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Why are beer drinking competitions a thing of the past? The police in Opava are patrolling the town on in-line skates, and the litter bin that burps - the latest pub craze in the Czech Republic. Find out more in Magazine with Daniela Lazarova.

The new transport law is also tougher when it comes to punishments for drunk drivers. Although officially, alcohol behind the wheel was not allowed before either, police often found their hands tied when it came to enforcing the law. Czechs are known to be a nation of beer-lovers and with the tough new law in place they seem to be turning towards alcohol-free varieties of beer. In July, several Czech breweries have reported increased orders.

Czechs drink an average 161 litres of beer annually, about thirty percent more than their German neighbours. But surveys suggest that the number of women partaking of "liquid bread" is slowly decreasing. That's because they aren't aware that beer is actually good for them, says the Czech Research Institute for Brewing and Malting.

In Business News: the minimum wage is to increase slightly from July; Czechs are spending less on household insurance relative to earnings; Plzensky Prazdroj is to invest heavily into its brewing technology; lower VAT on coffee, tea and chocolate takes effect on July 15.

It's well-known that Czechs drink the most beer per capita in the world. While this is not about to change, a new poll has suggested, that there are many Czechs that don't drink the brew. Michael Longaro with more.

Organizers of the annual contest that determines the best Czech beer have announced that this year's contestants will include a total of 47 breweries from the Czech Republic and Slovakia, with 194 different brews in the running for the title. Now in its tenth year, the contest that awards the title Best Beer of the Czech Republic has attracted five more breweries than last year. The festivities begin in Ceske Budejovice, south Bohemia, on Thursday and run until Saturday.

James Bond discovers the dangers of Czech cuisine: too many dumplings make you fat. Once scorned -now admired -the Trabi is riding on a wave of nostalgia and Czech scientists get an award -by mistake! Find out more in Magazine with Daniela Lazarova.

There's nothing like a cold beer at the end of the day to ease those stresses and strains. The small Chodovar brewery in West Bohemia has taken the healing power of beer to the next level - and opened the world's first medicinal beer spa. But does a "beer bath" really have healing properties - or is it just a publicity stunt for the beer industry?

In Mailbox this week: Charity projects covered on Radio Prague; the Czech national tree; 'beer spa'; author Josef Skvorecky. Listeners quoted: Marcel Voracka, Karin Roos, Anette Harris, Robbin McNeill, Jim and Barbara Wolford, Stanley Vorce, USA; Jim Van Wyck, Nancy Nickle, Canada.

Small Czech breweries have turned to the anti-monopoly office over the planned introduction of new bottles by larger beer makers. The action has been taken following suggestions that small breweries would have to buy up tens of millions of used bottles, if their bigger rivals don't agree to supply them. But Plzensky Prazdroj, one of the main producers, says that the allegations are nonsense; it said it would fulfil all its legal obligations.