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Standard & Poor's fuelled fears of a crippling economic crisis in Europe on Monday, issuing a dire warning of an unprecedented mass downgrade of eurozone countries’ credit ratings if EU leaders fail to deliver a fast and efficient solution to the region's debt crisis. Although France and Germany promptly threw their weight behind a reform plan which would reinforce governance within the alliance, scepticism remains high and even non-eurozone members such as the Czech Republic are bracing for the worst.

Since Saturday, a group of Czech military doctors have been helping out in hospitals in neighbouring Slovakia where hundreds of doctors walked out over low wages. Last Wednesday the resignations of 1,200 doctors (of an overall 7,000) came into force, leaving four of the country’s hospitals in critical condition and another sixteen in jeopardy. Even though the Slovak government has now agreed to meet doctors’ demands, the Czech team is staying on until conditions return to normal.

A government expert group is adding finishing touches to new draft legislation proposing the legalization of marijuana for medical purposes. While still banning patients from growing medical cannabis on their own, the amended legislation allows importing as well as the cultivation of medical hemp by local private companies under strict state supervision. The committee, whose existence was prompted by a petition initiated earlier this year by doctors, researchers and patients and is supported by the chairwoman of the lower house of Parliament, is

The Czech illustrator and animator Zdeněk Miler has died at the age of 90. The artist was best known for the creation of Krtek (or Little Mole), a cartoon character loved by generations of Czech children that first appeared in the 1950s. Earlier in 2011, a plush toy of the animated character even went to space on one of the last space shuttle flights.

One of the most blatant corruption cases in recent years will end up in court. Prosecutors in the north-eastern city of Ostrava have announced that two people will be charged in the case of the 2006 purchase of Tatra trucks for the Czech army. Although no details about the charges and the people involved have been officially disclosed, a number of Czech media have reported that former defence minister Martin Barták is one the two men facing prosecution.

The city hall in České Budějovice closed three primary schools in a housing estate this week after health workers discovered the presence of carcinogenic asbestos. While teachers attempt to create alternative plans for the several hundred students, asbestos concerns have returned to the public awareness nationwide, and health officials warn that many more public buildings may carry the same risks.

Just two weeks after a newborn gorilla was transported from Prague to Stuttgart following repeated failed attempts to reunite it with its mother, Prague zoo has bid farewell to another gorilla, Moja, the first low-land gorilla born and raised in captivity in the Czech Republic. The animal has reached sexual maturity and her minders decided to move her away to prevent in-breeding in the pack. Her new home is the Cabárceno National Park in northern Spain where Moja was transported on Tuesday.

The mayor of Prague has frozen all contracts signed by the City Police force and ordered a full investigation after the head of the force was arrested last week on suspicion of accepting a bribe. Vladimír Kotrouš, Prague City Police force president, is now in custody after anti-organised crime taskforce arrested him with a large amount of cash on his person.

Over the past five years, the Czech Republic has seen a massive spread of internet users. According to the latest official figures, the number of Czech homes connected to the worldwide web rose by 125 percent over that period. But compared to other countries in the European Union, the Czechs still lag behind.

The Czech Republic’s Ride of the Kings – a tradition dating back centuries still practiced in south-eastern Moravia – was added at the weekend to UNESCO’s list recognising intangible cultural heritage. The ride – practiced in just four villages in the Slovácko region – refers to the flight of Hungarian King Matthias Corvinus from Czech King George of Podébrady in the 15th century. Organisers had strived for years to see the tradition recognised and – following UNESCO’s decision – had every reason to celebrate.