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Vasuf Sabani is one of the most important drug bosses operating in Central Europe. For the last seven years he's been living in the Czech Republic under a false name--until last week that is, when he was finally arrested by the Czech police. has the story:

It's ten years now since Czechoslovakia rejoined the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, after 40 years of communism. The two institutions say their main goal is fighting poverty, and they've chosen their annual session in Prague to unveil their latest figures. They don't make pleasant reading: in 1998, 1 out of every 5 people in post-communist Europe lived under the poverty line--a decade ago the number was one in 50. Surprisingly, it's not elderly people who are most at risk, but children and families with young children. has the

If you want to donate blood in the Czech Republic, you will be asked to fill in a form stating whether you are homosexual or heterosexual. If you are gay, you might be turned down, as many transfusion stations refuse to take blood from homosexuals. Gay groups are outraged, while blood donor authorities say the rule is in line with the rest of Europe. has the story:

Austrian environmentalists opposed to the launch of the Czech Republic's Temelin nuclear power plant announced on Monday that they were halting their regular blockades of the Czech-Austrian border, in what they claimed was a bid to improve dialogue between the two countries. The announcement looks more like capitulation from Prague--both Czech Prime Minister Milos Zeman and even environmentally-friendly President Vaclav Havel said they wouldn't be forced to the negotiating table by the blockades. So how much public sympathy is there in Austria

How would you react if you were flying to Greece for your well-earned annual holiday and your plane had to turn back because of one drunk and obnoxious tourist? Well, this is exactly what happened last Friday to a whole group of Czech tourists flying from Brno to Greece. has the story:

The next time you pass the southern wall of Prague Castle's St.Vitus Cathedral, don't forget to look up. Friday saw the unveiling of a completely restored mosaic dating back to the year 1371, in a ceremony attended by Czech President Vaclav Havel. has this report:

The first seminars concerning the IMF/World Bank begin in Prague this week, bringing with them thousands of protesters from all around the world. But how do the people of Prague feel about their center-stage role, the two weeks that lie ahead of them, and the policies of the IMF itself? went out onto the streets to find out:

Despite mass protests and blockades of roads, petrol stations and oil refineries across Western Europe this week, Czech drivers seemed to have remained calm and put up with ever-higher fuel prices. However, they were eventually moved to action, but their plans were rather short-lived. has the details:

Muslims are fighting for registration in the Czech Republic. Czech law states that a religious group has to gather a minimum of 10,000 signatures to be registered as a church. However, there are more than 20,000 Muslims in the Czech Republic, so what's stopping them from being registered as a recognised religion? Well many Muslim people in the Czech Republic are reluctant to identify themselves publicly. has more:

The Czech Republic is one of the many countries in the world where bribery and other forms of corruption are rife. On Wednesday Peter Eigen, chairman of the Transparency International organisation, unveiled the Year 2000 Corruption Perceptions Index. Among the 90 countries surveyed, the Czech Republic came about half way--in 42nd place. has more: