News

Nineteen-year-old Linda Noskova defeated world number one Iga Swiatek of Poland 3:6, 6:3, 6:4 in the 3rd round of the Australian Open advancing to the fourth round of a major for the first time. She will next face No.19 seed Elina Svitolina, who advanced 6-3, 6-2 past Viktorija Golubic in 64 minutes.

All channels of the commercial TV Barrandov stopped broadcasting in the early hours of Saturday and broadcasts were renewed in the course of the morning. The television is owned by Jaromír Soukup's Empresa Media company, which is deep in debt. The tabloid news site Blesk said company had been cut off from electricity by its supplier. The company has had its bank accounts blocked and cannot carry out financial operations. In recent days it received temporary protection from a key creditor who blocked the accounts.

The government is due to debate the so-called Lobbying Act, a bill that aims to regulate and legitimize lobbying and increase its transparency, next week. The bill envisages a central register of both lobbyists and those being lobbied. Lobbyists will also be obliged to report their activities to the Ministry of Justice. The law should come into force in the second half of 2025. The government will also discuss amendments to other laws related to the introduction of the lobbying law.

The Czech Foreign Ministry has distanced itself from the controversial event held at the Bohemian National Hall in New York on Thursday and said measures would be taken to prevent such a thing happening in the future. Dozens of people gathered outside the building to protest against a gathering  organized by the parental rights group Moms for Liberty, which is regarded as extremist and intolerant of sexual minorities.

Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský emphasized that the controversial event did not reflect Czech foreign policy and had the ministry known about it sooner it would never have taken place there. He said Moms for Liberty had leased the premises from the expat organization Bohemian Benevolent and Literary Association without the knowledge of the Czech Consulate General. Joseph Balaz, chairman of the BBLA, said the organisation would have to change the way in which it rents out space in the building in the future and be more careful about who it rents it out to.