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Bohuslav Sobotka, of the opposition Social Democrats, is the most trusted politician in the Czech Republic right now, suggests a poll conducted by CVVM. Mr Sobotka enjoys the trust of 46 percent of those polled, while Prague mayor Pavel Bém of the Civic Democrats and Zdeněk Škromach of the Social Democrats rank joint second, with a trust rating of 40 percent. Trust in Mr Bém had fallen five percent since the previous poll, which was conducted in October 2007. But, in another STEM poll recently released, Mr Bém finished above Mr Sobotka, ranking first in a poll of the country’s most popular politicians.

Czech cross-country skier Lukas Bauer has increased his World-Cup lead after finishing first in the 30km race in Falun, Sweden, on Saturday. Bauer took one hour 11 minutes 54,1 seconds to complete the course, second was the Norwegian Tord Asle Gjerdalen, who was seven tenths of a second slower. Bauer now occupies first place in the World Cup rankings with 408 points. The win in Falun is his fifth in this season’s World Cup.

Coalition members the Christian Democrats are continuing to up the pressure for the return of their party leader, Jiří Čunek, to the cabinet. In a radio interview on Thursday Christian Democrat deputy head Michaela Šojdrová said the prime minister should reinstate Mr Čunek before leaving for an official visit to Washington. The controversial head of the Christian Democrats was forced to step down as deputy prime minister and minister for regional affairs last year after being hit by bribe and fraud scandals; he was later cleared. Prime Minister Mirek Topolánek has already indicated he will propose Mr Čunek’s re-nomination, but Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg remains opposed to the Christian Democrat’s return. The foreign minister told Friday’s Hospodářské noviny that he was not convinced Mr Čunek’s financial affairs had been adequately explained. In December, Mr Schwarzenberg said he would resign if Mr Čunek returned to the cabinet without fully explaining past dealings.

Opposition Social Democrat MP Evžen Snítilý has told internet news site aktualne.cz he and his family will no longer be protected by police but by private bodyguards, after a commercial broadcaster revealed that the MP’s home was being watched round-the-clock by officers. Only a handful of individuals in the Czech Republic receive similar protection. The move was approved by Interior Minister Ivan Langer after the MP received a death threat in the form of a bullet in a letter, in connection with the recent presidential elections. Mr Snítilý broke party ranks – and was expelled from his party’s deputies club – for voting for incumbent Václav Klaus. He and a number of other Czech politicians received anonymous envelopes containing bullets or in one case gun powder, ahead of the second and decisive vote.