Talking Point | All stories

Not that long ago in the Czech Republic, parents with young children - babies or toddlers - were often hard-pressed to find venues catering specifically to their needs, but more and more that situation has changed. Arguably, more services are now available than ever – from restaurants offering children’s corners to centres organising all manner of activities for toddlers.

Two former foreign employees of the Prague-based, US broadcaster RFE/RL are fighting a legal battle against their former employer, accusing the radio station of discrimination. The argument is related to their contracts with the radio station, and the way the Croatian and Armenian nationals were fired. They claim that they and hundreds of other RFE Prague-based employees from non EU countries find themselves in a legal vacuum. But it seems that they fell into a gap in the system – which in the meantime has been fixed.

If you are looking for somewhere for Christian worship in Prague, there are several places where you can attend regular Sunday services in English. One thriving English-speaking Christian community is the Anglican congregation, which meets every Sunday at St Clement’s Church in the Old Town. Services are well-attended, but in the twenty years since the fall of communism, the Anglican chaplaincy has not always had a smooth ride, and for the second time in just over a decade its future is uncertain.

In 2006 the Czech Republic took four medals at the Winter Olympic Games in Turin. This year the Czech team is the biggest, and perhaps the strongest, in history. So what can the Czechs hope to achieve at the Winter Olympics in Vancouver, which get underway on February 12?

One of the most important documents concerning the future of Prague is the rather unimaginatively named “Development Plan”. Since 1999, the plan has been the key public document laying out the broad rules for what can be built where in the city and its suburbs. For investors, developers, property owners and Prague’s 57 local authorities, the plan outlines development and environmental priorities: in terms of land-use, new building and the transport infrastructure. Since the plan was first drawn up in the early days after the fall of communism,

In this week’s Talking Point we examine the future of shortwave broadcasting. Shortwave has undoubtedly been on the retreat in developed countries, forced to share its former primacy with upstart mediums such as the internet and satellite radio. But are its days numbered even in the developing world?

The number of HIV cases in the Czech Republic has been steadily rising, and 2009 could see the biggest jump in HIV infection in the country’s history. The Czech health authorities say that the surge is fuelled by ignorance and complacency within high-risk groups. But critics point out that following a recent overhaul of the government’s HIV/AIDS prevention programme, the situation has fast deteriorated.

The Czech education system has taken many strides in the last 20 years since the fall of Communism but still shows some of the scars. Recent governments and the Ministry of Education have stressed education as the best route for helping the country compete in the future. But they have been accused of paying just lip service to the required reforms.

This month, Czechs celebrate 20 years since the Velvet Revolution that overthrew the communist regime in their country. The fall of communism changed practically all aspects of life, including health care. Radio Prague finds out about the improvement and challenges of the Czech health care system two decades after the fall of communism.

The small patch of green outside Malostranská metro station in the centre of Prague has been hosting a bizarre outdoor display this month. Besides a monument to Czech WWII resistance fighters that was installed there in 2006, two new temporary memorials have been added recently to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Velvet Revolution. A wooden watchtower from a communist-era labour camp was raised there a couple of weeks ago and this past Sunday saw the unveiling of a most bizarre sculpture...