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An expert team from Olomouc’s Palácký University’s Faculty of Science discovered an unknown plant species in Borneo, university representatives have revealed. The plant, which researchers had named Thismia hexagona, was found by accident, after a student member of the team lost his footing on wet ground. Martin Dančák of the university’s Department of Ecology & Environmental Sciences described the appearance of the plant as “very bizarre at first sight” – not green, a seemingly leafless stalk leading most often with a single bloom and little tentacles. Thismia hexagona ranks among mycoheterotrophic plants, i.e. non-green plants without Chlorophyll. Unlike most such plants, he said, it was not parasitic.

Czechs recycle only a third of the batteries they use, according to a study conducted for the non-profit group ECOBAT. Half of those surveyed said they had never recycled a battery. Almost 120 million new batteries are sold in the country every year, with over a thousand tonnes of batteries ending up in dustbins annually.

The PPF investment group has signed a deal to buy a majority stake in Telefonica Czech Republic. In a statement, PPF said it was spending almost CZK 64 billion to acquire 66 percent of the shares in the country’s biggest telecommunications company. The contract still has to be considered by the Czech anti-trust authority. The acquisition includes Telefonica Czech Republic’s daughter company Telefonica Slovakia. PPF is controlled by Petr Kellner, the Czech Republic’s richest man.

President Miloš Zeman has for the first time spoken about a secret meeting at his residence that preceded an attempt to remove the leader of his former party, the Social Democrats. In an interview with Právo, Mr. Zeman said the talks had been instigated by people around Michal Hašek, who spearheaded the subsequent move against party chairman Bohuslav Sobotka. Mr. Hašek in particular has been pilloried for denying the meeting took place only to later admit it had happened, and the president said it was “somewhat comical” that the participants had tried to keep the meeting under wraps. The Social Democrats came first in recent elections and the president says he will task their nominee with forming a government.