Current Affairs | All stories

Thanks to incentives, film projects realised in the Czech Republic brought in around USD 390 million to the economy last year, a record number that is double the amount raised in 2018, according to the Czech Film Fund. Aside from a return of part of their investment, producers also benefit from world-class film crews, a large array of well-preserved architecture and marked weather seasons.

Assisted reproduction clinics in the Czech Republic have an excellent reputation and a long line of clients from at home and abroad. Now they have come under fire from male fertility specialists who claim that what was meant to be a last resort has become a lucrative business.

A group of activists protested against the practice of Airbnb at the weekend, holding a three-day-long brainstorm on how to tackle the phenomenon of short-term letting platforms which many believe is hollowing out organic neighbourhoods in the centre. They were joined by Prague Mayor Zdeněk Hřib, who revealed details about a new City Hall plan for tougher regulations.

Czech scientists have invented a new kind of bioplastic which they say decomposes remarkably fast– and is highly resistant to heat. Researchers from Tomáš Baťa University in Zlín say the product could be brought to market within two years. It could represent a significant advance in global efforts to eventually replace single-use plastic waste.

Czech archaeologists have announced a significant discovery in South Moravia, on what used to be the territory of Great Moravia. Working at a location in Staré Město near the town of Uherské Hradiště, they unearthed seven graves containing skeletal remains and jewellery dating back to the second half of the ninth century.

Exactly 75 years ago, on Valentine’s Day 1945 two confused bomber groups of the USAF accidentally bombed Prague. The raid killed hundreds of Czechs and left over a thousand wounded, while also damaging a number of the capital’s historic buildings. It was subsequently used in Nazi and Communist propaganda and remains a painful memory to this day.

A new film called The Trap, which is due to premiere on Czech Television this Sunday, tells the tragic fate of the great Czech film and theatre actress Jiřina Štepničková who fell into a trap set by the communist secret police in the 1950s and was sentenced to 15 years in jail for attempting to flee the country with her four-year-old son. The communist hysteria surrounding the process was so great that many of Štepničková’s colleague actors and actresses signed a petition for her to be put to death for treason.

Czech MPs have voted to make Stanislav Křeček the country’s next ombudsman. Mr. Křeček, who is 81, is a divisive choice for the post. Critics say his election will undermine the institution of ombudsman but supporters argue he will return it to its original mission.

The Council of Europe is calling on the Czech Republic to boost efforts to combat human trafficking. While noting significant progress in the area, it says action is needed especially in terms of identifying, protecting and compensating victims, as well as investigating and prosecuting traffickers.

A Czech start-up called PromethistAI is developing a programme that would help people train their memory and improve their cognitive skills. The application, provisionally called Jarmila, is currently being tested on a group of patients suffering from various cognitive impairments. I spoke to Ondřej Hrách, one of the members of the development team, to find out more details about the ambitious project: