Czech news in brief for March 20: Friday's top morning headlines

President Petr Pavel said Prime Minister Andrej Babiš would likely be better suited to explain why the Czech Republic is not meeting NATO obligations ahead of the July summit. Babiš and Foreign Minister Petr Macinka plan to attend, not Pavel, prompting debate over proper representation. Defense spending, set at 1.73 percent of GDP, falls short of NATO’s two percent target. Pavel expressed willingness for compromise while stressing constitutional authority over ambassadorial appointments.

The Prague Public Transport Company (DPP) launched a controversial safety campaign painting “0:1” scores on trams following the death of a schoolgirl in Břevnov last week. The “Don’t Jump Under My Wheels” initiative is designed to warn pedestrians of the dangers of crossing in front of trams, emphasizing that soft warnings have not been effective. Police said the girl ran from behind a stationary tram and failed to notice another approaching, resulting in fatal injuries.

Principal photography has begun in the Czech Republic for Martin Scorsese’s upcoming Apple Original Films feature What Happens at Night, starring and produced by Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Lawrence. Adapted from Peter Cameron’s novel, the story follows an American couple traveling to a snowy European town to adopt a baby. The cast also includes Patricia Clarkson, Mads Mikkelsen, and Jared Harris. Filming is supported by the Czech Film Commission and STUDIOCANAL.

Czech and mathematics are the least popular school subjects among children aged 9 to 15, according to last year’s Mini-Census by the Czech Statistical Office. About 20 percent of students dread Czech classes and 19 percent dislike math, followed by foreign languages (14 percent) and physics (13 percent). Experts cite exam pressure and teaching methods, noting that easy access to answers on smartphones may also reduce students’ interest in learning.

The Dutch documentary My Word Against Mine by Maasja Ooms won the international competition at the 28th One World Human Rights Film Festival. Jury prizes went to Mehrdad Oskouei and Soraya Akhlaghi (A Fox Under a Pink Moon), while the Czech award went to AMOOSED: a Moose Odyssey by Hana Novakova. The festival, running in 59 cinemas until April 27, drew 22,843 visitors and 16,500 students to screenings.