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The most extensive publication to date documenting the Charter 77 protest movement is to be launched next week. The three-part collection entitled Charter 77: Documents 1977-1989 is the result of years of research by the Institute of Contemporary History at the Academy of Sciences. It contains detailed information about the Charter's signatories and their persecution by the Communist authorities.

The Czech deputy prime minister for EU affairs, Alexandr Vondra, has indicated that the EU reform treaty set to replace the rejected EU constitution contains a number of "blank" areas; he discussed the issue after a meeting with President Vaclav Klaus, Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek, and Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg on Thursday. Ratification of the EU reform treaty was not discussed per se, but all four representatives agreed to hold regular meetings in order to coordinate further political steps. Mr Vondra said the prevailing opinion was to have the EU reform treaty ratified in parliament as opposed to a referendum.

On Thursday, President Klaus also discussed a planned speech at the forthcoming U.N. General Assembly in New York. Mr Vondra told journalists he expected the president will use his visit to promote the Czech Republic's candidacy for a non-permanent member seat in the U.N. Security Council in 2008-2009.

The State Veterinary Administration has revealed that this Friday it will relax a number of restrictions in place since outbreaks of the H5N1 bird flu at poultry and turkey farms in east Bohemia in June. As of Friday, breeders' organisations will once again be allowed to host bird exhibitions. But breeders will still be required to uphold strict hygiene standards as well as to provide authorities with warnings of any potential signs of bird flu. Indicators include a drop in egg production or in the consumption of water and feed. The spokesman for the State Veterinary Administration said that new cases of bird flu in the Czech Republic could not be ruled out.

A Korean appeals court has ruled that the chairman of carmaker Hyundai, who was convicted of embezzling company funds, will not go to prison. Chung Mong-Koo's original sentence of three years in jail was suspended. Mr Chung had continued to run the Korean automaker after release on bail; investors had worried any absence could hurt the company's expansion plans in Korea and abroad. The Hyundai Motor Group chairman's legal troubles made headlines in the Czech Republic due to the construction of a new Hyundai factory in northern Moravia. The project, representing a 1.1 billion euro investment, began earlier this year. Once fully-operational, the plant is expected to manufacture 300,000 cars annually and to employ around 3,500 workers.