered on Prague's Wenceslas Square for an anti-government protest against Prime Minister Petr Fiala's administration on Saturday afternoon. Organized by Česko proti bídě (Czechia Against Poverty) and the PRO party, demonstrators aimed to voice dissatisfaction with the government's policies. This event follows similar protests last year that drew large crowds.

Czech tennis player Tomáš Macháč has advanced to the third round at the Miami Open by defeating Andrej Rubljov 6-4, 6-4 in a match delayed by six hours due to rain. It marks Macháč's first win against a top-ten ranked player in his career. Ranked 60th in ATP rankings, Macháč dominated the match, securing breaks in key moments to claim the win. This loss marks Rubljov's third defeat by a Czech player this season.

Around 200 people joined Czech President Petr Pavel for a run in Prague's Stromovka park on Saturday morning, covering a route under three kilometers. Organized by the Impakt initiative, the event aimed to highlight youth issues and promote physical activity. Attendees had the chance to interact with the president. Pavel, known for his active lifestyle, often incorporates sports into his schedule.

Following the tragic terrorist attack in Moscow, Czech Senate chair Miloš Vystrčil and Prime Minister Petr Fiala have expressed their condemnation. Vystrčil emphasized the horror of such events, offering sincere condolences to the victims' families. Fiala echoed the sentiment, sharing the Czech Foreign Ministry's condemnation of the attack. Russian authorities have detained several individuals suspected of involvement, with the Islamic State claiming responsibility.

Slovak voters, including those residing in the Czech Republic, are participating in the direct election of Slovakia's new president this weekend. Dozens of Slovaks studying in Czechia traveled to the town of Kúty in neighboring Slovakia to cast their votes, as voting can only take place at polling stations in Slovakia. Voting will continue until 10 p.m. on Saturday evening, with ex-prime minister Peter Pellegrini and former foreign minister Ivan Korčok considered the favorites.

Prague Zoo will today unveil its new Gobi exhibition for Przewalski's horses (a specific type of breed) to the public. As well as four horses, visitors can observe manul cats, small mammals, and reptiles in the upper area. Construction began last October, replacing the outdated Maiden's Castles exhibit. The zoo has invested CZK 60 million in the project, including renovations. Director of Prague Zoo Miroslav Bobek highlighted the zoo's role in restoring Przewalski's horses to the wild by transporting some of them to Mongolia.

The Ministry of Health reports that about 1.8 million Czechs have already downloaded the new mobile application EZKarta, which displays people's vaccination records. Some users upgraded from the previous Tečka Covid-19 app, while others installed it for the first time. Critics have pointed out that the app only displays data from the past year and a quarter, but the Ministry of Health has clarified that older data was not reported electronically.

The Czech Digital Information Agency (DIA) has reported that over 450,000 of 2 million self-employed people in Czechia haven't yet activated or accessed their data box. The DIA plans an April campaign targeting inactive users. Messages received in the data box are considered to have been automatically delivered and read after 10 days of a message being sent. Approximately half of the 450,000 unopened boxes currently contain a letter from the tax office.

The Czech football team, under the leadership of recently appointed coach Ivan Hašek, won their first match under Hašek, coming out on top 2:1. This was Hašek's second time coaching the national team, with his previous stint being in 2009. The Czech squad also managed to maintain their unbeaten record against Norway, with a total of 12 wins out of 13 matches. They will continue their preparation for the upcoming 2024 UEFA European Football Championship by playing two more matches in June.

The Czech government has confirmed the expulsion of Ukrainian citizen Alexander Barabanov due to concerns that he has been spreading pro-Kremlin and anti-Ukrainian propaganda in the country for the past decade. Barabanov, who claims to be Russian but has a Ukrainian passport, has been a prominent figure in select media circles, especially after the annexation of Crimea in 2014. Until 2015, he received CZK 360,000 per year from the Ministry of Culture for a magazine that was said to be full of pro-Russian propaganda.

President Petr Pavel welcomed European Commission (EC) Vice President Věra Jourová at Prague Castle on Friday. They discussed Jourová's responsibilities within the EC, including preparations for the June European Parliament elections and regulations concerning digital platforms and artificial intelligence. Jourová, who has served in the EC since 2014, confirmed she won't seek a third mandate. She oversees values and transparency in the EC and manages the Europe Ready for the Digital Age program.