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Addressing the lower house on Tuesday President Miloš Zeman made it clear he has no intention of allowing a new civil service bill which is near winning approval, to come into law. Mr Zeman is dissatisfied with compromises made by the government, saying that in its present form the bill would fail in its main goal to depoliticize the civil service.

The National Museum in Prague has made its biggest acquisition over the past fifty years, acquiring more than 700 000 documents and other items from the Museum of the Workers’ Movement. Among the new possessions are valuable objects of art as well as curiosities, such as figure carved out of bread by Czechoslovak president Antonín Zápotocký. I spoke to the National Museums’ curator Marek Junek about the new acquisitions.

With elections to local councils and a third of the Senate just six weeks away, politicians are once again taking to the streets in a bid for voter support. Financially exhausted by last years’ general elections and elections to the European Parliament just three months ago, parties are spending less money on billboards and ads in favour of direct voter contact campaigns.

This week marked the 20th anniversary of Linka bezpečí, a helpline available for anyone up to the age of 18 (or if studying, to 26) to call at moments of difficulty. Over 20 years, the helpline has answered millions of calls and addressed countless problems, some of them very serious.

Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka has come under fire from members of the centre-right opposition as well as from within the coalition government, for withholding full support for a new wave of planned EU sanctions against Russia. At its summit on Saturday, the union issued a one-week ultimatum for Russia to reverse its course in Ukraine or face new consequences.

Czech Ombudswoman Anna Šabatová has stirred heated debate on the Czech political scene by standing up for two students who were banned from wearing headscarves at a medical school in Prague. Politicians across the political spectrum as well as President Miloš Zeman have criticized her move, arguing that foreigners should respect Czech cultural traditions.

Over a thousand delegates from China, the Czech Republic and other European states gathered at Prague Castle on Thursday for the start of a China Investment Forum, the biggest event of its kind ever held in this country. It comes amid Czech efforts to boost relations and business with the world’s most populous state – some say at the loss of a principled stand on human rights.

Tour de Beer, Hula-hoop in Prague, Roast Sausage or River Valley Jogging Tour – these are just some of offers on a new website called Guidilo. The unusual travel service wants to help visitors from all around the world to get to know Prague through an authentic experience. Basically anyone living in Prague can register on the site to offer their own original tour of the city.

The European Commission has adopted a partnership agreement for EU structural and investment funds submitted by the Czech Republic. The document, which took three years to negotiate, outlines Czech investment strategy until 2020, and paves the way for the drawing of some 22 billion euros in funds.

If you ask Czech kids what is their most hated subject at school, the answer is nearly always the same: mathematics. This may soon change, however, with more and more schools pushing an alternative way of teaching mathematics, the so-called Hejný method. It has now been adopted by more than 350 schools around the country and for the first time this year, it will also be tested in grades five to nine.