Current Affairs | All stories

The Czech Republic is introducing sexual assistants trained to provide paid services to disabled people. The assistants, whose services were approved by the Interior Ministry, were selected and trained by the Czech charity ‘Rozkoš bez rizika’ (‘Bliss without Risk’), which provides counselling for sex-workers.

The government on Monday agreed to send an additional 105 million crowns in aid largely to the Middle East and Africa this year and an additional 70 million in the next to help countries in the region hit by the refugee crisis. The bulk of the funds will go to two EU funds for Syria and Africa but some will also be set aside for the World Food Programme and the United Nations High Commission for Refugees.

The Czech Republic’s biggest national park Šumava has recently opened a wolf observation site at its new visitor centre in the town of Srní. The park’s management wants to get the public more used to the former inhabitants of the local forests, hoping that the public exposure to the wolves will help erode some of the ingrained prejudices against them.

The 2015 world expo closed its doors to the public on Saturday and as Milan celebrates the success of the undertaking, the Czech team has good reason to be proud. The Czech pavilion was awarded the bronze medal for architectural merit, as well as being voted the most visitor-friendly.

As the influx of refugees heading for Western Europe continues, an increasing number of volunteers are trying to help the refugees stranded in camps on Croatia’s borders. There are now reported to be around 100 Czechs working in the area. While some of the teams are supported by humanitarian organisations, such as People in Need, others have come at their own initiative.

The Czech Republic’s biggest pop-star, Karel Gott, was taken to hospital on Monday after reportedly suffering two heart attacks. The 76-year-old singer was rushed to Prague’s Institute of Clinical and Experimental Medicine and underwent surgery on Tuesday. His wife confirmed the news about the heart surgery on Gott’s Facebook page, without adding any further details.

Czech President Miloš Zeman bestowed no fewer than 35 high state honours on Wednesday at a Prague Castle ceremony celebrating the anniversary of the foundation of Czechoslovakia. Among those decorated were a WWII hero, a teenager who sacrificed his life for a classmate and an ex-football star. However, the list of honourees has not been without controversy.

Czechs have a reputation as some of the biggest meat eaters in Europe but their carnivorous habits could be taking a hit after a United Nations agency suggested that eating processed meats and red meats can seriously increase the chances of cancer.

One of the biggest events in women’s tennis, the WTA Finals, got underway in Singapore on Sunday. Although Czech competitors got off to a losing start, many, including the Martina Navrátilová herself, say the fact that four players from the Czech Republic made it to the finals – is a positive sign for Czech tennis.

Czech prime minister Bohuslav Sobotka has just completed his first foreign visit to a Middle East country. And in his meetings with top officials in Jordan and King Abdullah II, prime minister Sobotka promised to boost Czech foreign aid to the country which is hosting hundreds of thousands of refugees from Iraq and Syria.