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On Monday Senator Martin Mejstrik, one of the initiators of a proposed law that aspires to ban symbols of communism, presented journalists with proof that the chairman of the Communist Party of Bohemia and Moravia, Vojtech Filip, knowingly collaborated with the former communist-era secret police, the StB. The newly-uncovered documents include the protocol that Mr. Filip signed, pledging cooperation with the StB and fulfillment of tasks entrusted to him by the secret police organization. The Ministry of the Interior has just released the key document which proves that Mr. Filip knowingly collaborated with the communist secret police. In the early 1990s Mr. Filip faced similar charges which he denied; a 1993 court ruling concluded that he had not collaborated knowingly. Mr. Filip is currently in the running to become one of the next deputy chairmen of the lower house, a post he also held during the last government's term.

The Prague Zoo's program of reintroducing endangered animals back into the wild is proving successful, but it needs more money. The director of the Prague Zoo, Petr Fejk, says that at the beginning of the 21st century zoos have many functions, among the most important of which is protecting endangered species, and whenever possible, helping them to return to life in their natural habitats. But the animal reintegration programs are expensive, and the efforts of Prague Zoo are dependent on financial support, a portion of which comes from the international organization of zoological gardens. During the summer months, fundraising in the Czech Republic will be coordinated by a project called 'Help Us Back into the Wild', which will be run in cooperation with zoos in Brno, Ostrava, Liberec, and Usti nad Labem.

Should the emerging coalition government of the Civic Democrats, Christian Democrats and the Greens fail to get a vote of confidence in the lower house of Parliament, the leader of the Social Democrats Jiri Paroubek will not automatically be entrusted with the forming of a new government, TV Prima has reported. In an interview for the country's second largest commercial station, President Vaclav Klaus said the Civic Democrats, which won most votes in the election earlier this month, have an obligation to form a new government and Mr Paroubek should not get his hopes up.

Civic Democrat leader Miroslav Topolanek expects a confidence vote on the three-party coalition government to take place in about four weeks' time. If three attempts at forming a new government fail, Czech citizens will return to the polls in early elections.

The site of the troubled Czech aircraft manufacturer Aero Vodochody, which is to be privatized, could be used as a second international airport, a transport ministry report says. The report refutes fears expressed by Transport Minister Milan Simonovsky earlier this year that the plan could have a negative economic impact on Prague's international Ruzyne airport. Aero Vodochody could be attractive for lower category aircraft. The report writes that both airports could have the capacity to serve a total of 27 million passengers in 2022.