Section Archive Current Affairs
Exhibition on Heydrich assassination opens in Israeli Parliament
On occasion of the 70-year-anniversary of the Heydrich assassination, an
exhibition on the subject has opened in Israel’s Parliament, the Knesset.
While the assassination of Reinhard Heydrich is one of the most significant
events in modern Czech history, the story of how the governor of the
occupied Czech lands was killed is relatively unknown in Israel – despite
the fact that Heydrich was one of the main architects behind the Final
Solution. More
David Skilling: growing up with all things Czech was natural
A conference and an exhibition this week commemorate the 100th anniversary
of the birth of the late Professor Gordon Skilling, a leading scholar on
modern Czech and Slovak history. Gordon Skilling’s life-long interest in
Central Europe began before WWII when he came to Prague to do research for
his dissertation, a time he also briefly worked for Radio Prague. We spoke
to Gordon Skilling’s son David who is in Prague for the events, and asked
him what it was like to be growing up surrounded by all things Czech. More
Head of government energy commission: Share of nuclear power in Czech Republic’s energy mix should grow to about 50 percent
Václav Pačes, the head of a government-appointed energy commission, has
presented his suggestions for the future energy policy of the Czech
Republic. Among them is an increase in the share of nuclear power in the
country’s energy mix of to up to 50 percent over the next few decades. We
spoke to Chris Johnstone, who has been covering the Czech energy market
extensively for many years, about the significance of Mr Pačes’s
proposals, the future of nuclear power and some of the challenges that lie
ahead. More
Government approves bill banning bearer shares
The government of Petr Nečas approved a bill that will regulate bearer
shares and allow authorities to identify their owners. If passed by
Parliament, the anti-corruption measure, which was announced by Deputy
Prime Minister Karolína Peake on Wednesday, will force companies to
register bearer shares in a central depository kept by the stock exchange,
or deposit them with banks. More
World Roma festival begins in Prague
They call it the biggest Roma culture festival in the world, and it’s
back in Prague for the 14th year. The Khamoro, or World Roma Festival,
means nine days of some of the best gypsy bands from all corners of Europe,
but also a wide array of cultural and sociological events all aimed at
promoting unity and understanding. More
Demonstrators hold protest happenings in front of Education and Culture ministries
Demonstrators gathered outside of two government ministries on Tuesday to
protest against government reforms and austerity measures. The all-day
happening (which included outdoor concerts, theatre and public debate) was
organised by student activists and union reps behind the Stop the
Government movement. Already the event, the first of five planned over the
next two weeks, has drawn criticism from the prime minister. More
Czechs mark 70th anniversary of Heydrich assassination
A series of events held in Prague and elsewhere over the weekend marked the
70th anniversary of the assassination of Reinhard Heydrich, a top ranking
Nazi official and the ruler of the occupied Czech lands. While dozens of
people came to see a reconstruction of the assassination, a mock
concentration camp was erected in central Prague in the memory of the
victims of Nazi retaliation. More
Billboard vandal temporarily released from prison
A former public transport worker – found guilty of defacing public
property – was released from prison on Thursday, 67 days short of his
100-day sentence. The justice minister had filed a complaint in the man’s
favour in the hope that the court would determine once and for all whether
defacing a campaign poster constitutes a crime or just a misdemeanour. His
release may only be temporary, pending the decision. More
Prague Food Festival to inspire Czechs to think global, eat local
On Friday, the magnificent Prague Castle gardens will open to host the
annual Prague Food Festival – a three-day celebration of fine dining and
healthy eating. Foodies from Prague and elsewhere will converge at the
venue to sample the delicacies prepared by three dozen classy restaurants
and enjoy the festival’s varied accompanying programme. More
Roma attack on teen, which brought thousands into the streets, never happened
Police in the South Moravian town of Břeclav have called off an
investigation into three Roma who allegedly beat up a 15-year-old boy, in
an incident that raised racial tensions around the country. The boy has
confessed that the attack never took place, he injured himself in a fall,
and the mass demonstrations that followed now look like just another sign
of widespread prejudice against the Roma minority. More
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