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Psychiatric care in the Czech Republic has been profiting from a trend towards external care, which keeps psychiatric institutions from overflowing and lets patients function in society. To support this development, the Health Ministry set up special mobile psychiatric teams in 2018 and plans to create up to 100 in the future. But securing financing from health insurance companies may prove crucial.

Before there was the Charles Bridge, Prague was served by the Judith Bridge, which was destroyed by flooding in 1342. New research carried out by divers has been mapping the remnants of the bridge beneath the Vltava with a view to ensuring their continued preservation.

There is a serious shortage of young doctors entering the Czech health system, with many physicians choosing to work in Western countries instead. In response, the Ministry of Health is considering measures that would oblige doctors to remain in the country for a certain period after their studies. However, many in the target group say the problem lies elsewhere.

Czech Minister of Foreign Affairs Tomáš Petříček is due to visit Washington this month to discuss a bilateral and global issues with the U.S. secretaries of state and defence, and President Trump’s national security advisor. Cybersecurity issues – not least concerning Chinese telecoms giant Huawei – are high on the Czech agenda. So too is securing an invitation to the White House.

The Czech Republic has been hit by droughts in recent years, with large swathes of the country particularly badly affected last summer. Now a government task force is working on plans to combat the problem – and there are even suggestions water could be protected under the Czech Constitution.

A decade ago, the Czech Republic had more gaming machines per capita than any other country in the European Union. But “one-armed bandits” have steadily disappeared from the nation’s dive bars following the introduction of new legislation and statues, and many municipalities have outright banned casinos.

Wednesday marks 100 years since the establishment of the Czechoslovak branch of the International Red Cross, today known as the Czech Red Cross. It was founded and chaired by Alice Masaryková, the daughter of Czechoslovakia’s first president and a pioneer in the field of social care. Its establishment was officially approved by the president on February 6, 1919.

A new pro-European, liberal party will soon appear on the Czech political scene. Voice is being established by Pavel Telička, a well-known one-time European commissioner and current MEP. But how much impact can the grouping realistically be expected to have?

Cross the Line is the title of a new exhibition of Czech and Slovak contemporary glass design that runs from Sunday in the Czech House Jerusalem. The exhibition is a joint project organized in cooperation with the Czech Centre Tel Aviv and the Museum of Glass and Jewellery in Jablonec nad Nisou. I asked the head of Czech Centre in Tel-Aviv, Robert Mikoláš, to tell me more about the exhibition:

The Czech government has recognized Juan Guaidó, the self-proclaimed interim president of Venezuela, as the legitimate leader of his country pending elections. The proposal was put forward by the Czech Minister of Foreign Affairs, who has been advocating for the European Union to take a united stand.