In Focus | All stories

Detergents, painkillers and contraceptives are things we use daily. What most of us don’t realize is that all of them contribute to the presence of toxins in our rivers and even drinking water. A special research team at Brno’s Masaryk University is now working to ascertain what toxins pass through water treatment plants and how they could be more effectively eliminated. I spoke to the head of the team prof. Luděk Bláha about the problems involved.

A memorandum, released by the advocacy group Amnesty International last week, calls on the Czech Foreign Ministry to improve the process of approving arms deals for local weapons producers. The analysis says that more than 38% of the total weapons exports in 2012 went to countries where human rights are not respected and where the political systems are barely democratic. This, the organization claims, hurts the positive image of the Czech Republic abroad and contributes to atrocities and violence perpetrated in certain countries. RP spoke to Andor

The non-profit organization Rytmus, which focuses its work on education for children with mental and learning disabilities, has completed a year-long project which illustrated in practical terms what would need to be done for all students, no matter their mental, physical or social abilities, to be able to attend regular schools. Currently in the Czech Republic, many Roma children and most students with disabilities are relegated to so-called special schools.

This weekend sees the return of the International Prague Car Festival – a two-day celebration at Prague’s Letňany of tuning, racing and classic cars. Fans of racing or motorsport in the capital should definitely consider a visit. On view will be tricked out Škodas, vintage American vehicles, pretty models and much more.

Recently, the Czech insurance company Česká pojištovna announced the results of a curious study monitoring bike theft. In the project, the firm left bikes unlocked in 14 different towns and cities and watched how look it would take before they were stolen.

In this edition of In Focus: extreme high diver Michal Navrátil talks about his sport including his recent trademark jump at the Worlds. If you are afraid of heights, understand that the professional regularly dives from 27 metres, reaching a velocity of 90 kilometres per hour when he breaks the water. Don’t even think about trying anything like this unless you’ve had years of training!

I.P. Pavlova is known as one of the busiest areas in Prague – a metro station, crossroads of a number of key tram routes, and two arteries of the one of central Prague freeway the Magistrála, all make it a loud, dusty and fairly unfriendly location, especially for pedestrians. The Prague-based Centre for Central European Architecture decided to bring this place alive for three weeks, starting this past Saturday, with a multi-genre event called Open Stage I.P. Pavlova.

In the recent decades, Fanta’s café at Prague’s central railroad station has been more of a mythical place, known mostly to a select few. Visitors to the capital who happened to find out about its existence had quite a bit of trouble finding their way out of the communist station up into its oldest, and arguably most beautiful parts. The search, though, is rewarding. The tall, ornate dome from early twentieth century is breathtaking, especially after the not-so-modern main part of the station with its low ceilings and until recently notoriously

A group of independent filmmakers and animators, headed by producer Mirek Veselý, is nearing completing of a series of animated shorts entitled Old Prague Legends. As the name suggests, the series focuses on some of the city’s oldest tales, either famous or almost forgotten.

A month ago, the Czech Republic was hit by heavy floods; then, there was a police raid at the Office of the Government; then, the government collapsed and a new prime minister was named. At around the same time, engineers from three Czech firms tested a new flying bike. Now there’s a story. Radio Prague has more on the F-bike in this week’s In Focus.