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The leader of the opposition Social Democrats, Jiri Paroubek, has entered into the debate on whether Czech President Vaclav Klaus should speak out against environmentalists at the United Nations or not. On Wednesday, the head of the Czech Green Party, Martin Bursik, criticized the president, saying that Mr. Klaus' proposed speech could seriously jeopardize the Czech Republic's chances of winning a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council in 2008 and 2009. Today Mr. Paroubek voiced his opinion, saying that the president had no mandate to present his own subjective views, and that he should represent the views of his country's government instead. Mr. Klaus plans to address the United Nations at the end of September. His speech is expected to be about global-warming, and what he calls the 'over-politicisation' of this topic.

The Czech national airline Ceske Aerolinie recorded losses of 175 million CZK (nearly 8.8 million USD) for the first six months of this year. These losses were 77% lower than for the first half of 2006, said the firm's president Radomir Lasak on Thursday morning. The firm, 90% of which is owned by the state, currently stands 182 million CZK in profit, having made more than 350 million CZK in July. Analysts predict that Ceske Aerolinie could make a slight overall profit in two years' time, if it sells off its freight terminal, and its catering services.

Czechs are more willing to accept organs than donate them for transplantation, a poll conducted by the Factum Invenio agency concluded on Thursday. According to the poll, 59% of Czechs are willing to donate their organs; this figure is down on thirteen years ago. In comparison, 75% of Czechs said that they would accept an organ transplant if their life was in danger.

The head of the Czech Green Party Martin Bursik has criticized President Klaus' intention to make a strong anti-environmentalist speech at the United Nations. Mr. Bursik, who is the country's environment minister, said that the Czech president's intention to re-launch his attacks on environmentalists could seriously jeopardize Czech chances of winning a non-permanent seat on the United Nation's Security Council in 2008 and 2009. He said the Czech president's views on climate change were so singular they could not be taken seriously and shamed the Czech Republic in diplomatic circles. President Klaus said earlier that he would hold his own council on this matter and make an "energetic" speech at the UN-organized conference on climate change which is to take place at the end of September.