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The fourth conference in the Forum 2000 series, which brings together leading world figures and thinkers, officially got underway at Prague Castle on Sunday. The series of international conferences was conceived by Czech President Vaclav Havel and Nobel laureate Elie Weisel, and aims to identify and analyse the challenges facing mankind at the beginning of the new millennium. The focus of this year's conference is globalisation and its impact on culture and education. Globalisation was, unsurprisingly, mentioned quite a few times at the opening

Next week, the international Dance Theatre Festival opens in Prague, which will bring to the Czech capital dancers from six countries. The festival will be a unique chance to see what's going on on the international modern dance scene. This year's festival will feature two world premieres and there will also be workshops and discussions by visiting choreographers and dancers. spoke with the festival's artistic director, Lenka Flory:

That's what the experts say, but what about the public? What do the people in Prague think of the controversial launch and the blockades now paralysing the Czech-Austrian border? took to the streets to find out:

The rather cool relationship between the Czech Republic and its southern neighbour Austria has now reached freezing point following the launch on Monday of the Czech Republic's second nuclear power plant, Temelin. Border blockades by Austrian anti-nuclear activists have continued all week, and the Czech Foreign Ministry is now turning to the European Union to have the matter resolved. Austria has likewise attempted to draw the EU into the dispute, saying Temelin must be discussed during this weekend's Biarritz summit. But can the European Union

This week is National Library Week in the Czech Republic. looks at the current situation in Czech libraries.

Prime Minister Milos Zeman and Foreign Minister Jan Kavan paid a one-day official visit to London on Wednesday. The main item on their agenda was talks with Prime Minister Tony Blair, mainly to discuss preparations for the Czech Republic's membership of the European Union. reports:

Prague will soon be hosting the 24th Annual International Jazz Festival, one of Europe's better-known jazz fests. The Czech capital is world-renowned as a jazz-crazed city, and the festival is now a firm fixture on Prague's cultural calendar. reports:

Two Czech air force MiG-21 fighter planes crashed on Tuesday in Central Bohemia, killing both pilots. It was the latest in a series of accidents to hit the force, which has lost 16 planes in the past four years. has this report:

Austria has been the fiercest opponent of the Czech Republic's Temelin nuclear power plant, which was finally launched on Monday. Austrian Chancellor Wolfgang Schussel chose a visit to the Slovak capital Bratislava this week to criticise Prague's attitude to Austrian concerns over Temelin, saying Slovak-Austrian dialogue on the issue of nuclear power was far more constructive. But Czech-Austrian relations are almost identical now to Slovak-Austrian relations two years ago, when Vienna recalled its ambassador after Bratislava launched the first

The Czech Radio Symphony orchestra opened its new concert season on Tuesday with a concert in Prague's Rudolfinum hall. Performing with the orchestra were two singers from the United States, Esther Heideman and Jacalyn Kreitzer. spoke to them shortly before the concert: