Current Affairs | All stories

The 8th International Book Fair opened at Prague's Vystaviste exhibition grounds on Thursday, giving close to 500 exhibitors from 28 countries the chance to present their latest publications. Dita Asiedu was at the opening.

Under Czech law, politicians have to declare their earnings and gifts every year. Some of them, including government ministers, still have not submitted their property declarations for the year 2000, even though the deadline was June last year. This year's deadline is fast approaching - has the prospect of next month's general elections led politicians to put their affairs in order?

Benjamin Kuras is a Czech author and broadcaster who has lived in England for almost 25 years. Mr Kuras has written over a dozen plays and several books, such as As Golems Go and Is There Life on Marx?. In recent years he has penned polemical articles for several newspapers and magazines here in the Czech Republic. On Tuesday I caught up with Benjamin Kuras after a public discussion in Prague - at which he was quizzed on a wide variety of political questions - and asked him if his articles tackled political issues.

For eighteen years now, May 9th has been celebrated as "Europe Day" in countries of the European Union. In 1950, against the background of the instability and the need to rebuild a shattered Europe, the French Foreign Minister Robert Schuman presented a declaration calling on France, Germany and other European countries to pool together their coal and steel production. The event is considered to have been the first step taken towards the creation of what is now the European Union. The Czech Republic joined the annual celebration of the diversity

The private library of Prague's most acclaimed literary son - Franz Kafka - returned to his home town this week, 78 years after his death. Nearly 1,000 volumes - including first editions and books which Kafka gave to his friends - were presented to Prague's Franz Kafka Society, as a gift from the German car manufacturer Porsche. Rob Cameron has more on this unique literary legacy.

On May 5th, 1945, Czechoslovak Radio issued a call for people to rise up against the Nazi occupiers. The fiercest fighting took place in Prague, where 1,700 Czechs lost their lives in the struggle for freedom. Rob Cameron and Olga Szantova look back at the liberation of Prague.

The Czech government has approved a merger of the Czech national power utility CEZ with eight regional power distribution companies in an effort to make CEZ more attractive for foreign investors and help the company survive tough competition on the European market. However, the opposition has severely criticised the decision, which they say is detrimental to Czech consumers.

On Monday activists from the environmental group Greenpeace staged a dramatic protest at the Spolana chemical works in Neratovice on the river Labe or Elbe, north of Prague. Greenpeace say the plant has contaminated the river's flood plain, and that there would be a disaster if a flood occurred. Two dozen activists from six countries took part in the protest.

The general elections which take place in the middle of next month will make history, as it is the first time that Czechs living abroad will be able to vote. For many years there were calls for Czechs living overseas to be given the right to participate in elections from abroad. However, now that legislation has finally been passed giving them this opportunity, only a tiny number have registered.

The role of Czech President is a largely symbolic one, and the head of state enjoys only limited powers to influence the political direction of the country. But the president does play a leading role immediately after the election, as it's he who decides which party will be the first to try and form a government, and it doesn't necessarily have to be the party that comes first. President Vaclav Havel reminded reporters of that fact on Friday, after meeting representatives of the opposition Coalition. It was a clear message to the major parties,