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The Czech Environment Ministry dismissed on Friday criticism voiced by a number of Czech NGOs over an environmental impact report for the construction of two new blocks at the Temelín nuclear power plant in southern Bohemia. Critics say that the study is incomplete, but most importantly, that the environmental impact assessment process is in breach of EU law.

Come Monday, September 6, our sharp-eared regular listeners are sure to noticed a change in our programme right from the beginning in the form of a new news jingle. That’s just one of a few new changes to Radio Prague’s audio format: as of Monday, several of our programmes will have new signature tunes, and the way we use other music and copyrighted sounds in our stories and features is going to be a bit different – and that goes for all six of Radio Prague’s broadcasts in different languages.

A Czech newspaper has blown the whistle on what appears to be a far reaching political corruption cartel involving multi-billion crown defence contracts. The Minister of Defence has sacked a long standing deputy minister and promised far reaching reform.

Thursday newspapers in the Czech Republic point out a wide gap in the performance of Czech students at the grade school and college levels. While younger students excel in school compared to the rest of the world, in higher education both enrolment and results are unimpressive. Radio Prague’s Christian Falvey reports on the situation and one of the ideas to improve it.

Laboratory tests conducted in Zlín, southeast Moravia, have found that five in nine Czech school products contain a high share of toxic substances known as phthalates. Items tested at the request of the Czech environmental NGO Arnika included pencil cases, exercise book jackets and erasers, which present a risk if put under mechanical stress or chewed, like a marker cover or eraser. The crux of the problem is that while Czech and EU laws limit phthalates in toys or other products, they do not take into account school products.

A Brno court on Tuesday sentenced a former police officer to three and a half years in prison for a brutal assault on a Vietnamese national which took place in January 2009. The man later died of serious internal injuries. The court also handed a two-and-a- half year sentence to the victim’s flatmate for participating in the attack. Two other policemen, who were standing by but did not interfere, landed conditional sentences.

It’s the end of an era for the Czech fashion manufacturer and retailer OP Prostějov. As of September 1st the company that ruled the roost of the Czech fashion business has had to close the door on its readymade wear production, and is hoping to survive as a select producer of tailor-made clothing.

This Thursday will see the launch of the 13th annual Collectors’ Fair in Prague’s Letňany, the largest such event in Central and Eastern Europe. Over three days an estimated 12,000 visitors will be able to view exhibits and items from traditional coins and stamps to objects more curious, such as the largest collection of air sickness bags or a new comic book stamp to be issued by Czech Post.

The Slovak capital Bratislava on Monday experienced one of the worst cases of violence in years when a lone gunman went on a rampage killing 8 people and injuring 15 others before turning the weapon on himself. One of the injured is a 30-year-old Czech national who is reported to be in serious condition.

In the wild there are reportedly only around 5,000 Komodo dragons left, found in eastern Indonesia. But Prague Zoo has enjoyed continued success in breeding the endangered lizard in captivity. Over the last few days, the zoo saw the successful hatching of 20 new specimens, the offspring of a female known as Aranka. What’s more, viewers were able to watch the entire hatching process online. Radio Prague’s Jan Velinger spoke to the zoo’s spokeswoman Jana Ptačinská-Jirátová, who told me more about the successful hatchings: