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Less than three months into its term in office, the Czech government has had to announce a series of unpopular measures. Due to the enormous cost of the recent floods it has had to go back on its promise to increase civil servants' wages by an average 13 %. Doctors, nurses, policemen, and firefighters are expected to get a 7 % wage increase at the most. Teachers can look forward to a pay rise that is two percent higher than that. Daniela Lazarova has the story:

An agreement between the Czech Republic and Thailand took effect on Tuesday, on the mutual exchange of prisoners serving time in the two countries' jails. For two Czechs convicted of smuggling drugs in Thailand, the new agreement is a ray of hope, offering them the chance of seeing their homeland again. Rob Cameron reports.

Defence Minister Jaroslav Tvrdik, who has introduced a number of reforms to the Czech armed forces over the last year, is not a happy man this week. A recent operation - ordered by the minister himself - revealed considerable shortcomings in procedures at Czech Army bases. Now, Mr Tvrdik says, heads will roll. Dita Asiedu has the story:

National Geographic is known all around the world: as a society and a magazine it is valued for its high standards of scientific writing and photography, as well as its relentless exploration of life on our planet. In a way, it has become the standard for all magazines of its type. Now, the original National Geographic is coming to the Czech Republic - the Czech edition is being launched this week after months of preparation. As Jan Velinger reports the launch has been highly anticipated.

Since the foundation of the Civic Democratic Party (ODS), its fate has been closely connected with its 61-year-old leader, Vaclav Klaus. After the party were left out in the cold after June's elections, some commentators said it was time for Mr Klaus (who was twice prime minister) to stand aside. He refused to do so, saying the party's future would be discussed at a conference in December. At the weekend, Evzen Tosenovsky became the first senior Civic Democrat to say he would stand against Mr Klaus. But who is Evzen Tosenovksy?

On the night of the 21st and early morning of the 22nd of September, all telephone lines in the Czech Republic were renumbered in order to bring the country's form of numbering in accordance with EU norms. A total of some 12 million fixed and mobile phone lines now have 9 digits. The zeros before all mobile phones have been dropped and those making national calls no longer need to bother with area codes. Dita Asiedu reports:

A court in Prague acquitted two former communist leaders on Monday after finding them not guilty of treason for their role in the 1968 Soviet-led invasion of Czechoslovakia. Former Prime Minister Jozef Lenart and ex-Communist Party leader Milous Jakes had gone on trial for attempting to legitimise the invasion by trying to create a hard-line "worker-peasant government", in violation of Czechoslovakia's constitution. Rob Cameron has more.

With about two months to go before the NATO summit in Prague gets underway, preparation is in full swing and delegates from member states have been coming together regularly to discuss the individual issues that will take priority at the summit. One such meeting took place in Prague at the end of last week. Dita Asiedu was there and came back with this report:

The victory of centre-right parties in the weekend's general election in Slovakia has boosted the country's chances of EU and NATO accession, although ex-Prime Minister Vladimir Meciar's Movement for Democratic Slovakia at the start of the campaign originally looked like it would have a chance of retaking power - Meciar eventually gained 19.5 percent of the vote. But even a majority in votes will not be enough for the isolated politician to form a coalition. Prior to the elections, EU and NATO diplomats had warned that the return by nationalist-oriented

If you live in a big city, you will know this sound all too well. With four bridges and many roads closed to car traffic and the metro only partly functioning, Prague now has to cope with a much tougher traffic situation than any time before. Several non-governmental and other organisations got together and for the 10th time in Czech history announced a car-free day, calling on people to leave their car at home on Friday and use public transport instead.