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In directly related news, a court in Brno has ruled against giving Ondrej's father, Radek Coufal, an order allowing him to see his son as well as Ondrej's older brother Jakub. Both boys are being cared for at the Klokanek children's home. Mr Coufal requested a court order after he was not given permission to see the boys by the centre. Klokanek reportedly acted on a police recommendation, as police are continuing their investigation into the case for additional accomplices. The court refused to confirm the ruling on Thursday but the information was made public by Marie Vodickova, the head of the Children at Risk Fund.

The Education Ministry has extended the possibility of home schooling for Czech children: currently children can be taught at home at grades 1 through 5, but the ministry has decided to allow a project testing home schooling that would extend through grades 6 to 9. The project will be tested over the next four years in cooperation with five elementary schools: if it proves a success it could then be entered into legislation. Parents wishing to teach their children at home require a university education certificate; currently 350 children in the Czech Republic are taught at home.

The government has, as expected, survived a vote of no-confidence tabled by the opposition Social Democrats. They and the Communists mustered 97 votes, four short of the majority they would have needed to topple the Civic Democrat-led coalition. The vote came in protest at the coalition's position towards Deputy Prime Minister Jiri Cunek, who is under investigation for alleged bribe-taking.

The prime minister, Mirek Topolanek, described the no-confidence vote as a waste of time that could have been devoted to more useful work. During a debate before the vote Mr Topolanek refused to respond to stinging criticism from opposition leader Jiri Paroubek; the prime minister told journalists there was nothing to say.

President Vaclav Klaus welcomed the outcome of the vote. He said it would have caused instability in the country if the government had fallen.

Prague Mayor Pavel Bem has become the most popular politician in the Czech Republic, suggests a poll conducted this month by the STEM agency. Sixty-two percent of respondents said they had a positive opinion of Mr Bem. Defence Minister Vlasta Parkanova has slipped from first to second place in the ratings. Ms Parkanova came in for some ridicule after presenting George Bush with a CD on which she sang backing vocals on a ditty welcoming the idea of a US radar base in the Czech Republic. Pavel Bem, meanwhile, last month became only the tenth Czech to reach the peak of Mount Everest.