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As in other countries in the region such as Slovakia and Hungary, the Czech Republic is on its way to having a completely professional army, after many years of relying on compulsory military service. The Czech Army has had to undergo a radical change of approach as it finds itself having to attract recruits for the first time.

Sir Anthony Kenny is one of Britain's most respected philosophers and author of works on such diverse subjects as Aristotle and the nature of freedom and power. A few days ago he was in Prague, to deliver a lecture about the nature of the European identity through the ages. But this certainly wasn't Sir Anthony's first visit to the city. He was among a number of Oxford lecturers who came to communist Czechoslovakia in the 70s and 80s, to take part in the now legendary underground "living-room seminars". David Vaughan caught up with him, and began

The three-party coalition government led by the centre-left Social Democrats is to resign on Wednesday. With the main opposition Civic Democrats riding high in the polls, how likely is it their party leadership will push for early elections?

This Tuesday, Rafael Kubelik, one of the country's most renowned 20th century conductors and composers, would have celebrated his 90th birthday. Born on June 29 1914, in the Central Bohemian village Bychory, Rafael Kubelik was the youngest of eight siblings - his father the famous Czech violin player and composer Jan Kubelik and his mother a Hungarian Countess.

Two years ago Vladimir Spidla's Social Democrats won parliamentary elections with just over 30 percent of the vote, keeping the party in power, and making them easily the strongest parliamentary force. But from the outset it was clear the new prime minister wouldn't have it easy. He opted for a coalition government built on the slimmest of majorities, rather than relying on minority rule with passive opposition support.

The Czech Prime Minister Vladimir Spidla announced his resignation on Saturday afternoon with an almost eerie calm. The agonies of his party, which has been the driving political force in the country for the last six years have been only too evident ever since their spectacular collapse in the European elections. But Saturday's resignation of Vladimir Spidla both as Prime Minister and party leader came as a shock.

Miiiilllllaaaaaaannn! Milan Baros on Sunday scored two brilliant goals in three minutes as the Czech Republic beat Denmark 3:0 at the European Football Championships. Baros is now the top scorer in the competition, with five goals in four games. Now he and his Czech team-mates face Greece in the semi-finals on Thursday.

A Swiss court has cleared the way for a group of Roma to sue the U.S. computer giant IBM for allegedly helping Nazi Germany track and identify victims for slaughter in concentration camps during World War II. The case could open the door to claims from Roma groups throughout Europe, including in the Czech Republic, where over 90 percent of the Romani population was killed during WW II.

The survival of the Czech governing coalition hangs in the balance. Its future existence depends upon the fate of one man -Prime Minister Vladimir Spidla who appears to be fighting a losing battle as he takes the blame for the party's humiliating defeat in the Euro elections. The power struggle within the governing Social Democrats has reached a head and all will be decided at a crucial meeting of the party's leadership on Saturday. Daniela Lazarova has been following the story and joins me now in the studio. So, Daniela could this be the end of

Everywhere you go these days you run across cows: cows grazing, cows resting or cows just standing there. The Cow Parade, which originated in Zurich in 1998 and which has since been at home in 18 cities around the world including New York, London and Brussels, is now in Prague. This is largely thanks to businessmen Serge Borenstein and Bessel Kok whose Prague-based company paid over 7.5 million crowns, just under 300,000 US dollars, to bring the project to the Czech Republic. Another 45 million was poured into the project by sponsors who are getting