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After a gap of near two years, the US is finally going to install an ambassador in Prague. The White House got around objections in Congress to its nominee by taking advantage of the fact that it is not in session just now.

Skiing centres around the Czech Republic including north and central Bohemia have announced excellent conditions for skiers and snowboarders in the coming days: plenty of snow and sunshine bringing out enthusiasts in droves. Besides offering the usual services, some hills will also be open for New Year’s Eve.

Czechs opened their wallets wide before Christmas and are apparently continuing to spend, spend, spend in the post-Christmas sales. But some are warning that the spending spree will soon end with a gloomier start to 2011 on the horizon.

The town of Vysoké nad Jizerou this week marked the 150th anniversary of the birth of notable Czech politician Karel Kramář. As an MP within the Austro-Hungarian Empire, Kramář fought for Czech national interests, leading to his arrest for treason by the Austrian authorities during World War I. He was tried and sentenced to death, galvanising Czech public opinion, and although the sentence was reduced to imprisonment, Kramář became a national hero. Eventually he was released as part of a general political amnesty in 1917. The flood of support pushed

Police and customs officers have just made one of their biggest hauls of illegal bootleg liquor in recent times and broken up an organized gang that was apparently functioning for several months. The discovery in the eastern city of Ostrava could well have many Czechs taking a second look at cheap Christmas spirits bought off the back of a lorry or at market stalls.

On Monday the Association for Czech Tour Operators and Travel Agencies posted figures for 2010 on the number of tours sold to Czech tourists, from vacations in nearby countries to more exotic locations. After many pinched pennies (or rather crowns) in 2009, Radio Prague wanted to know whether there were significant changes this year.

It may be the holiday season, a time when most prefer fairy tales on Czech TV, but fans of detective fiction, horror or the avant garde also had a chance to come into their own. Just before Christmas the Klicper Theatre in Hradec Králové premiered a new play by one of the Czech Republic’s most successful playwrights and directors, David Drábek. The focus? None other than the great fictional detective Sherlock Holmes.

Disgruntled Czech hospital doctors on Monday began handing in their resignations in an attempt to force the government to increase their salaries. Some 3,800 of the country’s 16,000 physicians are expected to hand in notices by the end of the week, which is when the hospitals will get a clearer picture of what will happen in March, when the resignations take effect. But Heath Minister Leoš Heger has come up with one idea for the hospitals that might face crisis due to understaffing.

Czech sport has had a pretty good year: a singles finalist at Wimbledon, gold medals in world and European rowing events as well as an ice hockey world title and surprise silver medal at the women’s world basketball championship hosted by the country. But there was little real suspense about who the sport’s personality for 2010 would be: speed skater Martina Sáblíková.

The run-up to Christmas used to be a hectic time in most Czech households with cleaning, baking and decorating starting in late November. Now things are changing – many Czechs have come to appreciate the luxury of taking it easy and letting professionals bake their cookies, deliver their Christmas tree and decorate their house.