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If you look up the term 'sidliste' in any dictionary, it will be translated as 'housing estate', which is not exactly accurate. While images of urban decay are attached to the term 'housing estate', 'sidliste' just refers to the districts of prefabricated housing, in which 50% of Prague's inhabitants live. Often these 'sidliste' take the form of rows and rows of identical buildings, towering at around twenty stories high. Their aging grey facades may not be beautiful, but such buildings provide many Czechs with all basic living requirements. Are

There are few things as enjoyable as a good book, but what about a whole library? The University of Toronto's Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library in Toronto, has it all: a magical interior, an incredible 600,000 books, and an unparalleled collection of Czechoslovak samizdat writing, illegal publications banned under Czechoslovakia's communist regime. Jan Velinger visited recently and was more than a little impressed.

The Czech government on Wednesday approved a referendum bill that would allow the public to decide about fundamental issues relating to the country's internal and foreign policy. If it gets through parliament, it will open the door to a referendum on the EU Constitution.

If you live in the Czech Republic you might recall the popular film festival Febiofest which in recent years has taken place every January. This year it didn't happen, but that is not because the festival has disappeared, it's just that it has been moved to a new date - starting on March 31. The shift is not the only thing that has changed.

The Czech President Vaclav Klaus refused to appoint 32 new judges on Wednesday because they were under the age of thirty. Mr Klaus says these "children" as he has called them several times in the past do not have the experience necessary for important decision-making. Czech judges, who were counting on having 55 new colleagues added to their ranks, now have their work cut out for them, as the number of cases in courts is on the rise.

American General George Smith Patton was a key figure in the Second World War. His name is bound up especially with the liberation of Western Czechoslovakia. Between the 5th and the 8th of May 1945, his forces were responsible for liberating the city of Plzen. To honour the sixtieth anniversary of this event, the Plzen authorities have commissioned a statue of the General. But now they are in turmoil, as the sculptor they have chosen to design it doesn't quite fit the mould. Rosie Johnston has more...

March 8th was International Women's Day. This year women from around the Czech Republic and abroad gathered for a conference in Prague. A variety of topics were discussed ranging from the lack of women in politics to the role of the European Union in promoting gender equality.

Winter is still holding the country firmly in its grip but the town of Plana, on the Czech Republic's western border has good reason to believe that spring is just around the corner. The first harbinger of spring - the white stork - has just arrived back from the shores of Africa and set up home in the best storks' nest in town.

The Czech president, Vaclav Klaus, held his first meeting with US President George Bush at the White House on Tuesday. The visit, announced just one day in advance, is being seen as a real success for Mr Klaus, who was in Washington's bad books for some time over his stance on the Iraq war. Iraq was just one of many issues discussed by the two presidents, in what Mr Klaus described as "very friendly" talks.

The Czech president, Vaclav Klaus, is currently in the United States on a private visit. In a surprise move, a meeting between Mr Klaus and US President George Bush was announced at the very last moment. Though it may be scheduled to last only 30 minutes, Tuesday's meeting at the White House is far from insignificant for Vaclav Klaus - it is the first time he has been invited to meet the US president since being elected two years ago.