Current Affairs | All stories

National elections in Germany are taking place on Sunday. With some predicting the far-right could gain a foothold in the Bundestag for the first time in the history of post-war Germany, the results could have repercussions across Europe, including for the neighbouring Czech Republic. I asked political analyst Jiří Pehe for his take on the election’s potential impact:

Popular Czech liquor known as ‘tuzemák’ has once again come under the spotlight from authorities in Brussels. According to a report by the European Food Safety Authority, the chemical used to create the artificial rum flavour can be carcinogenic. Agriculture Minister Marian Jurečka says that if Brussels decided to ban the chemical, he is ready to file for exemption so that its use can be continued.

Almost five decades after recording her trademark song, the soon to retire Marta Kubišová gets a little help from some friends on a new version.

Czech President Miloš Zeman was among the more than 70 heads of state or government to address the opening of annual General Debate of the United Nations General Assembly, which convened on September 19 and runs for one week.

The Czech world of science has just presented its biggest prizes with the major cash awards giving certainty to the winners leading internationally significant research.

The most successful tennis player in professional tennis and winner of a record 19 grand slams Roger Federer is in Prague, with the days counting down ahead of the first-ever Laver Cup. The tournament will pit Team Europe and Team World against each other, captained by tennis legends Bjorn Borg and John McEnroe. Understandably, neither side wants to lose.

Every day, approximately four Czechs die by their own hands, putting the suicide rate in the country above the EU and global average.

Friends recall writer Petr Šabach, whose stories became the basis for some of the best-loved Czech films of recent years and who died at the weekend.

A strict new foreigners’ law went into effect in August of this year despite protests from human rights organizations, NGOs working with migrants and the Czech Chamber of Commerce who all argue that it is extremely unfriendly to foreigners from non-EU member states. Now a Czech senator has decided to challenge the law in the Constitutional Court on the argument that it violates the country’s international commitments as well as its own constitution.

Czech video-blogger Karel Kovář was one of three young Europeans selected to hold a live interview with EU Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker on Thursday.