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Olympic and world decathlon champion Roman Šebrle has suffered another setback in his build-up to the Beijing Olympics. On Saturday, the 33-year-old Czech was forced to pull out of a competition with a right thigh injury. Šebrle had been due to compete in a polevault event in Kutná Hora, Central Bohemia, when he suffered cramping in his leg. He told the Czech press agency ČTK that he pulled out of the event because he ‘didn’t want to risk anything’. World record holder Šebrle has been dogged by injuries this year. He suffered a left thigh problem at the world indoor championships in Valencia in March and then another injury to the same leg a month later.

The Chinese ambassador to the Czech Republic has complained about Prime Minister Mirek Topolánek’s decision to wear a badge bearing the Tibetan flag at a news conference last week. Mr Topolánek wore the badge when he announced to journalists that he would be visiting this summer’s Olympic Games in Beijing, but not attending the Games’ opening ceremony. On Saturday, Mladá Fronta Dnes reported that the Chinese ambassador to Prague, Huo Yuzhen had lodged a formal complaint about the incident with the Czech Foreign Ministry. Last week, the Czech ambassador to China was summoned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Beijing, to talk to officials about Mr Topolánek’s conduct. According to a Czech government spokesperson, China was concerned that Prague might have changed its political position and begun to advocate an independent Tibet. The spokesperson stressed that this was not the case.

The head of the Czech consulate in Ottawa, Karel Hejc, has accused the Canadian border police of passing on asylum seekers’ details to their homeland embassies. Mr Hejc told the Canadian Press that in his time at the Czech Embassy in Ottawa, he had received several faxes bearing the names, surnames and dates of birth of Czechs seeking asylum in Canada. Mr Hejc said that while the Czech Republic did not discriminate against nationals seeking asylum abroad, this could not be guaranteed in the case of every country, and thus the data leaks could lead to persecution of asylum seekers back home. The Canadian government has responded that it only hands over details with the asylum seeker’s consent, and that it is looking into any possible data leaks.

The Czech Finance Ministry is looking for a consultancy firm to advise it on the privatization of Prague’s Ruzyně airport. On Friday, the ministry called for consultants to start bidding for the contract. The deadline for submissions is August 29, a spokesperson said. The government is looking to have selected its advisors by the end of the year. Prague airport is considered to be one of the Czech government’s most valuable assets up for privatization in the near future. The net profit generated last year by the hub was 1.1 billion crowns (72.6 million USD).