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Last Thursday’s Europa League game between Glasgow Rangers and Sparta Prague on Letná Stadium ended in fresh accusations of racism –this time from 10,000 Czech schoolchildren - and a diplomatic spat between the two countries. The Czech foreign minister summoned the British ambassador to Prague to protest against insults in the British press directed against Czech schoolchildren, while Rangers is pushing UEFA to take a tougher stance on what it calls “a war on racism”. I spoke to sports journalist Jiří Hošek about the escalation in tensions and began by asking him to explain the reason why the stadium was full of child spectators.

Photographer Josef Koudelka is world famous for works such as his Gypsies series, indelible shots of the 1968 Soviet-led invasion of his native Czechoslovakia and, in more recent times, powerful landscapes. Now 83, Koudelka has donated many of the key parts of his collection to the Czech state. While in Prague recently he discussed that priceless gift – and his outlook on photography and life.

This Friday marks the 90 birthday of the acclaimed Czech actor, singer, songwriter, playwright and director Jiří Suchý. After more than 60 years on stage, the living legend of Czech theatre is still going strong. He will mark the occasion with a special concert at Prague’s Semafor theatre, called “I know of Even Older People.”

The Czech National Bank has raised the key interest rate by 0.75 percentage points – the highest one-off rate increase in nearly a quarter century. The reason is rising inflation, exceeded 4 percent which in August. That’s twice the central bank’s target level of inflation.

On a visit to the Czech Republic, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban highlighted the strong ties between Prague and Budapest and the need for the two countries to stand together in order to defend their common interests in the EU. The show of unity between prime ministers Babiš and Orban evoked a storm of controversy on the home scene, dividing the public and politicians alike.

The town of Vysoké Mýto was always a sports town. One of the first tennis clubs in our country was established there, but long before that the Association of Czech Cyclists and Travelers was organizing regular group trips around the country on penny-farthings and veteran bikes.

World Expos, which take place every five years, are something like the Olympics Games of business, technology and culture. This year’s host is Dubai, the biggest city in the United Arab Emirates. The Czech Republic is among the 192 countries taking part in Expo 2020 – which was delayed for a year due to the pandemic. The Czech national pavilion is already creating a buzz ahead of Friday’s official opening.

The reoffending rate in the Czech Republic continues to be one of the highest in the European Union, with up to 70 percent of former convicts returning to jail, sooner or later. According to experts, the most effective solution to the problem is to systematically support released prisoners in their integration into society.

On 1 October 1991 the first edition of The Prague Post hit the newsstands. Though now defunct, the newspaper remains the most significant publication of its kind in the country’s post-communist period. Ahead of the 30-year anniversary, I spoke to Lisa Leshne (nee Frankenberg), who was its first general manager and later publisher. Leshne co-founded the weekly after receiving feedback from advertisers while with Prognosis, which was a monthly paper.

This Tuesday, Prague Zoo marks exactly 90 years since its opening. At the time, the zoo looked more like a construction site and visitors could only see about 30 animal species. Since then, it has developed into one of the world’s leading institutions of its kind and has been involved in a number of projects aimed at saving endangered species.