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A European Commission delegation led by its President Jose Manuel Barroso is currently touring EU member states with an initiative aimed at bringing the European Union closer to its citizens and overcoming the crisis brought on by the rejection of the EU constitution by the French and Dutch. Mr. Barroso's first stop was in Prague, where he unveiled a so called Plan-D, which, he said, should show the way forward.

The sentencing to death of Czech MP Milada Horakova on trumped up charges of treason at the height of the Stalinist regime in the 1950s will always be one of the most painful and chilling moments in Czech history. A little more than 55 years ago, she faced her show trial with calm and defiance, refusing to be broken. Audio recordings - intended to be used by the Communists for propaganda purposes - were mostly never aired, for the large part because for the Party's purposes, they were unusable. After Milada Horakova's trial and execution, much of

Czechs and Slovaks marked the 16th anniversary of the start of the 1989 Velvet Revolution on Thursday, a time when people remember the overthrow of Communist rule and reflect on the changes that have swept society since then. But discontent is growing with the current political situation, and that discontent was reflected in the mood on the streets of Prague. Radio Prague's Rob Cameron has this report.

It was the last elusive dream pursued by one of the greatest generations ever in Czech football: an appearance in the prestigious World Cup. The last time any Czech played in one was fifteen years ago - at Italia '90. Now, it's next stop Germany. On Wednesday night, the national squad - ranked 3rd in the world - qualified by beating Norway 2:0 on aggregate. At Prague's Letna stadium players like Karel Poborsky and Vladimir Smicer celebrated, while star midfielder Pavel Nedved fell to his knees in jubilation and relief.

Views expressed by politicians and participants of the gatherings in the streets of Prague on Thursday do not necessarily reflect the overall mood in Czech society. The Communist Party is the third strongest party in the Czech Republic, a cause for alarm for some. For his part, the Czech Prime Minister, Jiri Paroubek, has said the Communists are not a threat at all.

"The greatest story of the Cold War" - that's how the story of the Masin brothers who shot their way out of Czechoslovakia in the 1950s is often described. The sons of a Czech WWII hero decided to fight the Communists the way their father fought the Nazis, and in 1953 they escaped from Czechoslovakia to West Berlin. Two of their friends did not make it and the group shot six people during and before their escape. More than fifty years on, the story still provokes controversy in the Czech Republic. The debate is no doubt going to be rekindled by

Sixteen years ago this week 40 years of communism in Czechoslovakia dramatically came to an end, rapidly dismantled by massive public protests in the city streets. Almost overnight, the old structures collapsed and with it the symbols of a decayed system: countless red stars, party banners, statues of revolutionaries, and 'eternal' monuments to the country's communist presidents - were carted off to unknown 'graveyards' - usually the dustbin.

British agent 007 is on his way to the Czech Republic - the 21st film in the Bond series - Casino Royale - will be filmed in and around Prague next year. It is the latest in a long line of big budget movies to be produced in this country over the last decade or so. For a deep insight into the Czech film industry's talent for attracting the big budget projects, Radio Prague spoke to Theo Schwinke, the editorial director of Monitor CE, which publishes the Prague Daily Monitor, publisher of the online Daily Monitor.

When it comes to alcoholic beverages Czechs are famous for their beer and beer-drinking - but increasingly every year Czechs can boast better and better wines produced in the regions of southern Moravia. In 2005 - thanks to an Indian summer - the quality of the Czech harvest was exceptionally good. We spoke to Martin Pucek, from the Czech Union of Wine Growers. He explains how a rainy summer and a gorgeous autumn combined to enrich this year's grapes.

The elderly have been making the headlines here in the Czech Republic, with reports that the number of Czech centenarians - that is people aged 100 or older - has risen dramatically in the last decade. What's more, the population in general is set to get a lot older in next few generations, and the state wants to begin preparing Czechs now for a greyer future.