Current Affairs | All stories

The Czech Republic's security apparatus has at times looked very rickety indeed. The latest revelations, about the country's security vetting agency, the National Security Office or NBU, will have come as no surprise. An internal inquiry into malpractice at the NBU unveiled severe shortcomings which could have jeopardised the country's national security.

Millions of people have admired it at the Uffizi Art Gallery in Florence. Now, Rembrandt's painting of an old man has acquired a new significance for Czechs. According to Ernst van de Wetering, a Dutch art specialist, the anonymous old man in the painting is almost certainly one of the most prominent figures in Czech history - the teacher of nations Jan Amos Comenius.

This week is a special one for the Czech military and Czechs remembering the events of the Second World War: Frantisek Perina celebrates his 95th birthday on April 8th. One of the most famous Czech fighter pilots, Frantisek Perina fought for his country in both France and England.

In the past few months the Czech Environment Ministry has been plagued by the problem of illegal waste imports into the Czech Republic. Since the beginning of the year an estimated 20 thousand tons of waste was brought in from Germany and just left lying in the open countryside or stored in a warehouse where it was often mysteriously set alight after the police started investigating. A decree which was introduced two weeks ago with the intention of curbing illegal waste imports has now had to be cancelled because it did more harm than good.

As the 'Charles IV: Emperor by the Grace of God' exhibition continues in Prague Castle, visitors to the city are already able to gain an impression of art and culture during the reign of Charles IV, one of the golden ages of Czech history. But what was everyday life in Prague really like under one of the most famous Czech emperors? This is a question which a new exhibition, accompanying the display of gothic works in Prague Castle, intends to answer.

The Sokol physical exercise organisation, founded in 1862 during the Czech national revival, is one of the oldest associations of its type in the world. Plans have just been announced for the 14th Vsesokolsky Slet (All-Sokol Meeting), a gigantic gathering which takes place every six years. Eighteen thousand people are due to take part in the 2006 Slet, which is being held in the first week of July at the Evzen Rosicky stadium at Prague's Strahov. The modern era of Sokol began with its revival after the fall of communism; I spoke to the organisation's

Problems in the Czech health care sector have been discussed for years. The sector, currently headed by the 12th minister in just 16 years, has been plagued by a chronic lack of finances, resulting in late payments to doctors from indebted health insurance companies, among other things. Experts are now raising their voices that such an unstable environment is fertile soil for corruption.

Flood waters in the Czech Republic are slowly but surely receding and though some areas are still underwater, the focus has now switched from crisis management, to rebuilding and reconstruction efforts. With thousands of people having been evacuated and dozens of municipalities inundated, the cost of returning to normal life is bound to be substantial. Where the money will come from and where it will go is something that Radio Prague's Yon Pulkrabek looked into. He joins us in the studio now.

An international panel of academics and politicians met in the Czech Senate on Tuesday to discuss the mass killings of Armenian civilians in the Ottoman Empire between 1915 and 1917, which Armenia wants recognised as genocide. The parliaments of some twenty countries have passed resolutions to this effect - and several Czech politicians want the Czech parliament to do the same. Among them is the man who organised the conference, Senator Jaromir Stetina.

The past few months have seen very positive economic news coming out of the Czech Republic. Not long ago, Radio Prague told you about record growth of GDP. Recently, the rating agency Moody's improved its A1 OUTLOOK of foreign and domestic currency ratings from stable to positive. Also, the Czech crown has strengthened against both the dollar and the euro recently while state debt has remained low and the trade balance ran a high surplus.