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On Monday evening between 8 and 10 p.m., many Prague citizens stood by their windows and stared at a mighty glow and masses of smoke carrying sparks southwards over the roofs of the Vinohrady residential quarter. One of those who watched Prague's most destructive fire of the past ten years was .

Premier Zeman's accusation that journalists are behind the so-called Operation Olovo, or lead in English, has journalists speaking up against the threat to freedom of the press in the Czech Republic. As regular listeners to Radio Prague know, Operation Olovo is an attempt at discrediting Petra Buzkova, deputy chairperson of Parliament and a prominent figure in the ruling Social Democratic Party. The document was first published in the daily Mlada Fronta Dnes, which said it had received it from sources within the premier's office. Now, months later,

Mobile Server, a company which focuses on publishing information on mobile phones, mobile technology, telecommunications and other related fields noted that in mid-August, more than 3 million people, about 30% of the Czech population use mobile phones. With this number on the rise, it won't be long before the Czech Republic reaches the same level as Western countries such as the USA and Britain. has more:

The U.N. Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination urged the Czech Republic on Friday to amend its laws to end discrimination against the Roma population. looks into the situation:

The environmental organisation Greenpeace has been stepping up its campaign against the nuclear power station at Temelin. Last week, they informed the Czech State Office for Nuclear Safety about serious safety flaws at Temelin. Czech President Vaclav Havel has thrown his weight in favour of the environmentalists and demanded a detailed report on Temelin's safety. However, the Nuclear Safety Office says it has not found anything wrong at the plant. reports.

The scandal surrounding Operation Olovo, a plan to discredit the deputy parliamentary speaker Petra Buzkova continues. At a press conference on Friday, Prime Minister Milos Zeman stated that an unnamed institution is behind the affair and followed this up on Saturday by filing charges against two reporters from the daily Mlada Fronta Dnes in connection with the case. has been following the story, and has the details:

More than a year has gone by since parliament passed a law giving any member of the public the right of access to information about what government institutions at every level are doing. Whether it's a question of central government decisions here in Prague, or the local town hall, each citizen has the right to request details of all official negotiations, decisions and other aspects of government work. So, what is the situation? Do Czechs get the information they want? looks into the matter:

For many years, life insurance was the poor relative among insurance packages in the Czech Republic. However, today, more and more people are taking out life insurance policies here. Why do Czechs suddenly feel the need for it? investigates:

Preparations for the annual session of the IMF and World Bank, which will be held in Prague in just a few weeks, are nearing completion. World Bank Vice President Mats Karlsson said on Thursday that the discussion on the IMF/WB annual meeting in Prague has recently turned from security measures to the topics on the meeting's agenda. More from :