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Conservationists in the National Park Bohemian Switzerland in north of the country are busy these days collecting wild pears. While they might not be exactly tasty for people, they are an important source of nutrition for a number of forest animals. The national park conservationists are now trying to collect as many seeds as possible in an attempt to re-introduce the once common fruit variety back into the park’s forests.

Information about the five Czechs who went missing in Lebanon in July has been pretty sparse since the first surge of reports and activity surrounding their disappearance almost three months ago. That silence holds good both for Czech and local Lebanese media. But that story changed on Wednesday with some hopeful news.

This Wednesday marks 25 years since Czech hockey legend Jaromír Jágr scored his first NHL goal. On October 7, 1990, he beat Chris Terreri – then-goalie for the New Jersey Devils. Jágr has since scored an additional 721 regular season goals and will no doubt add more in his 22nd season. What’s more, the forward has promised to grow back the famous mullet hairstyle he sported when he first joined the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Czech teachers and psychologists are ringing alarm bells over the growing number of children addicted to the Internet and smartphones. Out of some 120 kids admitted to the Addiction Clinic for children and youth at the General Teaching Hospital in the first year of its existence, every fourth showed symptoms of digital addiction.

Norwegian authorities have ruled that Czech national Eva Michaláková will lose parental rights to her two children: the authorities said that her six-year-old son can be adopted by his foster parents and ruled that she would also lose the right to see her older son, who is now ten. Norway’s Child Welfare Services, the Barnevernet, took the boys away from their biological parents four years ago on the suspicion they had suffered sexual abuse and neglect. However, details were never revealed to protect them.

The Czech Bar Association has urged its members to offer their services to the foreign migrants held in Czech detention centres. Many are held in detention, without money, no knowledge of the Czech language, and no chance, on their own, of obtaining legal help.

Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka has said that Czech-German relations are the best they have been in the modern era. The statement came on the heels of an article in Hospodářské noviny quoting diplomats who said that ties had actually dipped to their lowest point in 20 years. The reason? Differences over refugee quotas. While successful cooperation on many issues is unlikely to come undone, many analysts agree the Czech Republic has taken a rocky path, politically-speaking, adding there will be a cost.

The Czech government on Wednesday approved a bill on state border protection which would enable the Interior Ministry to order the imposition of border checks in the event of a serious security threat to the country. Meanwhile, the army and police have been undertaking a joint training exercise along the Czech-Austrian border to prepare for such an emergency.

Talks of a Czech tiger economy have just been given some extra impetus with a positive revision in the already strong growth figures for the second quarter. But other big cat and miracle European economies have tanked in the recent past, so how solid are the Czech foundations?

In a speech to the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday, Czech President Miloš Zeman focused on one subject: terrorism. The threat is growing and coordinated action needs be taken to eliminate the leaders of terrorist groups, he told world leaders in New York.