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The three-party coalition government has at long last chosen an ambassador to the United States: MP Petr Gandalovič, an old-time Civic Democrat who among other his many posts has served as a mayor, general consul in New York and Minister of Agriculture. With very little standing between Mr Gandalovič and the ambassadorship (he must be approved by the Czech president and by the United States), we asked political scientist and commentator Jiří Pehe for his take on the appointment.

It was billed as a preparatory game for the big one against world and European champions Spain in just over a month, but this was the sort of preparation that the Czech football team could have done without. They went down 2:4 in a friendly against Croatia with the home side putting a record tally of goals into the Czech net.

As the standoff continues between the Czech government and the doctors’ trade unions, the authorities have outlined an emergency scenario to avert the looming heath care crisis. If no deal is reached by March 1, when mass resignations of around 3,800 Czech hospital doctors take effect, the government will use medical capacities of the Czech military. The scenario also suggests that state-run teaching hospitals will be crucial in providing emergency health care.

This year’s nominations for the Czech Lions – the awards given annually by the Czech Film and Television Academy – offered a big surprise, when a little-noticed film called Pouta (Walking Too Fast) walked away with 13 nominations in only 12 categories, a record for the Lions. Whether it will lose in the end to bigger-budget and more conventionally made films will be interesting to see, but for now the nominations themselves mean a serious accomplishment for art-house cinema in the Czech Republic.

The Czech government wants to correct some of the injustices inherited from the communist regime. Twenty years after the fall of communism, coalition leaders agreed to a plan to slash the retirement benefits of former communist security service officers and high ranking Communist party officials. The funds should be used to increase the pensions of opponents of the former regime.

It was not that long ago that previous leadership at Prague City Hall assured the public that the massive Blanka tunnel under construction in the capital would be finished on time and within its 26 billion crown budget. So it must have been a rude awakening, for those at City Hall now – including new Mayor Bohuslav Svoboda – to learn nothing could be further from the truth. The 6.3 kilometre Blanka, leading from Holešovice through Hradčany, will cost at least 10 billion crowns more than previously expected. What is more, its completion is now likely

Czech regions and the central government are preparing for the worst as the clock ticks down on hospital doctors’ threat to quit their posts en masse to win better pay and conditions. Some regions are already drawing up emergency plans to deal with the threatened mass exodus from hospitals. The government’s State Security Council is also meeting to map a national strategy.

The Transport Ministry has raised eyebrows after it was revealed this week it might use non-punitive prison labour on highway and road construction to help curb costs. So far, the ministry is keeping quiet about the exact details but the Justice Minister Jiří Pospíšil was more candid, saying the idea of prisoners helping build the country’s throughways was indeed being considered.

Czech women are highly sought after as brides in the West and Arab countries according to the boss of a worldwide matchmaking service. According to him they can offer everything, including at least conversational English and a valid passport.

Czech activists have launched an online map of the Czech Republic that highlights anti-corruption strategies, and the lack thereof, adopted by municipalities across the country. The authors believe that the project, which has been backed by the US Embassy in Prague, will provide people more information about what their town is doing to fight corruption, as well as to allow authorities to share their experiences.