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Mehdi Ben Barka, Morocco's best known opposition leader who disappeared in 1965 in Paris, was probably a paid agent of Czechoslovakia's communist secret police in the early 1960s, the French news agency AFP reported on Wednesday, citing the weekly L'Express. According to a secret file gained by a Czech journalist whose extracts are to be published by L'Express, a Czechoslovak secret police officer established contact with Ben Barka in April 1960. Ben Barka allegedly repeatedly visited Prague where he also underwent special training in spying five months before he was abducted in Paris during a joint operation of the Moroccan and French secret services. His body has never been found.

The Czech cabinet originally planned to further specify the political priorities of the Czech EU presidency by the end of June, but has put off the debate indefinitely as it wants to see how the current Portuguese presidency will develop, Ondrej Karas of the Office of Government said on Wednesday. Mr. Karas told the CTK news agency that the cabinet also wants to wait for the autumn negotiations with France and Sweden, Prague's predecessor and successor at the EU helm, respectively. The three countries are planning to create a joint programme for a period of 18 months.

The main motto of the Czech presidency is to be Europe Without Barriers. Prague also wants to focus on the EU s competitiveness and deregulation, and to emphasize the freedom of movement of people, services, capital and goods within a liberal trade policy.

The abuse of seven year old Ondra by his mother had nothing to do with organized crime, but was merely his mother's perverse way of disciplining him a police spokesperson told the internet paper Aktualne.cz. The police who are still investigating this shocking case of child abuse initially suspected a possible link to a child porn ring. Little Ondra was found locked up in a broom cupboard where he spent many days and nights, bound, naked and forced to eat his own vomit. It later emerged that his mother belonged to a religious sect.

Czech striker Zdenek Senkerik will join Slavia Prague from Turkish club Malatyaspor, the Czech club announced on Wednesday.The 27-year-old has signed a two year contract with an option for a further year. The clubs did not disclose financial details. "We are delighted that we have been able to aquire an experienced attacker in whom we have been interested since the winter," the club's general manager Petr Dolezal said. Senkerik joined the Turkish league club in 2006.