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The Czech Deputy Prime Minister Martin Jahn said on Monday he would step down at the end of the year and quit politics, just six months ahead of the country's general elections. Mr Jahn, in charge of economic affairs in the cabinet, had been due to head the Social Democrats' list of candidates in Prague although he himself is not a party member. Commentators say Mr Jahn's move was motivated by a shift further to the left by the Social Democrats, shown by a more frequent cooperation with the little-reformed Communist Party in parliament in recent months. Mr Jahn denied this on Monday at a joint news conference with Prime Minister Jiri Paroubek who ruled out direct cooperation with the Communists.

The Czech and French governments will try and find a compromise solution to the issue of restricted labour movement. After meeting French President Jacques Chirac in Paris on Monday, the Czech Prime Minister Jiri Proubek said he could envisage a certain liberalisation of employment restrictions, for example for Czech university graduates. France, along with the majority of old EU members, imposed temporary labour movement restrictions for citizens of new EU countries.

The Czech Republic will send another military plane carrying two doctors, a rescue group and 12 tonnes of supplies, including tents and campbeds, for Pakistan on Tuesday, the Interior Ministry said. The group will partly replace and partly reinforce a 23-member Czech medical team that has been operating in the areas hit by a devastating earthquake for several days. The reinforced medical team will remain in the town of Ravalkot in northern Pakistan for another fortnight.

Meanwhile Prime Minister Jiri Paroubek has confirmed he has been holding talks with former diplomat and European Commissioner Pavel Telicka regarding the replacement of the outgoing Deputy Prime Minister Martin Jahn. Mr Paroubek said Pavel Telicka could also head the Social Democrats' list of candidates in the Prague constituency.

The Polish petrochemical company PKN Orlen has agreed to pay an additional 1.6 billion crowns for the Czech government's stake in the Czech chemical group Unipetrol it bought earlier this year. This will make the amount PKN Orlen has paid for the share in Unipetrol almost 14.7 billion crowns or (595 million dollars). The amount was calculated by a recent audit at Unipetrol.

The chairman of the right-of-centre Civic Democrats' deputy group, Vlastimil Tlusty, has revealed that he and several other members of his party have filed a criminal complaint against Prime Minister Jiri Paroubek and two members of the cabinet, as well as a former aide, in connection with the privatisation of the Czech oil concern Unipetrol. According to the MPs the prime minister played a role in the privatisation at a time when he was still at City Hall. The prime minister has dismissed the move as "desperate".

Last year the Polish PKN Orlen bought 63 percent shares in the Czech oil giant - a deal which has since been dogged by allegations of corruption. On Friday Polish prosecutors investigating the purchase asked for permission to question over a dozen individuals in the Czech Republic including former prime minister Stanislav Gross. The new management of PKN Orlen has also said it has uncovered new evidence of secret payoffs to Czech politicians.

The Czech Foreign Minister Cyril Svoboda has said that the Czech Republic will ask international organisations like the OECD - the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development - to put pressure on the Seychelles in connection with the case of fugitive businessman Radovan Krejcir. Earlier this year the Czech-born Krejcir escaped to the Seychelles after facing charges of fraud and conspiracy to murder in the Czech Republic. Speaking on Czech TV on Sunday the foreign minister said he would push for the Seychelles being "blacklisted" by organisations like the OECD; earlier the Seychelles stated Mr Krejcir would not face extradition, having obtained Seychelles citizenship in 1996.

The foreign minister suggested an unfavourable listing of the country by the OECD would be a warning for investors, theoretically pressuring the Seychelles to re-evaluate Mr Krejcir's case.

Sixteen-year-old Czech tennis sensation Nicole Vaidisova has won her third tournament in Asia in just two weeks, winning in Bangkok after taking titles in Tokyo, and Seoul. On Saturday Ms Vaidisova dispatched Russian opponent Nadezda Petrovova 6:1, 6:7, 7:5. Vaidisova has now won her last 15 games.

Prime Minister Jiri Paroubek has said he is considering two candidates for the post of health minister: the president of the Czech Doctor's Association, David Rath, and deputy health minister David Koskuba. Speaking on a Sunday TV discussion programme the prime minister said he had asked both men to put forward plans for the financial stabilisation of the health sector, including the deficit of the country's largest health insurer, VZP. The prime minister indicated a final decision would be taken next week.

A new poll released by the STEM agency has suggested that only minority of Czechs share Christian Democrat leader Miloslav Kalousek's view that the Communist Party is a "criminal" organisation. Of more than 600 questioned, 46 percent agreed. The poll found that younger members of the population with higher educations remain sceptical of Communist Party intentions, while many older citizens believe the party will become more acceptable for voters under the party's new chairman Vojtech Filip.