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The Czech government is intensifying its drive to help Czech producers establish and boost their presence on the Chinese market. On a five day working trip and trade mission to China, Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka pushed ahead with lucrative deals in the fields of aviation, agriculture, finance and health care.

Czech scientists believe they have taken a significant step in coming up with possible treatments for both tick borne encephalitis and its near relation, the Zika virus, which has already been declared a global public health threat by the World Health Organisation after the infection took off in Latin America at the end of last year.

It has been estimated that an enormous amount of food - 88 million tonnes is wasted in the European Union annually. A new campaign by the Zachraň Jidlo initiative wants to make a small dent in food waste the Czech Republic, reporting that up to one-fifth of fruit and vegetables is thrown away without ever making it to the store, for strictly cosmetic reasons.

If you’re in Prague on Thursday night and see a lot of serious discussions and gesticulations, it might not just be about Czech football chances in Euro 2016. There is a French connection though, and the Czech capital is in fact hosting its first ever philosophy night with events and discussions planned until the very early hours.

A dispute that has shaken the Czech government came to a head on Wednesday as Interior Minister Milan Chovanec signed a highly controversial plan to reform the police force. For several hours the fate of the Sobotka government hung in the balance, before ANO leader Andrej Babiš announced that his party would not follow up on its threat to leave the ruling coalition.

The ongoing government crisis over the proposed reorganisation of the police has shown no signs of abating and the future of the cabinet now hangs in the balance. The head of ANO, Finance Minister Andrej Babiš, has warned that if the controversial changes to the force get the go-ahead, the party will leave the government. The Social Democrats, led by Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka, countered that there was no reason for the cabinet to collapse.

Scientists from the University of Chemistry and Technology in Prague are developing affordable equipment to help army and police rapidly and reliably detect explosives and chemicals that could be used in combat or other incidents. The NATO-supported project was launched two years ago, and the result, a sensor which should be part of a uniform, will be available to troops from all NATO countries.

The mayor of New York, Bill de Blasio, is to declare September 28 to be “Václav Havel Day”, according to the Czech Consulate in the American city. Numerous events are to surround the roughly three-day commemoration, including performances of Havel’s plays and the unveiling of a bust of the late Czech president.

The Czech national football squad knew coming into their opening match at Euro 2016 they were facing a powerhouse and an uphill battle: Spain, two-time defending champions and one of the best sides in Europe. The pressure was intense throughout; even so the Czechs remained in it until the dying minutes.

A battle over the future of the Czech police force is raging in the highest echelons of power. Plans to reorganize the force by merging two of the country’s elite units has provoked a storm within the ruling coalition and elicited protests from the State Attorney’s Office which fears the changes could impact the investigation of ongoing corruption cases.