Section Archive Current Affairs
Czechs keep their options open in Brussels
After much controversy at home on whether the Czech Republic should join
the euro-zone’s emerging fiscal compact, the Czech government delegation
headed for Monday’s key EU summit in Brussels determined to keep its
options open. In the midst of continuing discord on the subject, there is
just one thing Czech politicians heartily agree on – they want to have a
finger in the pie. More
Prague court delivers landmark ruling in home births advocates’ battle with the state
A ruling on Thursday by a Prague court might lead to a breakthrough in the
ongoing Czech debate about home births. While state officials and health
care providers have consistently opposed the practice over safety concerns,
the court decided that mothers indeed have the right to choose the place of
their child’s delivery, and the state has to provide all necessary
assistance. More
Teachers seek to revive Latin at Czech schools
Latin once used to be the cornerstone of classical education. Until the
middle of the 20th century, some knowledge of the language was a
prerequisite for any career in the academia, and Latin was taught at every
grammar school. But the numbers of students taking up the language has
dropped by a half over the past decade. That’s why a group of Latin
teachers launched a campaign to revive the teaching of Latin at Czech
schools. More
Firefighters fear more budget cuts will mean dismissing a third of the force
Firefighters in the Czech Republic are greatly concerned at the course
their budgets are taking. As the money from the Ministry of the Interior
steadily decreases, the firemen’s union warns that further cuts may lead
to substandard services. More
Snowmobiles ‘a must’ for locals in Czech mountains
With snow in mountainous areas and resorts in the Czech Republic averaging
140 centimetres, it’s no surprise locals have been hitting the trails on
their snowmobiles in recent days and weeks. The number of skidoos on Czech
trails has only continued to grow in recent years and with increased
traffic have come greater concerns and greater risk – one reason why
officials from the country’s Road Transport Services Centre conducted
checks in the area of Špindlerův Mlýn last week. More
Czech government approves 38 billion crown loan to IMF as part of European debt crisis scheme
Czech government leaders on Wednesday agreed on the sum that the country
would contribute to the European debt crisis scheme. Coalition leaders
backed Finance Minister Miroslav Kalousek’s proposal to loan 38 billion
Czech crowns, about 1.5 billion euros, to the International Monetary Fund
– an amount that is significantly lower than the 90 billion Czech crowns
EU leaders had originally requested Prague commit to at a crisis summit in
Brussels last month. More
Defence minister wants Czech troops to stay in Afghanistan until 2014
Czech troops may stay in Afghanistan until the end of 2014. Defence
Minister Alexandr Vondra, who is in the United States on a working visit,
said he would ask the Czech Parliament to extend their mandate by another
24 months, as their current mandate will expire by the end of the year.
However, the opposition has criticized Mr Vondra for announcing his plans
without a prior debate in the lower house. More
Nadal denies Berdych in tough four-setter at Australian Open
Men’s World No. 7 Tomáš Berdych had been having a good season so far
– recently wining, for example, the Hopman Cup in Australia with
women’s player Petra Kvitová; but on Tuesday he faced an even bigger
challenge: trying to get past Spain’s Rafael Nadal at the Australian Open
to reach his first-ever semi-final at the Grand Slam tournament. More
A heart from melted candles: an unusual memorial for late Czech president Václav Havel
After the death of the late Czech president Václav Havel, thousands of
people laid down wreaths and lit candles at impromptu memorial sites across
the country. Now, two artists have decided to recycle those candles for an
unusual memorial – a wax heart. Dozens of volunteers are currently
working on the “A heart for Havel” initiative at a Prague cultural
center. More
Students, university professors protest against higher education system reforms
Thursday saw protests by students and teachers from Prague’s Charles
University in the face of the government’s planned higher education act.
Critics charge that changes planned in the legislation will choke academic
freedom in favour of business and politics. More
+1
+10
+100
