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New restrictions aimed at curbing the spread of the coronavirus will force all Czech restaurants and bars to close at 8 pm from Wednesday. Such businesses were only allowed to reopen last week – and operators say they cannot be the reason Covid numbers are on the rise.

Composer, pianist and music teacher Vadim Petrov has died at the age of 88. Petrov created over 1,400 compositions in the course of his career, from symphonies to film and theatre music as well as music for children’s cartoons and fairy tales.

On the occasion of the festive season, the Czech Center in New York has prepared a series of events celebrating the tradition of Czech glass-making. One of the highlights is a new collection of unique Christmas ornaments manufactured in the renowned Glass School in Železný Brod, which is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year.

Many Czech music fans will be familiar with the voice of Tomáš Vydra, a DJ who has been sharing his extremely deep knowledge of classic blues and rock on the alternative station Radio 1 for decades. What many may not know is that Vydra was previously a top level professional tennis coach – or that he was locked up with his parents in his early teens when the family returned to normalisation Czechoslovakia after a long stay abroad. We touched on all of those areas and more when he visited our studios recently.

Solar power is starting to dominate the renewable energy market according to the International Energy Agency (IEA), but wind power is also experiencing a boom. Experts from the Czech Academy of Sciences believe that it could produce up to a quarter of the power consumption in the Czech Republic by 2040.

John of Luxembourg, better known abroad as John of Bohemia, is often nicknamed the “foreigner king” by Czechs today. While he spent much of his life abroad and did not get on with his Czech subjects, he nevertheless presided over an effective foreign policy, that expanded Bohemia’s borders and helped his son – the famous Charles IV – secure the title of Holy Roman Emperor.

Advent in Prague is usually full of good-cheer, live music, Christmas markets and crowds of people enjoying mulled wine or roasted chestnuts in the streets. This year the coronavirus restrictions have prevented much of this happening. However the street festival Behind the Door has modified its program to meet the requirements and lighten up Advent in Prague. I asked its spokesperson Dominika Pfister to tell us what’s in store.

The Czech state will be forced to return “hundreds of millions” of crowns due to Prime Minister Andrej Babiš’s ongoing conflict of interest and improper disbursement of EU funds, a Czech opposition MEP on the European Parliament’s budget control committee says, citing the final European Commission audit.

One of the oldest and most popular Czech sweets, Hašlerky, are celebrating their 100th anniversary. The black-coloured hard candies with a distinct aniseed flavour, which are named after the famous singer and songwriter Karel Hašler, were first manufactured in Prague in December 1920.

Is a court order on shared custody valid during restrictions on travel and a state of emergency? How do I protect my children from my violent husband? What do I do when I can no longer afford to pay my rent? As the coronavirus crisis deepens thousands of people are desperate for advice on how best to resolve their personal problems. Home office has cooped up families in small flats for weeks on end and relationships are crumbling under the strain, teenagers are driving their parents crazy because they can’t get out of the house. Older people living alone are increasingly depressed. One of the people out there who is working hard to help Czechs survive the crisis is writer, lawyer and former justice minister, Daniela Kovářová, who set up a Corona-helpline for the public in the spring. I spoke to her to find out who she’s helping, what advice she is giving and how the idea of getting involved emerged.