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The European "Union of Jewish Students" has been building new bridges in Budapest. At least that's what they called their seminar. The idea was to bring together young Roma and Jews from all over Europe to learn about the past, present and future relationships between these two major European minorities... and of course make new friends. But as Petra Hajdu of Radio Budapest reports there were hardly any Romany participants present....

Prague's Clementinum, just a stone's throw from the Charles Bridge on the Old Town side of the Vltava River is, after Prague Castle, the second biggest complex of historical buildings in the Czech capital. Established by the Jesuits in the middle of the 16th century, the Clementinum has in recent centuries been home to the Czech National Library and the main Prague weather station. It is also closely associated with time-keeping in the Czech lands, as Radio Prague's Ian Willoughby found out when he visited its Meridian Room.

Polish Prime Minister Leszek Miller was in Iraq last week, paying tribute to the first Polish soldier killed in action. Major Hieronim Kupczyk, shot in an ambush, was the first Polish combat casualty since World War II. Poland has been leading a force of about 9,500 international troops in the central part of Iraq since September. But the longer the troops stay in Iraq, the more the military commitment is being met with opposition at home, and the death of Major Kupczyk has fuelled the debate.

The former Yugoslav states of Slovenia and Croatia have recently been embroiled in diplomatic clashes over a range of issues, from territorial borders to a jointly run nuclear power plant. But how much of the tension between Slovenia and Croatia is game playing at government level? Croats vote this weekend to elect a new government. Past parliamentary elections in the country have been marked by national rhetoric and have also been criticised by the European Union. Kerry Skyring asked Dr Erhard Busek, Special Coordinator of the EU's Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe, if he was satisfied with the way this election campaign has been run

The Slovak police force has been in the public eye in recent years - but not always for the right reasons: Its image has been damaged by a series of incidents including officers being implicated in armed robberies and drink-driving. The government was so concerned they brought priests into the force to raise moral standards and have a sobering effect on officers. And it may be working.

Apart from Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovakia also have soldiers in Iraq and the Hungarian parliament has just extended the mandate of Hungarian troops serving there until the end of 2004. Against growing public opposition - will they be able to stay the distance in Iraq? Heinz Schulte is defence analyst from Janes Defence Weekly.

Vienna is the city, which witnessed the birth of the singing career of the Slovak born Soprano Diva, Edita Gruberova. She emigrated to Austria in 1970 when she was 24 and was hired on the spot at the Vienna State Opera. She became world famous and is now considered the best bel canto or coloratura singer.

Over the past ten years Slovene pop culture has been moving away from western influences and returning to more traditional roots. - It's a phenomenon examined in the novels of Slovene writer Andrej Blatnik.

At this year's Vienna International Film Festival, or Viennale, there were 300 films from all over the world - many of them big productions. But the Viennale is also a forum for unusual documentaries, and this year included films by directors from Central and Eastern Europe who've examined history through a personal perspective. Astrid Nolte takes a look at two unusual films

European integration is doing its bit for cross-cultural experience - this time with rebirth of polish Health Spas. The small southwestern town of Swieradow was a luxurious German upper class spa before World War Two. Under communism, it declined to a dowdy, cheap, health resort. Today, Swieradów is finding a new prosperous era as western tourists, especially Germans, rediscover its charms