Current Affairs | All stories

General elections will be held in the Czech Republic on the last weekend of May, the country’s president, Václav Klaus, announced on Friday. The dates are the latest possible on which the elections could have been held. While Mr Klaus had previously hinted at those dates, their confirmation will help party bosses plan their campaigns.

Vratislav Brabenec is a member of the band The Plastic People of the Universe, a thorn in the side of Czechoslovakia’s communist regime. But Mr Brabenec is also the author of a book of stories for children, called The Centre of the World is Everywhere, which is now also available in an English translation.

The business freesheet E15 has reported that the Czech Transport Ministry is looking at ways to increase acceptable limits of noise pollution in order to build new roads without breaking health and safety laws. So far the government ministries allegedly examining the proposals have denied knowledge of them, but noise pollution campaigners are already ringing the alarm bells.

The common cuckoo has just been named Bird of the Year 2010 by the Czech Society for Ornithology. One of the aims of the annual award is to draw attention to the problems faced by particular species of birds. In the case of the cuckoo, ornithologists report a baffling fall in numbers over the last few decades.

The Czech Airline Pilots Association has revealed a worrying development in the Czech Republic: the escalation of laser device attacks from the ground on civilian planes. In 2009, unknown perpetrators aimed Level 3 lasers at airplane windscreens, temporarily blinding pilots for at least for a couple of seconds. Devices capable of such mischief, which can cause permanent eye damage, are apparently readily available without restrictions, one reason the pilots are seeking tougher legislation.

A Czech Radio reporter and colleague from the Los Angeles Times in a joint interview have helped uncover evidence which could prove crucial in the current trial of John Demjanjuk, a man accused of involvement in Nazi death camp crimes. The evidence – the testimony of a witness – could help pin Demjanjuk down as a guard who participated in the murder of thousands of Jews at an infamous Polish camp.

Concerns about employee privacy in the Czech Republic are on the rise. A freshly released survey suggests that three quarters of all Czech companies track the web pages that their employees visit. And the minister for minorities and human rights recently proposed a crack-down on employers who don’t respect the privacy of their staff. How serious is the situation?

Czech scientists working in Mozambique have discovered a new species of fish that inhabits the rain pools of the savannah. Types of tiny killifish are found in many parts of the world, but what is unique to Nothobranchius Kadleci - named after the well-known Brno ichthyologist Jaroslav Kadlec - is its very short lifespan of only four months. The team from the Institute of Vertebrate Biology in Brno believe that the new discovery may eventually provide important insights into the understanding of aging, even in humans. I spoke to the institute’s

Czech state controlled energy giant ČEZ is at the centre of a scandal over shocking images relating to a special division for dealing with electricity theft. Images have shown training exercises where members of the company’s special squad look like paramilitary commandoes. Another film was taken by employees after a customer suspected of stealing committed suicide.

Eva Pilarová, one of the country’s best known jazz singers, is currently celebrating a remarkable 50 years on the stage. Pilarová, whose career is closely linked to the legendary Semafor Theatre, will mark the anniversary with a series of concerts across the Czech Republic, accompanied by a number of younger musicians.