The Czech prime minister on Tuesday hosted a work dinner for a group of EU leaders and the prime minister of Ukraine aimed at coordinating and strengthening aid to the embattled country in the face of continuing Russian aggression. The meeting, attended by some of Ukraine’s most prominent allies, focused on the Czech shells-for-Ukraine initiative, Ukraine's air defence and European cooperation in the defence industry.

Petr Mach is a Czech economist and former MEP who is running in the European elections for the Freedom and Direct Democracy Party.

Billed as “the world’s largest professional Romani festival”, Khamoro, meaning ‘sunshine’ in Romani, has been taking place in Prague since 1999. But as Izabela Chalupníková from the festival’s production team told me, it’s not your typical Romani festival. While most Romani festivals focus on music, Khamoro, in addition to concerts, presents a diverse programme of exhibitions, children’s activities, oral history, film screenings, dance performances, workshops, conferences and more.

A special concert performance of Bedřich Smetana’s opera Libuše will be performed at Prague’s Rudolfinum on Tuesday, marking the 200th anniversary of the great Czech composer’s birth. The event, featuring Czech opera stars Kateřina Kněžíková and Adam Plachetka, is part of the Prague Spring international music festival.

Two Czech titles, Tiny Lights and Our Lovely Pig Slaughter, will be in the main competition at the 58th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, organisers revealed on Tuesday. Meanwhile Hollywood star Geoffrey Rush will be part of the jury deciding who takes home the Crystal Globe. I spoke to artistic director Karel Och at the unveiling of this year’s official selection.

Danuše Nerudová is an economist and university professor and a former rector of Mendel University in Brno. She is running in the European elections for the Mayors and Independents Party.

The annual Ride of the Kings folk celebration – a centuries-old UNESCO listed tradition – took place in the village of Vlčnov in South Moravia on Sunday. The festive ride of young men, led by a nine-year-old boy in the role of king, signifies their transition to manhood.

Czechia won the Ice Hockey World Championship with a 2:0 defeat of Switzerland in the final on Sunday night. The Czechs, led by star David Pastrňák, secured the title for the first time in over a decade and a half in front of an ecstatic home crowd in Prague.

Marcel Kolaja is the leader of the Czech Pirate Party in the European elections. He is an IT specialist and internet freedom and digital rights activist and has served in the European Parliament since the 2019 elections.

A new exhibition highlighting the Celtic history of South Bohemia is currently underway in the South Bohemian Museum in České Budějovice. It presents the latest archaeological findings, but also sheds light on the everyday life of people living in the region during the Iron Age.