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Since the fall of the Iron Curtain, the Czech capital Prague has become one of the most visited tourist destinations in Europe. But in the last few years Prague has also become hugely popular with British stag groups, many of whom come for the cheap beer - and the cheap sex. Why has the city become "the Amsterdam of the East"? And how do the Czech authorities feel about the trend? Radio Prague's Ian Willoughby reports.

This week, the long-running trial of well known Slovenian journalist Miro Petek came to an end. Petek was attacked and beaten up almost four years ago, presumably for his investigative journalism. The subsequent trial did not result in any convictions and has implications for journalists and freedom of expression in Slovenia.

Since the United Kingdom opened up its labour market to new EU member countries more and more Czechs and Slovaks have been trying their luck abroad. We visited a Czech and Slovak oasis in the heart of the big city.

For over a year now, the Visegrad Group - the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia - have been members of the European Union, so it was only natural that their meeting in Budapest this week focused on European issues. The prime ministers of the four countries called on their British counterpart Tony Blair, the current EU chair, to table a new European budget proposal as soon as possible. The European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso was also at the meeting and agreed that delays in getting an EU budget deal would hurt the new EU

This week Poland marked the 25th anniversary of the Gdansk shipyard strike where the Solidarity movement was born. There were celebrations around the country and a special conference in Parliament. Solidarity was the first free trade union in the Communist world - an event seen today as the beginning of the end for communism in much of Eastern and Central Europe.

One of the European Union's big infrastructure projects is the completion of the Trans European Transport network. This is a major upgrade of east-west and north-south transport links to make sure the new member states of the EU are well connected with the old by road, rail and water. One part of that network scheduled for upgrade is a rail link running from Paris, over Strasbourg, Stuttgart and Vienna to the Slovak capital Bratislava.

This week's sunshine and no rain has come as a godsend to many Slovaks. Last week's heavy rainfall caused the level of local rivers and lakes to rise, and flood more than 80 percent of the 76 villages in the Eastern part of Slovakia.

Poland's former Communist leader Wojciech Jaruzelski has apologised for the role his country played in the 1968 Soviet-led invasion of Czechoslovakia. General Jaruzelski served as Defence Minister in August 1968, when 26,000 Polish troops joined the huge invasion force which crossed Czechoslovakia's borders. Rob Cameron has the following report.

Rescue and clean-up operations continue across Europe for thousands of civilians affected by devastating floods. Switzerland, Southern Germany and Austria were badly hit but South-East Europe, including Romania and Bulgaria, has seen even greater devastation and loss of life. Slovenia has also had its share of problems with severe damage in several towns in central and eastern districts and Croatia has declared a state of emergency along the Mura River, on its border with Slovenia.

Celebrations marking the 25th anniversary of the creation of Solidarity are underway in Poland. Exhibitions, concerts, conferences, book presentations - even the publication of anniversary coins and stamps are planned. And there'll be a crowd of local and foreign VIP's lining up to attend the major events.