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Poland has been one of the staunchest European supporters of the US-led operation in Iraq. The Polish president and defense ministry officials welcomed the power-transfer there, saying they were pleased with the fact that the political calendar for Iraq's stabilization was being implemented. What does it all mean for the multi-national stabilization force which includes some two and a half thousand Polish soldiers and a Polish command in south-central Iraq?

The Bazant Pohoda festival has been the biggest music festival in Slovakia for several years now. This year, it has become a member of the European association of summer festivals - a matter of prestige for the organisers. Martina Grenova had a chat with Miso Kascak - the founder and director of the festival...

The Czech Prime Minister Vladimir Spidla formally tendered his resignation this week, as talks began to form a new government. Mr Spidla announced he was resigning last weekend, after being forced to step down as leader of the ruling Social Democrats, which have seen their support plummet in the polls. All this happened as the Czech football team rose to ever greater heights at Euro 2004. So why was the government unable to capitalise on the "football feelgood factor"? A question Rob Cameron put to analyst Jiri Pehe.

The Kia car company of South Korea recently chose Slovakia as the site of its new Hyundai car factory. Poland and other competitors for the lucrative investment missed out. Just why they missed out was never made clear. Some light has now been shed on why Kia chose Slovakia over other central European locations.

The great sprinter, world champion and Olympic medallist Marlene Ottey from Jamaica has recently taken out Slovenian citizenship and will compete for Slovenia at the Athens Olympics in September. It's a long way from Jamaica to Slovenia - from sun, sand, and surf to snow and Alps - but Marlene Ottey has made the journey and will become the only female track athlete to compete in five Olympic Games.

As in other countries in the region such as Slovakia and Hungary, the Czech Republic is on its way to having a completely professional army, after many years of relying on compulsory military service. The Czech Army has had to undergo a radical change of approach as it finds itself having to attract recruits for the first time, as Radio Prague's Ian Willoughby has been finding out.

The Simon Wiesenthal Nazi War Crimes Centre recently set up a hotline in Poland. The aim is to get information about persons suspected of crimes during the Holocaust. But the move has met with fierce criticism from some prominent people. Poland has recently gone through a public debate about anti-Semitism and the Holocaust after a lengthy investigation over a series of massacres of Jews by their Polish neighbours.

Fifteen years ago this month in Poland the Solidarity movement achieved a landslide victory in the parliamentary elections, winning all the seats it was allowed to contest. The 1989 elections are seen as the beginning of the collapse of the communist system in Poland. Three months later, a prominent Solidarity politician became prime minister in Poland's first-ever Solidarity-led government. Michael Nelson is a former director general of Reuters News Service and author of the book 'War of the Black Heavens. The Battles of Western Broadcasting in

The Bazant Pohoda festival has been the biggest music festival in Slovakia for several years now. This year, it has become a member of the European association of summer festivals - a matter of prestige for the organisers. Martina Grenova had a chat with Miso Kascak - the founder and director of the festival...

Czech leaders join their EU colleagues in Brussels this week, for a summit expected to be dominated by tough talks on the planned European Constitution. However even if the EU does manage to hammer out a compromise, the document's future is far from assured. Many governments - including the Czech government - have hinted they will put the draft to their people in a referendum. But could this be inviting failure, in the wake of European Parliament elections characterised by apathy on one hand and success for Eurosceptics on the other?