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For decades Slovenia has been designating a week of every year to a campaign that reminds the public of the right of every child - no matter how different - to live a happy and comfortable life, without discrimination. This year was no exception and the 41st campaign organised by Slovenia's Friends of Youth Association was launched on Monday.

The result of a Eurobarometer poll earlier this year suggests that less than one in three Hungarians speak a foreign language - in most cases English or German. This leaves the Hungarians lagging behind even Europe's notorious non-linguists, the British. A fresh survey by the Median research company not only confirms this but paints an even darker picture.

The BIB abbreviation stands for the Biennial of Illustrations Bratislava. This unique event organised by the Bibiana house of art for children has turned 20 this year. As it is only every second year, this means that children's book illustration enthusiasts have been meeting in Bratislava for 40 years. This year's BIB features the biggest number of illustrators since the event's establishment in 1967.

Turkish politicians were celebrating on Monday after the European Union finally offered the country official talks on membership. After 24 hours of tough negotiations between the EU 25, Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul arrived in Luxembourg, the first stop on a long road towards joining the EU. So where do the politicians and people of Central Europe stand on the Turkey question?

"Please sir, I want some more" - a line from a classic that needs no introduction. Many of you have read the book and others have seen its adaptation on your TV screens. The newest adaptation of Oliver Twist, Charles Dickens' classic novel of life on the streets of Victorian London, was made by one of the world's most famous film directors, Roman Polanski and has just premiered in Prague. Oliver Twist is the latest in a whole string of major movies to be filmed in the Czech capital, most of them at the city's Barrandov studios. So is it any

While Slovakia was cheering its team in tennis, it was basketball fever that gripped neighbouring Slovenia last week, after the small country qualified for the world championships for the first time in its history. Thousands of Slovenes descended on Serbia's Belgrade to cheer and celebrate their national team. For many of them, it was a profound and patriotic experience as Belgrade used to be their capital too, before Slovenia gained independence in 1991.

Do influenza pandemics occur on a regular cycle and, more importantly, with the last outbreak a good four decades ago is the world due for another? The World Health Organisation warns that the bird flu virus in several Asian countries could unleash a human influenza pandemic; the darkest prognosis: 50 million people dead. Luckily, Asia's battle with the virus has not resulted in mass hysteria, but the world's virologists are busy preparing...just in case.

Slovak tennis players made history by making it, for the very first time, to the final of the Davis Cup. After defeating Argentina, the favourites to win the title this year, Slovakia faces Croatia in the final, scheduled to take place in Bratislava in December.

In Poland, where parliamentary elections were just held, the nation has spoken with a clear message: 'out with the left and in with the right'. But the big question now is how to put together a new government. The conservatives, the true winners of the general election, upset the liberals (their future coalition partners) by picking a little-known former chief of parliament's treasury committee as candidate for prime minister. What's more, the leaders of both parties are in the race for the presidency - the nation goes to the polls for that election

Both the Czech and Polish parliaments were this week debating the controversial privatisation of the Czech oil and gas giant Unipetrol to Poland's PKN Orlen. Critics claim that PKN acquired a controlling stake in Unipetrol earlier this year only after bribes were paid to senior Czech government officials, a charge they flatly deny.