Current Affairs | All stories

International Children's Day, June 1st, saw the opening of the first ever baby box in the Czech Republic, where mothers can give up unwanted babies anonymously. It was installed at a private clinic in Prague, an event that was preceded by heated debate about the moral aspect of this practice.

After the French "Non" to the EU Constitution, Europe heard a resounding "Nee" from the Netherlands on Wednesday. With Europe still reeling from the shock, Czech politicians, both champions and opponents of the constitution, are sticking firmly to their views.

Prague in 1910: thousands of residents from the city and its surrounding areas flock to the popular recreation spot Zlute Lazne, or the Yellow Spa. The resort, which gained its name simply because it had a yellow fence, was a haven and hide away from the bustling streets of the thriving city. But forty years of Communist rule and the devastating floods of 2002 left the 3.5 hectares of once green land stretching along the embankment of the River Vltava in very poor condition. On Wednesday, the newly reconstructed Yellow Spa finally re-opened its

Even though there were many Czechs who suffered appallingly during the Second World War - whether it was in concentration camps or as forced labour - most of them have only recently began to receive any kind of compensation. Due to the tense relations between West Germany and the countries of the Eastern Bloc, for decades there was little hope of reaching agreement. It was not until 2001 that the German government begun compensating victims from the Czech Republic. This process is now complete, and the results were presented at a press conference

A few years ago the well-known Czech artist David Cerny made headlines when he produced a t-shirt showing a spiky finger flipping the Communist Party the bird. Now a design studio - alarmed by growing support for the party - has got a similar idea, commissioning designers around the country to take part in a competition protesting against growing public support for the communists. Titled "De-communisation" the project has attracted a lot of attention so far.

The Czech president Vaclav Klaus has just signed a new law making it easier for majority owners of companies to acquire the shares of small shareholders. Ironically Mr Klaus himself is the reason why the Czech Republic has such a large number of small shareholders in the first place. In the early 1990s, when still finance minister, it was Mr Klaus who introduced an unprecedented voucher privatization scheme. Thousands of companies were privatised after four decades of communism, by virtually giving away shares to citizens. At the time the scheme

The internationally acclaimed sitar player Anoushka Shankar, the daughter of the legendary Indian sitar player and composer Ravi Shankar, is one of the musicians performing at this year's 60th Prague Spring Music Festival. On Thursday, Anoushka will play her father's Concerto for Sitar and Orchestra No. 1, alongside the Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra.

At the weekend the Czech Republic saw its first ever Den boubelek - or Chubbies' Day - dedicated to helping people lose weight. Organised by the so-called Boubelka Club and health professionals, the day was meant to raise awareness and try to encourage people with weight problems to make a new start. Temporary walk-in sites were opened at 12 different areas throughout the country.

The dramatic outcome of the French referendum on the European constitution remains the big headline in the Czech Republic. Politicians, political commentators and editorial writers disagree about what the vote means for this country, but all agree that the French "No" will have major repercussions across the continent. While the Czech government has expressed disappointment, and is trying to salvage hope from the charred remains of the constitution project, one public figure in this country has responded with unconcealed delight - that's President

Every year we report from Khamoro the World Roma Festival, when top international Gypsy musicians gather in Prague. Their performances are always received with great enthusiasm. This year's 7th festival was no exception, and has been hailed as a great success.