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Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek has criticised a decision by the Association of Czech GPs to close doctors' surgeries on 19 September in protest at what they say is a failure on the part of national health insurance companies to offer them higher fees for medical services. Mr Topolanek said it was wrong for the doctors to take such action before completing negotiations with health insurers. The one-day strike is the third such protest-action by Czech doctors this year. The Association of Czech GPS maintains that primary medical care is deeply undervalued in this country, which puts financial pressures on doctors and limits their ability to provide quality service. The Association has also urged doctors not to conclude any new contracts with health insurers until an agreement has been reached with them on higher fees for medical care.

Christian Democrat leader and Deputy Prime Minister Jiri Cunek has told journalists after a party meeting on Monday that no agreement had been reached in Christian Democrat ranks on a candidate for next year's presidential election. He added that talks would continue with the leaders of other parties including the Social Democrats on possibly fielding a joint candidate to challenge the current incumbent Vaclav Klaus. Mr Cunek also said that his party would not be seeking an "anti-Klaus candidate at all costs" but would be looking for "a candidate enjoying the confidence of most Czech citizens."

Insurance companies are assessing the scale of the damage caused by this week's regional floods in north-east Moravia. Preliminary estimates speak of tens of millions of crowns in damages. Over three hundred people were evacuated from their homes in the Bruntal region and hundreds of basements, cellars and gardens have been ruined. No casualties are reported and water-levels have since receded in all parts of the country allowing people to return to their homes and start clean-up work.

A team of American experts who have been inspecting the potential site of the radar base in the Brdy locality say that if an agreement is reached they would not want to reside in barracks formerly used by Soviet troops who were stationed in the country following the crushing of the Prague Spring reforms. The US team said they would prefer to build their own housing facilities from scratch. The villages bordering on the locality are vehemently opposed to the US radar and the Czech government has attempted to soften their stand with the promise of millions of crowns in state subsidies.