Press Review

The lottery fever gripping the nation makes headlines today, as does news that teachers might strike for just one day instead of three, or perhaps not strike at all. Also on the front pages today, two high-profile murder cases - the killing of a priest by a seemingly unrepentant 29-year-old, and news that a young married couple from Kutna Hora have admitted to murdering eight elderly people for their money - the worst case of serial murder in Czech criminal history.

Mlada Fronta Dnes reports that a court in Brno has halted proceedings against Pavel Minarik - the Communist secret agent who planned to blow up Radio Free Europe in the 1970s. The judge presiding over the case said one reason why Mr Minarik - now an entrepreneur - should not be prosecuted is because he planned to give the station's employees enough time to evacuate the building, thereby avoiding death or injury.

The story of Pavel Minarik is straight out of a spy novel. As Mlada Fronta Dnes reports, the Communist spy managed to infiltrate Radio Free Europe's Munich headquarters in the early 70s. But in 1976, after drawing up a number of ways to blow up the station, he was withdrawn from Germany without the bomb plot ever being carried out. He was later paraded at a press conference in Czechoslovakia where he triumphantly revealed details of how he'd infiltrated "the disgrace of the airwaves." The station was later bombed, in the mid 1980s, although Minarik's involvement has never been proven.

So another victory for Czech justice, says Mlada Fronta Dnes. Simply planning a terrorist attack without carrying it out is obviously not a criminal offence in the Czech Republic - the courts have consistently ruled in Pavel Minarik's favour. The case is now closed - there is no appeal - and only the Supreme Court can reopen it, says Mlada Fronta Dnes.

Turning to Lidove Noviny, and the paper pays a visit to the village of Slavosov, home of Jaroslav and Dana Stodolovi, the married couple who've admitted murdering and robbing eight elderly people. Three of their eight victims - mostly old women living alone - were from Slavosov itself. However their relatives never believed they died in accidents or of natural causes, as claimed by the police.

The details are harrowing. Lidove Noviny says the daughter of one of the victims demanded the body of her father be exhumed, because she refused to believe he died a natural death. The police refused, and instead sent the woman for psychiatric treatment. His body was eventually exhumed - but only after a local woman who police claimed had gone missing was found buried in a shallow grave near the Stodolovi's house. The woman's hands were tied and bound, says the paper.

On to lighter matters now, and those of you relieved that the tropical weather is no longer with us, think again. Pravo reports today that drought conditions will continue in the Czech Republic until early September, and rivers are still down 50 percent from normal. Temperatures aren't expected to rise above 30 degrees again, but the weather will remain much hotter - and drier - than normal.

And finally one man who's been suffering from the tropical heat is famous actor Jan Triska, who collapsed several days ago during an outdoor performance of King Lear at Prague Castle. But as the tabloid Blesk reports today, the 67-year-old actor is fighting fit once again, and the paper has photos of him working out at his local gym to prove it.