Former Czech prime minister Stanislav Gross dies at 45

The former Czech prime minister Stanislav Gross has died at the age of 45. The one-time leader of the Social Democrats had reportedly been suffering for some time from the neurodegenerative disease amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. In 2003 Mr. Gross became the youngest prime minister in Europe at the age of 34. However, he was forced to quit the post within a year when questions were raised about how he had funded his apartment. He later left politics and worked as a lawyer.