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Egypt's famous necropolis Abusir, near Saqqara, has been called the site of forgotten kings- a complex of pyramids dating back to the Old Kingdom: some two thousand years BC. Today, four pyramids still stand above the rubble and the sand; in the surroundings lie hidden tombs of priests and private officials. These tombs are now seeing the light of day thanks to the Czech Institute of Egyptology, leading excavation and discovery in the area for the last 44 years. A new exhibition in Prague explores the extent of the Czech contribution and offers

During the Communist era there were over two and a half million political prisoners in Czechoslovakia. They were sent to both prisons and labour camps, often - especially in the 1950s - in the most appalling conditions. Fifteen years after the fall of Communism, the Czech government has finally decided to pay compensation to former political prisoners. Furthermore, it has reversed a previous decision and now wants to also compensate those who were imprisoned in the post-1968 period known as "normalization".

After the successful launch of the first Czech parliamentary satellite TV channel last week, one has to wonder when the electronic media in this country will move on to the next step - a news channel. Is Czech society ready for such a move, and could an all-news television or radio station survive in this country?

When Czechoslovakia's first communist president Klement Gottwald seized power in 1948, it paved the way for over 40 years of totalitarian rule in this country. Gottwald's presidency is associated with one of the darkest periods of Czechoslovak history, and his rule was characterised by show trials, political executions and labour camps. Tuesday marked the 108th anniversary of Gottwald's birth, and the Prague branch of the Communist Party, still one of the major political forces in the Czech Republic, organised a memorial gathering at Gottwald's

The government's commissioner for human rights, MP Svatopluk Karasek, raised a few eyebrows on Tuesday when he wore a tie bearing a strong anti-Communist Party message to the Chamber of Deputies. But it wasn't the first high-profile outing for the rude slogan.

The International Committee for Democracy in Cuba (ICDC), which was formed under the initiative of former Czech president Vaclav Havel, has just held an international forum in Costa Rica, at which participants signed what has been called the "San Jose Memorandum". Former Latin American presidents, politicians, and activists from Cuban human rights organisations came together to discuss the importance of Latin America joining in the promotion of human rights in Cuba.

Despite gradual changes in legislation, women on the Czech labour market still face a lot of challenges, especially if they have or want to start a family. Difficulties in balancing their personal and working life make many women give up their careers and cause employers to lose a lot of talented staff. Those companies in the Czech Republic that have decided to tackle this issue had a chance to show off their achievements this week in the country's first ever contest for the company with the best equal opportunities policy.

The disputed Presidential elections in Ukraine have sent ripples of concern around the world, with Europe and the United States backing opposition claims that the voting was marred by fraud. Czechs too are watching the developments with concern. Before the Second World War, part of today's Ukraine was Czechoslovak territory; in the days of the Czechoslovak federation, the country bordered on Ukraine and today there is a large Ukrainian community in Prague and other Czech cities, many working in the construction industry. For a Czech perspective

Although the Velvet Revolution has brought huge social changes, the gay and lesbian community in the Czech Republic still has a low profile. The Mezipatra film festival recently ended in Prague and is one of the most significant events celebrating gay and lesbian culture. In addition to films screened this year, there were also theatre performances, literary readings, photography and painting exhibitions and two festival parties. The first festival was held in 2000 and drew eight hundred viewers. Since then the popularity of the festival has exploded,

Two months ago, the governor of Baghdad narrowly escaped an assassination attempt, as a roadside bomb attack rocked his convoy, leaving two civilians dead. One week ago, Gov. Ali al-Haidri declared a 60-day state of emergency ahead of a major U.S.-Iraq military offensive against insurgents based in the city of Fallujah. This Friday, however, the Iraqi governor was in Prague to discuss plans -- and possible work for Czech engineering and construction firms -- for the reconstruction of the historic city of Baghdad.