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It has been a month since new road traffic and safety legislation was introduced in the Czech Republic and the results have been dramatic. The new system - based on stiff penalties and a points system - has led to a halving of the number of road deaths in July compared to the same month last year.

100 years ago to the day, the first astronomical observation was carried out in the Ondrejov Observatory southeast of Prague. Only a modest establishment at the beginning, it has grown into the largest scientific observatory in the country. Since 1953, it has been part of the Astronomical Institute of the Czechoslovak (Czech) Academy of Sciences and it also houses the largest telescope in the Czech Republic as well as Central Europe.

For years the CzechTek music festival was the source of certain controversy and for some, apprehension: as an "illegal" techno festival it attracted thousands to locations disclosed at the very last minute, most often in fields or meadows near unfortunate villages hit by a sudden surge of visitors and techno music from dusk till dawn. Last year the situation reached a head when riot police intervened on fields in western Bohemia, and dozens of people - both officers and visitors were injured. Television images of unarmed young people being beaten

Last week the Czech Republic suffered its most serious power crisis in decades, which forced the Czech transmission grid operator to declare a state of emergency and announce limits on consumption. The crisis was completely solved in less than 24 hours without the supply of energy being cut off anywhere in the country. On Monday, the Czech Republic's transmission system operator, CEPS, called a special news conference to tell the public more about the events of last week.

Exactly a year ago, Radio Prague reported that the Czech Republic was experiencing something of a baby boom, especially in the summer months when maternity hospitals around the country were finding it hard to cope with an unusual number of births. This summer, the situation seems very similar. That may sound like good news, but demographers say, in the long term, the Czech population will continue ageing.

The eyes of the world are currently on the Middle East, where the conflict between Israel and Hizbullah in Lebanon shows no signs of abating. The Czech Republic is in the process of forming a new government, so there has been little reaction to international developments. But after an official request from Israel, the outgoing cabinet did find the time this week to decide to provide aid - to both countries caught up in the conflict. Dita Asiedu reports:

Visitors to Prague can get around the city by various means of transport: metro, tram, bus, taxi - and now - Velotrixi. These colourful, three-wheel pedal-driven vehicles can now be seen around the centre of the city, and have become an instant hit since being introduced in May.

From the start of this week two advertisements for Prague have been appearing several times a day on the international TV station CNN, drawing attention to the Czech capital's many charms. The campaign is sponsored by Czech Airlines and is set to run until October; it's Prague's first campaign of this type. At the ads' launch, I spoke to the city's mayor, Pavel Bem, and asked him what kind of tourists he wants to attract to Prague.

Since the Czech Republic joined the European Union two years ago, many Czechs have taken advantage of the chance to work in those states with free labour markets. Perhaps more surprisingly, more and more citizens of other countries in the EU are now choosing to work here in the Czech Republic. Figures just released show a large increase in their numbers in the last twelve months. Dita Asiedu reports:

Every summer we are warned about the risks of spending too much time in the sun. But try to find a spot by the water in the Czech Republic and you may be out of luck. Czechs simply love soaking up the sun's rays. But are they careful enough? Perhaps not - despite the great variety of sunscreen creams on the market, skin cancer in the Czech Republic is on the rise.