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Ask a few Czechs where they are likely to be spending the end of the year and many will give you the same answer - at their country cottage. The tradition of country cottages stretches back over half a century and today it is hard to find a family which does not own one or have access to one through family and friends. Although sociologists predicted that the fall of communism would bring about a radical change, country cottages remain an important part in people's lives.

The Czech media are full of it - another billionaire wanted by the authorities has left the country. Earlier this year businessman Radovan Krejcir escaped from his villa while it was being searched by the police and is now enjoying the tropical climate of the Seychelles. Another entrepreneur, Viktor Kozeny, aka the Pirate of Prague has been evading prosecution for years in the Bahamas - another country which does not have an extradition treaty with the Czech Republic. The two have now been joined by another super-rich businessman, Tomas Pitr, who

As of the 1st of January a few more items will be added to the national cultural heritage list. Among other monuments, the government has decided to include the bells of Prague's St Vitus' Cathedral, the television tower on Jested Mountain - one of the few architectural masterpieces of the communist era - a number of medieval manuscripts and also a collection of historic automobiles. The most famous among them is probably the legendary Tatra 87, in which the popular post-war explorers, Miroslav Zikmund and Jiri Hanzelka travelled around the

Are you overweight? Do you smoke? Do you neglect medical check ups? The average Czech would give you a "yes" answer to all of the above and the health minister now intends to change that. In an effort to curb the health sector's staggering debt, he is advocating a healthier lifestyle and more personal responsibility for one's health.

Sport is one area in which the Czech Republic often punches above its weight, and some of the country's top sports stars - such as Pavel Nedved and Jan Zelezny - are truly world famous. Let's take a short look back at Czech successes this year, and a quick look ahead to 2006.

A report this year by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry says a full one third of music CDs sold in the Czech Republic are illegal pirated copies. Yet at the same time it is possible to rent CDs in the country for around one euro a day, which would seem to make a mockery of international law. How is that possible? And does the communist past influence Czech attitudes to copyright today?

The statistics are shocking: sixty thousand of the Czech Republic's population of ten million are diagnosed with cancer every year. For many of them, the doctor's warning comes too late. Even though the figures are alarming, we tend to avoid the long and tedious check-ups that help reduce cancer incidence. Two doctors from the north Bohemian town Turnov have now found a way for "self-diagnosis" using the humble mobile phone. One life has already been saved.

This Sunday, New Years Day, will find many Czechs - like people around the world - making New Year's resolutions. But they won't have any say over some changes, which have been decided by Parliament and come into effect on the 1st. Understandably, people are most concerned about those which will have a direct impact on their wallets. 2006 is going to bring an increase in a number of social benefits and also a reduction in taxes for low and medium incomes. But as of January, Czechs will pay more for utilities - which is expected to bring further

Did you know that the Czech Republic is the original home of the mass-produced gnome? Gnomes, elves and dwarves have quite a tradition here, but it is a tradition that has been scorned by snobs and neglected by the rest of us. Not any more: an exhibition currently showing at the Museum of Central Bohemia in Roztoky, just north of Prague aims to put things right. David Vaughan donned his red cap and went along, accompanied by the museum's programme director, Tana Pekarkova.

People around the world have been marking the first anniversary of the tsunami disaster in south east Asia. Here in the Czech Republic eight families recalled the loss of loved ones, and many others said a silent prayer for the thousands of victims who lost their lives in the disaster. Also being remembered at the moment is the great charity shown by Czechs following the terrible disaster.