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On Monday October 23rd, Hungary launched a series of events marking the 50th anniversary of its 1956 uprising and revolution. Scores of foreign leaders and envoys flocked to Budapest for the commemoration and memorial events. But those events were at times almost overshadowed by anti government protests.

Slovakia's young scientists are looking for international experience. More and more, they are taking advantage of programmes which allow them to move around. The number of them using the online database of the Slovak mobility centres increased by 43 percent in the first half of this year. Anca Dragu went out to discover if this mobility was working both ways:

Slovenia is animated about a new festival called "Izolanima". It is the first international festival of animated film by European students and hits the coastal town of Izola on the last weekend of October. Michael Manske of Radio Slovenia International has the story:

The new EU member states of Central Europe are currently embroiled in either political or financial turmoil - or both. There have been violent anti-government protests in Hungary, allegations of sleaze and racism in Slovakia's government, the Czech's don't even have a government and Poland struggles from one weak coalition to another. At first glance, it looks as though Central European optimism has given way to populism and communism has given way to incompetence.

Poland has also been marking the 50th anniversary of Hungary's revolution. Not surprising, considering the fact that it began with a rally by Hungarians showing solidarity with Poland, which in 1956 was the scene of a workers' revolt and of violent demonstrations in support of democratic changes. Michal Kubicki reports from Warsaw:

The interior ministry announced it was banning a small far-left group on Wednesday, saying its manifesto violated the Czech constitution. An interior ministry spokeswoman said the group - the Communist Youth Association - was striving to replace the private ownership of the means of production with nationalisation, which, she said, was unconstitutional. So was the ban fair? Dr Josef Skala is a foreign policy adviser to the Communist Party.

This coming week will see ceremonies in Budapest and other capitals of Central Europe marking the 50th anniversary of Hungary's 1956 uprising against the Soviet Union. An uprising, which was quickly and brutally crushed but which was one of the defining moments of the Cold War and, of course, recent Hungarian history.

The political crisis in Poland continues. A day after two major parties staged rival rallies in Warsaw, the go-ahead was given for the publication of documents showing that in the 1990s the State Protection Office spied on right-wing political groups, including the party to which the Kaczynski brothers, the current prime minister and president, belong. In Warsaw Michal Kubicki has more:

Slovenia regularly gets a bit of a shake-up from earthquakes. The last big one in 1998 caused severe damage to several hundred homes and every year there are around ten minor to moderate tremors. Until now Slovenia has not had an extensive seismic monitoring network. But that has just changed with the opening of a nationwide network of observatories.

Three officials were arrested by the police's anti-corruption squad on Wednesday, charged with attempting to siphon off large amounts of money from EU structural funds. Two of the three are closely associated with the Social Democrats, and the scandal could damage the party at the forthcoming local and Senate elections.