News | All stories

The Czech newspaper Mlada Fronta Dnes has reported that a close aide to the prime minister has been attempting to win over a Social Democrat MP - who recently left his deputies' group - to back a three-party government excluding the Social Democrats. The news comes ahead of what many see as a crucial week in talks. The Saturday edition of Mlada Fronta Dnes writes that the aide, Marek Dalik, claimed he had MP Michal Pohanka in his camp. The news, however, has been denied by Mr Dalik, according to a government spokesman. The Social Democrats' Jiri Paroubek has also reacted, saying he felt that the prime minister should apologise for his aide's words.

As it stands, the Social Democrats are weighing a four-party proposal put forward by Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek this week. They have said they will make public their decision on Monday. But, many are sceptical the party will agree to a deal, given the Social Democrats have opposed early elections in 2008.

A thirty-five-year old man who has admitted to a hit-and-run injuring a fifteen-year old boy has been remanded in custody following a court order in Brno. The man has been charged with attempted murder; the investigation is expected to take several months. The hit-and-run took place last Thursday night: the victim struck landed on the back of the driver's vehicle, breaking the rear window and luggage compartment. The driver - who was not alone in the car - then reportedly drove home before discovering the boy's presence. The injured fifteen year-old, suffering numerous cuts and both his legs broken, was then dumped by the driver at a forest. The victim had to crawl back to the roadside, where he was only discovered by another driver in the morning and taken to hospital.

If found guilty in the case, the suspect could face up to fifteen years in prison.

New Czech troops have arrived in Afghanistan as part of rotating forces serving in the multi-national ISAF mission under NATO. The Czechs will serve at Kabul airport for a period of four months, beginning on December 1st. For the first time a Czech, Colonel Bohuslav Dvorak, will take over the command of forces at the airport - some 500 soldiers and specialists from NATO member states, as well as Afghanistan. The Czech unit alone is made up of 47 specialists.

The leader of the Communist Party Vojtech Filip has warned against what he has called "fascistic tendencies" by those in power, indicating some circles were bent on banning ideas and not defending the rights of individuals. Mr Filip was speaking at an international conference titled "Communists and other Democratic Forces for Human Rights and Democracy in Europe and the World". At the conference, the party leader also reportedly criticised a recent ban on the Communist Party's youth organisation by the Interior Ministry, and also criticised steps taken by city hall in the Moravian town of Vsetin, where rent-defaulters were moved to new facilities. The Communist Party led by Mr Filip remains the sole unreformed communist party in the former eastern bloc, criticised by many as "Neo-Stalinist".

Footballer Stephen Hunt, who plays for Reading in the English premiership, has indicated he would like to meet with Czech goalkeeper Petr Cech, recovering from skull surgery that followed the pair's horrific collision during a match in October. The midfielder, who said the collision was an accident, has told the newspaper The Times he would like to meet with Czech during the upcoming Christmas holidays. Earlier, the player sent the Czech keeper a letter but received no reply. It is thought that Cech, who plays for Chelsea and is also the national team's No. 1 goalkeeper, will be out for months before he fully recovers.

Czech police have completed the investigation of alleged corruption concerning the privatisation of oil and chemicals concern Unipetrol, in which a former head of the prime minister's office, Zdenek Dolezal, was accused of trying to bribe a Polish lobbyist. The amount: five million crowns. The incident was recorded by hidden camera and broadcast by commercial broadcaster TV Nova, triggering the scandal. Police have not yet decided whether to recommend Mr Dolezal be prosecuted. If he is - and is found guilty - he could face up to 12 years in prison.

Zoologist and former director of the Prague Zoo Zdenek Veselovsky has died at the age of 78. The former director was often credited with helping transform the Prague Zoo into an important European institution. He headed the facility from 1959 to 1988 and also authored dozens of books popularising nature and the natural sciences.

The Civic Democrat MP David Seich has admitted to drinking and driving. The member of Parliament was stopped late at night by police this week after driving the wrong way on a one-way street. A breathalyser revealed a high alcohol level, but the MP refused a blood test and has said he had only one drink.. The MP apologised to the media and the public, saying he was giving up Parliamentary immunity in favour of a police investigation. He called his actions "a mistake" and said he would accept the consequences.

Prague Civic Democrats have agreed with the Green Party that the new city council will not be bound by an official coalition agreement. After consulting with the Greens, the right-of-centre party will now draw up conditions for cooperation on the municipal level. It is proposed that the new city council - which is made up of 11 councillors including the mayor - will include nine Civic Democrats, one Green Party member, and one member of the centre-right European Democrats. Voting on the council will take place at the end of November. The new council will the see the end of an eight-year coalition with the Social Democrats at the municipal level, after the Civic Democrats won an outright majority in Prague in the recent local elections.

The Czech airline CSA has said it has given up plans to buy new long-haul aircraft and might even sell its current four Airbus 310 planes. Earlier, the carrier had sounded out both Boeing of the United States and Europe's Airbus about the purchase of new aircraft. But, a spokeswoman said on Friday intentions had changed. CSA,

majority-owned by the state, will decide whether to sell its existing four Airbus aircraft by next summer. The planes are currently used on scheduled routes to New York, Toronto, Montreal and Dubai, as well as on charter flights. Their sale will not necessarily mean that CSA will abandon its long haul routes. The carrier can decide to lease long haul planes instead.

This year the airline expects to post a full-year loss of around 500 million crowns (the equivalent of around 23 million dollars). It is hoping to return to profit in 2008 following major restructuring.