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During the Second World War, approximately 600,000 Czechs were forced into slave labour for Nazi Germany. However, a few thousand Czechs were also forcibly deployed in Norway. A new project called Noráci, carried out by a group of Czech and Norwegian scholars, traces the fate of these men, based on their memorabilia as well as on the memories of their descendants.

Senate chair Miloš Vystrčil on Monday ended weeks of speculation regarding the health of Czech President Miloš Zeman. Citing a report by the president’s chief physician, he said Mr. Zeman was unable to perform his presidential duties and the prognosis for an early recovery was highly uncertain. In the wake of general elections, the news has sparked intensive debate on a possible transfer of the president’s powers.

Following the sudden collapse of the Czech Republic’s biggest alternative energy supplier, the national energy regulator is seeking assurances from other electricity and gas suppliers that they can meet customers’ needs. Against the backdrop of soaring prices on European exchanges, the Energy Regulatory Office (ERÚ) has asked some 430 licensed energy suppliers here to provide evidence of their capacities by Friday.

Czech legislators are discussing whether to declare May 27 – the day of the assassination of the Nazi governor of Bohemia and Moravia, Reinhard Heydrich, in 1942 – a “significant day”. The proposal is the result of an initiative launched by Prague 8 – the municipality where the assassination took place. The district mayor says he has high hopes for it will pass no matter how the government decides.

The Czech Republic has the world’s third-largest collection of testimonies from people who lived under totalitarian regimes in the 20th century. That collection of the Memory of the Nation project, includes interviews with some 13,000 people who suffered under, fought against, tolerated or collaborated with the Nazi and Communist regimes. As the Memory of the Nation project celebrates its 20th anniversary, co-founder Mikuláš Kroupa reflected on the project’s humble origins and the incredible stories still being collected and preserved.

According to the results of a new study published in the academic journal Science, all known modern versions of Hepatitis B can be traced back to the same original version of the virus that affected people before they were even farmers. The major study drew on samples of pre-historic human remains collected by Czech archaeologists.

The National Technical Museum – one of the oldest museums of its type in Europe – lies just next to Prague’s Letná plain. The museum was founded to document technological advancement both in the Czech lands and the wider world and contains tens of thousands of exhibits. Younger visitors and fans of vehicles in general can appreciate the museum’s large main hall, which features full-size original examples of historic aircraft, automobiles and trains – including that of Austro-Hungarian Emperor Franz Joseph.

More than a year ago, the Czech Honorary Consulate in Scotland closed down after its long-time representative, Paul Millar, decided to step down at the age of 86. This Wednesday, a new Honorary Consulate was officially declared open with Veronika MacLeod, founder of Czech School Scotland, becoming its new representative.

Until its abrupt closure on Wednesday, Bohemia Energy was the largest alternative energy supplier in the entire Czech Republic, serving nearly 1 million customers. The company said it was “forced to take the drastic step” on shutting down due to the rapid, extreme growth of wholesale power prices. The Czech energy market now faces an unprecedented situation: for the next six months, so-called “suppliers of last resort” must serve affected households.

The early 13th century Reliquary of St. Maurus is among the nation’s greatest of treasures. The elaborate Romanesque shrine, plated in silver and gold, and adorned with gems and semi-precious stones, is in itself an exquisite work of art. It also is said to contain the relics of four saints – not least, John the Baptist. Adding to its incalculable value and mystique is the recent discovery of an inlaid “toadstone”, among the world’s oldest.