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Czech football fans are in for a treat with the news that Viktoria Plzeň are set to welcome one of the world’s biggest clubs, Real Madrid, in the Champions League. The domestic title-holders will also face Roma and CSKA Moscow in Europe’s top international club competition.

A new exhibition in Prague maps the century since the foundation of Czechoslovakia via photographs of the presidents who have served since 1918. I Hereby Proclaim My Loyalty to the Republic captures a succession of heads of state carrying out official duties but also in more casual moments.

Receding waterlines stemming from long droughts this summer have revealed some disturbing ancient relics – so-called “hunger stones”, some dating back as far as 1616, which serve as a warning to future generations. One such hydrological landmark on the Labe River is inscribed in German with the words in "If you see me, weep."

The centrist Ano party and its junior coalition partner, the Social Democrats, have reached a framework agreement on increasing public sector salaries. While the specifics have not yet been made public, the coalition has agreed on a differentiated range of salary increases of about 8 per cent on average, with workers who now earn the least set to get the biggest raises.

With property prices soaring, more and more Czechs are finding it hard to find affordable housing. Now the government has come out with one possible solution – a programme of major investment in state apartments that would be rented out by municipalities.

Dozens of people gathered outside the Russian embassy in Prague on Tuesday to demand the release of jailed Ukrainian film maker Oleg Sentsov and other prisoners of conscience. The gathering lasted exactly 107 minutes, symbolizing the 107 days that Sentsov has been on a hunger strike in a Siberian prison.

Prime Minister Andrej Babiš has said that to bring a halt to illegal migration a comprehensive action plan for the entire European Union is needed – and the Czech Republic is ready to prepare just such a proposal. To stem the tide, he has even floated the idea of the protection of EU borders being transferred to the Nato level.

At a meeting of Czech ambassadors in Prague on Monday, Prime Minister Andrej Babiš stressed the importance of being a reliable and active partner in the EU and NATO. At the same time the head of government defended the country’s stance on migration and its decision not to join the Eurozone in the foreseeable future.

Jaroslav Volařík, a wine-maker from the South Moravian town of Mikulov, has just won this year’s title Winemaker of the Year. Nearly 60 Bohemian and Moravian producers took part in the 16th edition of the prestigious competition, sending in over 540 samples of wines.

A joint effort by two Czech universities claims to have developed the most accurate plant image recognition system in the world. Able to identify thousands of different kinds of plants and mushrooms, the software has already won three international competitions, beating human experts in the process.