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The Christian Democrats say a new Criminal Code currently being discussed by the lower house could legalise euthanasia in the Czech Republic. Deputy chairman Jan Kasal said on Friday that while it sets a maximum sentence of six years for assisted suicide, the Code does not fix a minimum sentence; he said this could be used as a roundabout way to allow euthanasia. However, the law's authors dismissed this claim, saying euthanasia will remain illegal under Czech law.

Some 200 historical chairs from two imperial chateaus in Vienna will be returned to Austria, 60 years after the end of World War II, said Foreign Minister Cyril Svoboda. Austria had been seeking the return of the valuable chairs for some years, after hiding them in a south Moravian chateau for safekeeping during the war.

The Czech Republic's Supreme State Attorney Marie Benesova has been dismissed from office. Ms Benesova was sacked at the request of Justice Minister Pavel Nemec with whom she had long-standing disputes. Although Prime Minister Jiri Paroubek had long backed Ms Benesova in the post, he recently conceded that the ongoing feud was paralyzing his administration. The justice minister has proposed state attorney Renata Vesecka as a suitable replacement. The outgoing Supreme State Attorney, Marie Benesova, has told the CTK news agency that she was given no chance to defend herself in her dispute with Justice Minister Pavel Nemec and that the decision on her dismissal was actually made when she was on holiday abroad.

The government has decided to sell its share in the country's biggest brown-coal mining company, Severoceska uhelna, to the Czech energy giant CEZ for 9 billion crowns (370 million dollars). CEZ which now holds a 37-percent stake in the mining company will have a 93-percent share after the purchase. Severoceska uhelna is the biggest supplier of brown coal for CEZ's power plants. The deal will now be examined by the Czech antitrust office and the European Commission.