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The media has been full of reports in recent weeks of plans by the US to build a missile defence system in Central Europe - largely a response to Iran's sabre-rattling over its nuclear programme. This summer - according to the New York Times - the Pentagon will choose between two countries: Poland and the Czech Republic. Rob Cameron spoke to Radek Khol, head of the Centre for Security Analysis at the Institute of International Relations in Prague.

The Southern Hungarian city of Szeged is the first ever in Hungary to win the Europe prize. This prestigious annual award from the Council of Europe goes to the city doing most to promote good international relations in all walks of European life. Agi Varga of Radio Budapest spoke to Tibor Papp - foreign affairs officer at the Szeged city council and asked if he'd been surprised by the prize?

The Khamoro world Roma festival is once again under way in Prague. For the eighth year running Roma musicians have been flocking to the Czech capital from all over Europe and the United States to perform everything from Gypsy jazz to traditional Roma folk songs. The festival has also been offering film screenings, book readings, and an exhibition of photographs. It all culminates with a gala concert of traditional music and an international seminar - a tribute to Milena Hubschmannova, who founded the Romany studies department at Prague's Charles

Pope Benedict the Sixteenth is on a four day visit to Poland. It's the first visit by a German born pope to Poland and it's loaded with significance for Poles because Pope Benedict's predecessor John Paul the Second was not only Polish born but a major figure in the country's spiritual and political life.

Slovenia has been one of the most successful new member states of the EU. Of the ten which joined in 2004 it will be the first to join the common currency, the Euro, and its per capita GDP already matches some of the old member states. And this week it launched a new institute aimed at taking Slovenia's European integration a step further. The centre for European Perspective was officially opened at Jable castle near Ljubljana.

Summer in Central Europe - swimming, sunbathing and... shopping. Summer sales have become so popular in Central Europe that some are beginning to ask: is shopping an addiction? The urge to buy, often took Slovaks to Austria, Poland, the Czech Republic or Hungary. But now, they can satisfy the craving at home. Is it harmful?

Hungary is believed to be the Central European country with the highest number of Romanies - an estimated 600,000 are thought to live there. In Slovakia the figures lie between 250,000 and 500,000. Besides the Czech Republic, these two countries were also criticised for their handling of Roma in the education system. Claude Cahn from the European Roma Rights Center in Budapest gave us his take on this criticism:

In just a few weeks time, the Football World Championship begins in Germany - the biggest sports event this year in Central Europe. It will also be a time when many Slovaks will reflect on one of their most popular sports commentators, Gabo Zelenay, wishing he were still alive to bring them his passionate live commentary on football matches. Radio Slovakia International's Martina Grenova pays tribute to the legendary Gabo Zelenay in this report:

The European Monitoring Centre on Racism and Xenophobia has criticized the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary for allegedly discriminating against Romanies from an early age by sending many of them to special schools for people with learning difficulties. The EU report suggests that this practice is at the root of the government's inability to deal with the integration of Roma into society as such, because wrongful assignment to special education has far reaching negative consequences for future employment opportunities.

More than seven months after winning the parliamentary elections in Poland, the conservatives at long last command a majority in Parliament. This is a result of a coalition deal struck with the nationalist League of Polish Families and the anti-liberal, populist Self-Defense. But most Poles wonder whether a government with Self-defense leader Andrzej Lepper as deputy prime minister will be able to introduce a reform programme - Mr Lepper's record includes two suspended prison sentences.