Section Archive Current Affairs
Czechs mark 70th anniversary of the destruction of Lidice
On Sunday Czechs marked the 70th anniversary one of the biggest tragedies
in the country’s history the extermination of Lidice village, the
Nazis’ brutal revenge for the assassination of Reinhard Heydrich, the
Nazi governor of Bohemia and Moravia. The unprecedented massacre of
civilians, followed just two weeks later by the razing to the ground of a
second village, Ležáky, opened the eyes of the international community to
the true nature of the regime and to this day remains one of the most
powerful mementos of WWII. More
Czech soccer star upbeat about national squad’s EURO 2012 chances
Friday night at 8:45 p.m., the Czech national team meets Russia, its first
opponent in the group stage of the EURO 2012 soccer championships, hosted
by Poland and the Ukraine. The Czechs will also be playing Greece and
Poland in the group stage. Ahead of the kick-off, we spoke to Czech soccer
star Pavlína Ščasná-Nováková, who previously has played with FC
Bayern Munich as well as other international teams, about the Czechs’
chances, the health of the squad’s star players and the strengths of the
national team. More
Ombudsman says discrimination of Romany children in Czech education system persists
The Czech government has in the past few years repeatedly been criticized
by international bodies for discrimination of Romany children in the Czech
education system. Now the Ombudsman’s office has confirmed what the
European Commission and the European Court of Human Rights have said all
along – that the much criticized practice of sending Romany children to
schools for children with learning, mental or physical disabilities
persists on a broad scale. More
Czech Foreign Ministry warns against all travel to Sinai
The Czech Foreign Ministry has issued a strong warning against all travel
to the Sinai Peninsula. Quoting intelligence reports, the ministry warns of
a heightened risk of terrorism across the area including the popular
resorts of Sharm-El-Sheikh and Dahab. But Czech travel agencies have
slammed the warning which they say is too vague. More
MP David Rath fails to convince lower house of his innocence
The Czech Parliament had not seen the like of it – a member of
Parliament, held in police custody on corruption charges, was escorted to
the lower house where he tried to convince his fellow MPs of his innocence.
Such was the scene that unfolded in the Czech Chamber of Deputies on
Tuesday when MP David Rath accused everyone from the interior minister to
the police and prosecutors from destroying his career. But Mr Rath’s
speech failed to impress his colleagues who handed him over for
prosecution. More
Exhibition shows diverse work and fortunes of Josef Čapek
If artist Josef Čapek is less known to non-Czechs than his younger brother
Karel, the writer, that’s all the more reason to visit the new exhibition
dedicated to his life and work at the National Library. The show, which
opens on Wednesday, commemorates the 125th birthday of the jack of all
artistic trades, and recalls the very different fortunes and pursuits of
his professional life. More
Protesters call on Czech government to sever diplomatic ties with Syria
On Tuesday, protesters from the initiative “For a Free Syria” gathered
in front of the Czech government’s headquarters. Demonstrators are
demanding that the Czech Republic sever all diplomatic ties with Syria, as
many other European nations have already done. However, it seems unlikely
that the Foreign Ministry will take this step. More
Students in survey perceive Roma to be biggest ‘problem’
A study conducted by the non-governmental organisation People in Need,
together with Millward Brown, gauging how Czech secondary school students
view Czech society and the world around them, has produced some worrying
results. Along with the ‘usual’ dissatisfaction over issues such as
poor governance (highlighted in a previous study in 2009) the majority of
1,100 students queried now perceived the number one issue as problems with
the Roma minority – citing an alleged unwillingness on their part to
work, improve in their studies and so on. More
Selecting one’s surgeon is now possible for a set price
It’s a revolution in Czech health care: as of this month some Czech
hospitals are enabling patients to be treated by the surgeon or specialist
of their choice on condition that they are prepared to pay extra for his or
her services. While the change has only legalized a practice that’s been
around for years, critics say it smacks of discrimination. More
Foreign Ministry honours 12 people for promoting good name of Czech Republic
Czech Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg on Friday presented the 16th
annual Gratias Agit awards in recognition of those who promote the good
name of the Czech Republic abroad. This year’s 12 laureates of the prize
include former figure-skating champion Ája Vrzáňová, UK-based architect
Eva Jiřičná, composer Antonín Tučapský, and others. More
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