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The continent’s biggest sporting event, the European Football Championships, kicks off on Friday night. Among the 24 nations taking part in the delayed Euro 2020 will of course be the Czech Republic. But what are the Czechs’ chances at the tournament? That’s something I discussed with top local football journalist Karel Häring.

Czechoslovak RAF veteran General Emil Boček, received a belated 98th birthday treat on Wednesday, taking to the skies in a De Havilland Tiger Moth –a plane he first piloted when he joined the RAF. The 15-minute flight was a tribute from the Czech Airforce to one of the country’s last remaining war heroes.

At sixteen Jiří Kadlec had an avid interest in military history which led him to join a historic fencing club. After the fall of communism he was torn between joining the army and using his extensive knowledge to make copies of historical weapons. Today he co-owns one of the most successful companies for the production, sale and rental of historic weapons and armour. Over the past eighteen years he has created armour and weapons for Joan of Arc, Les Miserables, Bathory, The Three Musketeers, Merlin and other iconic films.

An engrossing new Czech documentary entitled 13 MINUTES tells the stories of several drivers who caused fatal accidents. The film, which is available from Thursday, may serve as a stark warning to other motorists – but it also explores issues of honesty and personal responsibility.

Czech glass is known throughout the world for its craftsmanship and artistic qualities. The history of the glassmaking industry dates all the way back to the Middle Ages, when the first glassworks were built in the deep Bohemian forests. Today, there are dozens of glassmaking factories and studios around the Czech Republic, but perhaps the best-known of them is Moser, based in the West-Bohemian spa town of Karlovy Vary.

The British capital is currently hosting the third edition of the London Biennale, the first international art event following the easing of Covid-19 restrictions in the country. The Czech Republic is represented by visual artist Petr Stanický, who created a site-specific installation, inspired by Somerset House, where the event takes place.

Holders of a vaccine, test or coronavirus recovery certificate be able to travel to the Czech Republic without the need to quarantine or get themselves tested from June 21, Health Minister Adam Vojtěch announced on Monday. From July 1 the country will exclusively accept the EU’s Covid Passports. The statement came in conjunction with a new round of restriction easing in the culture sector.

The Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, who ran for president in contested elections last year, is currently in the Czech Republic. The politician and human rights activist is meeting some of the country’s top officials – as well as members of Prague’s large Belarusian exile community.

The European Medicines Agency last month approved the use of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine against Covid-19 for children aged 12 and over, and other brands are undergoing testing.  Health Minister Adam Vojtěch has said the government plans to begin vaccinating that group by late summer – ahead of the next school year. But many Czech parents are reluctant to get the jab, even for themselves.

Dutch authorities have unearthed the remains of an RAF bomber whose Czech crew were shot down by a German fighter as they were returning from a bombing raid in June 1941. The remains are currently being analysed.