Current Affairs | All stories

Earlier this year Prague Mayor Pavel Bem became just the tenth Czech in history to conquer Mount Everest, at 8,848 metres the world’s highest peak. Mr Bem – an experienced alpinist – set his sights on the mountain despite criticism at home for taking leave of absence. But he didn’t allow himself to be deterred and, ultimately, he succeeded: on May 18th he and two Sherpas, who were part of a six-man team, reached the summit. The moment, and many others from the journey, resulted in a 27-minute film as well as coffee table-sized book released by Bem

Vaclav Havel probably has a higher profile at the moment than at any time since he stepped down as Czech president almost five years ago. His first play in two decades has been published in book form, ahead of its planned stage premiere in spring. And this week has seen the opening of an exhibition entitled Vaclav Havel – Czech Myth, which is a kind of taster for a planned US style presidential library.

The Czech defence minister, Vlasta Parkanova, said on Tuesday that the Czech government had decided to withdraw from a deal to buy armoured personnel carriers from an Austrian arms producer. It is not just any contract, but – at over a billion US dollars – one of the biggest in the history of the Czech Army.

When the Czech Republic enters the Schengen zone on December 21, it will bring in an era of passport-free travel for Czechs abroad. But not everyone is looking forward to the change. Entry to the Schengen zone could spell trouble for the sizeable number of Americans who have, up until now, been living and working in Prague without a visa.

The Czech Republic has won a bid with the International Basketball Federation to host the tournament of the 2010 World Championship in women’s basketball. The event will take place in September and October 2010 in Brno and Ostrava and as the host, the Czech national women’s basketball team will automatically qualify.

The future of Kosovo has been exercising minds throughout Europe in recent weeks, and now the UN deadline for a settlement on the Serbian province has expired, talks have acquired a new urgency. Leaders of the so-called Visegrad Four group - the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland and Hungary – discussed Kosovo this weekend ahead of a key European Union summit on the problem.

The Forum 50 % civic group promoting women’s participation in public life and politics has launched a new online learning project entitled “Otevrena Univerzita” or “Open University”. One of the principal aims of the projects is to improve the political culture in the Czech Republic and make it more attractive for women politicians. Milus Kotisova is one of the people behind the project.

Packed parking lots, packed stores: that’s the situation in most Prague shopping malls these days in the final weeks before Christmas. According to reports, Czechs are spending more than ever: economists are predicting that this holiday season Czechs will plonk down record amounts, a rise in the billions.

A small chartered plane flying from the Czech Republic to Kiev crashed near the Ukrainian capital on Sunday just five minutes away from its destination. It was carrying five people – all of them Czech nationals – and everyone on board was killed.

The film Once was made on a budget of 160,000 USD and has been one of the surprise hits of 2007. In America alone, it has taken over 10 million dollars at the box-office. The tale of an Irish busker and the relationship he forges with a Czech immigrant in Dublin has won critical acclaim – and now a couple of Grammy nominations as well for its soundtrack. Marketa Irglova, the Czech female lead who composed some of the songs, stands the chance of becoming the nation’s first ever pop musician to win such a prestigious award.