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The outgoing Czech prime minister and Social Democrat leader Jiri Paroubek has said that he supports Slovakia's new leftist prime minister Robert Fico despite the fact that he has formed a coalition with a far right nationalist party. Mr. Paroubek told reporters he thought the new Slovak government was being unnecessarily demonized and that he planned to write an open letter to the party of European Socialists to try and persuade them not to isolate Slovakia's new prime minister. The Strasbourg-based assembly's Socialist caucus is demanding that Fico's Smer party be excluded from the Party of European Socialists, an umbrella organization for left wing parties in the 25-nation European Union, which Slovakia joined in 2004.

Sweden's Jonas Bjorkman reached his second grand slam singles semi-final on Wednesday after winning a grueling five-set battle against Czech 14th seed Radek Stepanek. Stepanek described his 7-6, 4-6, 6-7, 7-6, 6-4 defeat as " a match of missed opportunities and disrupted concentration". I have only myself to blame, he told reporters later. Meanwhile, the 34 year old Bjorkman was in a state of disbelief, telling reporters he did not think this would happen at this stage of his career. He will face Roger Federer in the semi-final of the men's singles on Friday.

As every year on this day thousands of believers made a pilgrimage to Velehrad in south Moravia, where the missionaries were based. Addressing a congregation of some 30 thousand believers Cardinal Miloslav Vlk said the Church should move with the times and come closer to the people. He said it was vital to present the New Testament in a manner comprehensible to today's young generation. The mass, served by archbishop Jan Graubner, was held out in the open air and dozens of people collapsed in the scorching heat. Medics on standby said people suffered largely from dehydration and sunstroke.

The Sokol /or Falcon/ athletics body -a physical exercise organization founded in 1862 during the Czech national revival - is holding its 14th all-Sokol meeting at Prague's Strahov stadium this week. The event culminates with a mass gym performance at the stadium involving some 18 thousand gymnasts of all ages. Czech expats from around the world are taking part. The Sokol athletics body is one of the oldest organizations in the world. Its modern era began with its revival after the fall of communism but even during the dark period of Czech history ex-pats around the world kept its spirit alive. The all-Sokol meeting takes place once in six years.