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The Social Democrat MP Jozef Kubinyi was appointed as new Health Minister on Wednesday. He replaced his party colleague, Marie Souckova, who was sacked earlier this week for failing to produce a sound reform plan for the health sector. Minister Kubinyi takes over at a difficult time. The health care system is heavily indebted and the parties of the ruling coalition differ in their views as to how to bring more money into it.

The hostage crisis in Iraq continues, with several dozen foreign nationals still being held by militants, but three Czech journalists, held since last Sunday, had reason to celebrate on Friday, as they were suddenly and unexpectedly released. David Vaughan reports.

This week the Czech Republic's candidate for a seat on the European Commission in Brussels, Pavel Telicka, was put through one final grilling before taking up the post. Mr Telicka was a last-minute choice for Czech Commissioner, after embarrassment and confusion, when the government's initial choice, the former Environment Minister, Milos Kuzvart, suddenly and unexpectedly withdrew his candidacy a few weeks ago. In the end the European Parliament's assessment of Mr Telicka's suitability for the post went fairly smoothly, but there were also a few

As part of its second phase of planned fiscal reforms the government has agreed on a draft bill proposing the stamping of liquor products in the Czech Republic. The method, the government says, will provide a means for quelling black market sales and cracking down on tax evasion. The question is will it be effective? As we now report not everyone thinks so.

Vaclav Klaus embarks on an official visit to China on 15 April. It's the first ever visit by a Czech head of state to Beijing since the 1989 Velvet Revolution. The trip is seen by many as a means of consolidating trade between the two countries, which has been booming in recent years. However, Mr Klaus's visit is not without controversy, as a number of organisations have called on the president to bring up the issue of China's poor human-rights record.

Last year, some five million people visited Prague Castle - a place that is not just the seat of the head of state but which also houses the Czech crown jewels, the St Vitus' treasury, and the remains of many Bohemian rulers and saints. However, until now, a mere visit to the complex has never been enough to learn about the lives of the people connected with its five-thousand-year history - the aristocrats, artists, alchemists, architects, scholars, tradesmen and servants. For two-and-a-half years, experts on the castle's history have worked on

With the war against terrorism at the forefront of public attention for many months there is a growing public debate on its various aspects - including one big question: is the media giving us a true picture of what is going on. Last week the Anglo-American College in Prague, in cooperation with the US embassy, organized a round table debate called "Truth and Consequences" to which it invited leading Czech and foreign war reporters. Charles Hood is director of Journalism at the Anglo-American College in Prague and Radio Prague asked him what he thought

Amidst all the hubbub surrounding the sacking of Health Minister Marie Souckova and the kidnapping of Czech journalists in Iraq, it may have gone unnoticed that the Czech National Security Council, which is headed by Interior Minister Stanislav Gross, met on Tuesday to discuss the measures that are in place to counter the potential threat of terrorist attacks in the Czech Republic.

For many professionals angry over the state of affairs in the health sector Tuesday's decision by Prime Minister Vladimir Spidla to recall his health minister, Marie Souckova, was one that was long overdue. The prime minister had long defended Mrs Souckova, but, as Jan Velinger reports, finally concluded on Tuesday it would be up to someone else to push through critical healthcare reforms.

There is growing concern over the plight of three Czech journalists who went missing in Iraq on Sunday and are believed to have been abducted by rebel Iraqi insurgents. Czech TV reporter Michal Kubal, cameraman Petr Klima and Czech Radio correspondent Vit Pohanka were last heard from on Sunday morning as they were preparing to leave Bagdad for Amman, Jordan to catch their flight home. The man who saw them last was an Iraqi taxi driver who had allegedly been hired to take them to Amman.