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Forest owners in the Czech Republic face damages of up to 40 million crowns this year from an escalating spread of bark beetle, suggests a report by the think-tank Czech Forest, an independent group of experts in the forestry sector. The report warns that in the future, bark beetle infestation could affect up to 50 percent of the country’s forests.

The designated Czech vice-president of the European Commission, Věra Jourová, has been approved for the European values and transparency portfolio in the new European Commission. In a three-hour hearing on Monday, Ms. Jourová was grilled by members of the Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs committees on how she would secure rule of law and media freedom across the EU.

Vlasta Chramostová, a theatre and film actress banned under communism from performing in public, died on Sunday at the age of 92. She was among the first Charter 77 signatories and a prominent figure during the Velvet Revolution.

Václav Klaus Jr., The son of former Czech president and prime minister Václav Klaus, is the country’s “most trusted” politician, suggests a new poll conducted by the CVVM agency. The leader of the newly-formed, right-wing oriented Tricolour achieved a 42 percent positive rating among respondents, putting him ahead of Prime Minister Andrej Babiš. I asked political scientist Jiří Pehe why exactly Klaus Jr. is so popular.

Statistics show that incarceration and reoffending rates in the Czech Republic are among the highest in Europe. To combat this phenomenon 10 organisations that focus on helping prisoners reintegrate into society have decided to form an association. They hope the new alliance will bring about more flexibility, as well as greater influence when lobbying for change with the government.

Prague finished 19th among 102 cities around the world in the first edition of a Smart City Index, put together by Switzerland’s IMD Competitiveness Centre and the Singapore University of Technology and Design. The index assesses the cities’ efforts in embracing smart technologies to improve their citizens’ lives. Prague finished ahead of London in the survey, in which Singapore ranked first.

The legendary Czech singer and pop icon Karel Gott passed away on Monday at his home in Prague surrounded by his family. As tributes to the singer pour in from at home and abroad, Czech leaders are planning a funeral with state honours and a national day of mourning.

An exhibition now running in Prague puts the spotlight on translated works by the Brno-born writer Milan Kundera. The French citizen, who turned 90 this year, was personally involved in the preparation of the show Milan Kundera (Not Lost) in Translations.

Czech Radio has received a unique sound recording of events surrounding the mysterious death of Jan Masaryk, the son of Czechoslovakia’s first president. The beloved foreign minister was found dead in the courtyard beneath his apartment window two weeks after the Communist coup of February 1948.

Cardinal Dominik Duka is facing a criminal investigation, after being accused of covering up a case of sexual abuse in the Dominican Order. The victim, who remains anonymous, told the news site seznam.cz earlier this week that he reported the abuse to Mr.Duka but the cardinal had failed to take action against it.