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Traditional folk customs were observed by many on Easter Monday - a public holiday in the Czech Republic, when a braided willow whip decorated with ribbons known as the pomlázka is used to symbolically whip women and girls in return for painted eggs. Girls can also be doused with water but it is not commonly practiced. The custom has pre-Christian roots in pagan fertility rites. According to the rite, females 'whipped' on Easter Monday remain healthy and fertile for the entire year.

The Montreal Canadiens avoided their first four-game losing streak this season, defeating the Florida Panthers on Sunday by a score of 4:1. The Habs lost their top scorer Max Pacioretty early in the first but others, including the team's Tomáš Plekanec, fought to take control of the match. Plekanec, who has now scored 24 this season, racked up a goal and an assist. With the win, Montreal regained top spot in the Atlantic Division. Florida, the new home to legendary forward Jaromír Jágr, will not play in this year's playoffs.

A snub by Czech President Miloš Zeman, who said an interview for Parlamentní listy that the door to Prague Castle, the seat of the head of state, was closed to the US ambassador, has caught the attention of the international media, including Der Spiegel and The Wall Street Journal. Mr Zeman made the snub against the US ambassador, Andrew Schapiro, on Sunday, after the latter criticized the Czech president's intention to attend celebrations in Moscow marking the 70th anniversary of the end of WWII.

The ambassador suggested that Mr Zeman's decision to attend a military parade - while other EU heads of state will be boycotting the event over Russia's annexation of Crimea and intervention in Ukraine - sent an unfortunate symbolic message. The ambassador issued a follow-up saying he was surprised by the president's reaction, but that he stood by his statement. Der Spiegel suggests Mr Zeman's planned attendance in Moscow on May 9 has hurt Czech-US relations. The Wall Street Journal, like the Czech press, notes that Mr Zeman is likely to be the only western head-of-state to attend, joining the ranks of guests such as North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un. The Russian media has largely praised the Czech president for his decision to attend the celebrations.

Deaflympics skier Tereza Kmochová won her fifth gold medal at the international winter games for the deaf being held in Magnitogorsk, Russia. She took her latest gold in the slalom, meaning wins in all five categories in which she competed. The 24-year-old said she had hoped to win a few medals but never expected five and all of them gold. Czech Tomáš Pazdera also won a gold medal in the snowboardcross event. The total Czech medal tally stood at six golds and one silver on April 5.