Section Archive Current Affairs
Speed skating sensation Sáblíková makes history with second gold at Winter Olympics
Wednesday was the most dramatic day yet for the Czech Republic at the
Winter Olympics in Vancouver. Speed skater Martina Sáblíková made
history when she became the first Czech to win two gold medals at one
Winter Games, while there was also sensational news in cross country
skiing
with the men’s relay team taking bronze. However, there was also huge
disappointment for Czech fans, when the country’s ice hockey team were
knocked out in the quarter-finals. More
Future of Prague’s Congress Centre uncertain
Built at the end of the 1980s to host communist party gatherings,
Prague’s Congress Centre was the pride of the communist leadership.
However, within years of building it, the communists lost power and the
centre never became fully functional. In 2000 it hosted a summit of the
World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, but soon ran into debt and
now finds itself on the verge of bankruptcy.
More
Former Albanian political prisoner Tomor Aliko among guests at Mene Tekel festival
This week, Prague is hosting the fourth international Mene Tekel festival
which highlights the crimes of communism and presents the testimonies of
those persecuted by totalitarian regimes. On Thursday, the festival is
screening a short Albanian documentary called Prison Nation, which
describes one of Europe’s most vicious communist regimes. Radio Prague
met with Tomor Aliko, a former Albanian political prisoner, whose powerful
testimony is featured in the film. More
Almost 10 percent of Czech agricultural land now given over to organic farming
Nearly 10 percent of all agricultural land in the Czech Republic is now
given over to organic farming, according to new data from the Ministry of
Agriculture. The number of organic farms in the country at the end of 2009
was just under 2,700, an increase of 50 percent on the previous year that
is due at least in part to government subsidies. I discussed the growth in
the sector with Vojtěch Kotecký of the Czech branch of Friends of the
Earth.
More
Public transport to grind to a halt on Monday as trade unions go on strike
Public transport around the Czech Republic will grind to a halt in the
early hours of Monday as the country’s trade unions go on strike. They
will protest against higher taxation of employee benefits, introduced by
the government at the beginning of this year. The strike is expected to
affect all means of public transport and disrupt life around the country.
More
Olympic Ice Hockey: Czechs survive scare against Latvia
The Czech hockey team survived a scare against Latvia in their first
elimination match-up at the Olympics on Tuesday. After three periods the
game went down the wire and overtime was needed to break the 2:2 tie. In
the end, the Czechs advanced to the next round but the game could have
easily gone either way.
More
Government imposes pay and rewards framework on top state bosses
The Czech government has come to grips with the so-called fat cat wages and
golden handshakes enjoyed by managers of some state companies. It will put
into effect a new framework making performance a much bigger factor in pay
packets and capping redundancy payments for managers moving on.
More
New school comic book tells story of Chechen refugee in Czech Republic
Pupils at primary and secondary schools around the country will receive a
new comic book soon; it’s called My World and it’s all about a Chechen
refugee struggling to adjust to his new life in the Czech Republic,
including dealing with prejudice and hostility. Magda Faltová, director of
the Prague-based NGO the Association for Integration and Migration which
produced the comic book, told us more.
More
Government makes swine flu vaccine available to broader public
Originally, one million doses of the swine flu vaccine was to have been
available only to those at the greatest health risk, including health
workers and those suffering from serious and long-term illnesses. Now, that
has changed: on Monday the government agreed that the vaccine will be
available to almost all. The only question is, whether the new broad access
to the swine flu shot will boost what until now has been surprisingly low
interest.
More
Uniform color for cabs in Prague not likely to become reality
Everyone knows what the ubiquitous New York yellow cabs look like. Prague
Town Hall, too, is pushing for the bright shade to be the color of taxi
cabs operating in the city, but legislation at this point does not allow
for the city to force taxi companies to abide by just one shade.
More
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