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CzechTourism has launched its biggest ever advertising campaign aimed at encouraging Czechs to spend their holidays in their own country. The state tourism body’s project aims to promote various kinds of leisure activities rather than specific tourist destinations. Markéta Chaloupková is in charge of the CzechTourism campaign. I asked her if getting Czechs to vacation at home was a big challenge.

Two weeks before general elections, the NGO People in Need has just released the results of a mock election held in Czech schools last month. The results suggest that if pupils between 15 and 19 could all go to the polls, many would back right-wing parties. TOP 09, the Civic Democrats and Public Affairs all fared well. By contrast, the Social Democrats would barely scrape into the lower house, and the Communists would be shown the door.

If the imminent Czech lower house elections have failed to enthuse a large part of the population so far then that appears doubly true for many young people. Figures suggest they could stay away from the polls in droves. And part of the blame seems to lie with the political parties themselves.

Prague Zoo recently launched a new project to raise money for the protection of gorillas in Africa. It is raising money by collecting old mobile phones from visitors and selling them to a recycling company. The profit will be used for a UNESCO-listed gorilla-breeding reserve in the western African state of Cameroon.

In the wake of the Greek financial crisis, the European Commission has proposed that the budgets of countries using the euro should be reviewed in Brussels before they are approved by national parliaments. The plan has provoked mixed reactions across Europe, and is likely to meet resistance here in the Czech Republic.

Thirty-eight-year-old Czech hockey star Jaromír Jágr is far from happy with the situation on the national team following the squad’s shock loss to Norway at the World Championship. Speaking to reporters afterwards, the centre-forward, who has played for the national squad on many occasions, was highly critical of key players who this year declined the World Championship in Germany. He suggested they should “kiss the behinds” of big-name players who had selflessly played for their country before.

Visitors to the Czech capital will likely have come across the legend of the Prague Golem – the famous man-like creature created by Rabbi Yehuda Loew – in the 16th century. The most popular depiction of the character is as a burly clay giant, designed by the late sculptor Jaroslav Horejc for the 1950s film The Emperor’s Baker/The Baker’s Emperor. On Tuesday, a Prague court recognised his descendant’s claim to the film version, meaning that anyone else using the character will have to pay for the rights.

The British Conservatives under leader David Cameron have won power after 13 years in the political wilderness. The newly installed British Prime Minister has been a frequent visitor to Prague in recent years to forge closer relations with the Conservatives’ Czech sister party – the Civic Democrats. David Cameron says he feels a special, personal relationship with the Czech Republic.

This week marks fair trade week in the Czech Republic and the main focus is on coffee. Consumers can sample various brands and speak with coffee producers from Mexico and Tanzania. While the consumption of fair trade goods in the Czech Republic increased by 22 percent last year, such products are still relatively new to the country – they only became available in 2004 when the Czech Republic joined the European Union. John Kanjagaile, the export manager of a fair trade farmers’ union based in Tanzania, spoke about the situation of coffee farmers

The trial of four defendants accused of racially-motivated attempted murder in an attack on a Romany family last year began under tight security on Tuesday in the city of Ostrava. Last year on the night of April 19th they are suspected of having firebombed the family’s residence, using Molotov cocktails. Three people were injured, including a toddler who suffered severe burns and barely survived. If found guilty, the four accused could face up to 15 years in prison or even receive exemplary sentences of life behind bars.