ICE - special | All stories

The Czech Republic has long had one of the worst road safety records in Europe, and horrific pile-ups have become a daily feature on the evening news. But finally, it seems, there's been some improvement - last year saw a substantial fall in the number of deaths. So what's behind it, and will it last?

Hungarian diplomacy has struck a few good chords in the United States recently. You see Hungary's ambassador to the US - Andras Simonyi - represented his country in an unusual way - by performing in a rock concert. Radio Budapest called the rockin' diplomat and asked him if he played for diplomatic relations or for rock and roll....

Governments of the four Visegrad countries, Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary have pledged around 10 million euros to the Asian tsunami disaster appeal.

A new survey by the accounting and consultancy firm Deloitte has shown up a dramatic difference in pay packets between the old EU member states and the new ones of Central Europe. The survey took into account tax and social security costs and average pay and found Slovakia has the lowest labour costs in the European Union.

Many will be familiar with the wonderful sweet Ice Wine which is produced in parts of Central Europe. Now, there's a new Ice Wine - a Slovenian winemaker says he has successfully created the world's first sparkling ice wine.

The Czech government this week significantly increased the amount it is sending to help the stricken Southeast Asia region, and has now pledged over seven million euros. Some suggested it had been shamed into doing so because the Czech public was sending so much money. And what's interesting is how Czechs have been donating - with mobile phone text messages far and away the most popular method.

It looks like 2005 will be a turbulent year in Polish politics. Poles will be electing a new Parliament and a new president. A national referendum on the European constitutional treaty also seems likely. But on August 31 in the city of Gdansk most are hoping that party politics will be put aside as VIPs from Poland and abroad celebrate the 25th anniversary of Solidarity.

In this week's special New Year programme on Insight Central Europe, we look back at some of the most important and interesting stories in 2004: After the EU's eastward enlargement on May 1, we set off on a journey to England and spoke to Slovaks and Czechs looking for jobs in Britain. When Poland commemorated the 60th anniversary of the Warsaw Uprising in August, world dignitaries flocked to the Polish capital to pay homage to the nearly 200,000 fighters and civilians who lost their lives. Hungarian-born Avram Hershko won the Nobel Prize for Chemistry.

In this week's Insight Central Europe: join us for a special Christmas program on how the festive season is celebrated in the region. We'll hear an ancient folk story from Slovenia, find out how straw decorations are made in Poland, explore Slovak Christmas customs, visit a nativity scene museum in the Czech village Karlstein and hear about Christmas in the middle of a revolution.

The US mobile phone company Western Wireless has accused the Slovene government of failing to ensure a free market in the telecommunications sector. It is suing the state for 174 million euros in compensation.