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Now, just what exactly do we mean when we say MADE IN THE CZECH REPUBLIC? This has been the problem facing the judges of the Czech Quality Awards, which are presented annually to large and small producers, allowing the winners to display the prestigious 'Czech-Made' symbol. Problem is that 'Czech-Made' is becoming harder and harder to define, as found out when he spoke Vladimir Straka, an advisor for the Czech Quality Awards.

A 12-year-old boy miraculously escaped death last week when a hunter shot at him, having confused him for a wild boar. Fortunately, he only hit the sled the boy was using at the time. But this is not the first case where hunters have opened fire on other people, as reports:

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The first few days of 2001 have not been good ones on the Czech roads, both for drivers and pedestrians. The latest bout of freezing cold weather to hit the country has led to hundreds of car accidents and two deaths since Tuesday. If this were not bad enough, the situation has been further compounded by a new highway law, which came into effect on January 1st. The new law includes a ban on the use of mobile phones whilst driving, unless drivers use headphones, and all children must wear seatbelts, no matter where they sit in cars. One of the biggest changes included in the new law is that for the first time Czech pedestrians now have the right of way at pedestrian crossings. Unfortunately, according to reports in the Czech press, this new law has been widely ignored. Drivers continuing to use mobile phones without headphones, and children are still not being strapped in. There have also been widespread reports that Czech drivers are still refusing to stop for people at pedestrian crossings. Earlier on, went out to find out if Czech drivers really are aware that pedestrians now have the right of way:

The dramatic events around Czech TV have been drawing attention beyond the Czech Republic's borders. has been finding out how the media in some other post-communist countries have been evaluating the situation. She started by talking with Oxana Ferjencikova from Slovak radio:

While Czechs of all ages were celebrating the coming of the New Year on squares, at parties - even in maternity wards, as we've just heard - a handful of them were inside the Czech television newsroom, practically cut off from the world, continuing what they see as a struggle to keep Czech public TV independent of political influence, following the controversial appointment of Jiri Hodac as the network's new director. RP's managed to visit the protesting journalists and speak to one of their number, Michal Kubal, who with his colleagues has now

As in the rest of the world, hundreds of thousands people in the Czech Republic went out into the streets, to welcome the first day of the New Millennium. While in Prague and Brno the celebrations were relatively calm, in the town of Olomouc and in several other places, several people were badly injured. reports:

2000 Panel discussion - mulls over the year 2000 with commentators Vaclav Zak, Jiri Pehe and Vaclav Pinkava.

Hello and welcome to Radio Prague. As we've almost reached the end of the year 2000, today's programme is devoted to a review of the events that made the headlines this year. and join me in the studio for a round-up of the big stories of 2000.

The crisis over Czech Television continues. Thousands of people gathered once again outside the news building on Thursday evening, the latest in a series of demonstrations against the appointment of General Director Jiri Hodac. was there, and brings back this report: