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Dutch author Thomas Olde Heuvelt, a speaker at the Melting Pot forum at this year’s eclectic Colours of Ostrava festival, wrote his first horror novel when still in his teens. His critically acclaimed horror novel "Hex", a bestseller in the Netherlands since translated into 26 languages, including Czech, is now being developed into a TV series. I caught up with the author at a book signing in Prague – his last stop on a world tour – and began by asking him how he came to be invited to the Ostrava forum.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced last week that the Czech consulate in Hanoi has stopped accepting applications from Vietnamese nationals for both long-term resident permits and visas, citing incapacity to handle the backlog of requests – but most of all, security risks, in the form of “exported” organised crime.

The Turkish Supreme Court has upheld a six-year verdict imposed on a young Czech couple who were found guilty of cooperating with the YPG Kurdish militia, which Turkey considers a terrorist organization. The Czech authorities have said they will explore all legal options to try to help them.

At 2.9 percent, the Czech unemployment rate is the lowest in 22 years, and in particular graduates have never had it easier finding work. According to labour office statistics there are currently ten vacancies per graduate, a state of affairs that is attracting young people from Greece, Italy or Spain to the Czech Republic.

Czech Scouts and Guides attending the international movement’s World Scout Jamboree next summer will rally under the motto "Unbreakable". The aim is to both highlight the suppression of scouting under totalitarianism – first by the Nazis and later by the Communists – and to celebrate the Czech movement’s revival 30 years ago in their newly democratic country.

With the huge Colours music festival, Ostrava is currently the focus of the arts scene in the Czech Republic. But it’s not just about bands: The event’s Melting Pot is a thriving discussion forum that gives festivalgoers a rare opportunity to interact with eminent speakers from around the world.

A fresh-killed tiger, tiger skins and pelts of other big cats, as well as frozen bodies of various protected animal species were discovered during police raids that recently took place around the Czech Republic. Three men have been charged with unlawful treatment of protected wildlife.

This year’s edition of the Colours of Ostrava music festival is now underway. The four-day extravaganza is bringing pop stars as well as noteworthy names from countless other genres to a spectacular post-industrial venue in the capital of the Moravian-Silesian Region.

Prague’s old-world beauty and relatively low production costs have made it a popular destination for filmmakers. Amateur photographer Musa Bektash is going behind the lens to put the scenes of many famous movies in context.

Labour and Social Affairs Minister Petr Krčál announced his resignation on Tuesday after facing accusations of plagiarism. He is the second minister to resign on these grounds in the course of just one week.