Press Review

All of today's dailies reflect on Israel's assassination of Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, the founder and spiritual leader of the militant Palestinian group Hamas, killed by an Israeli helicopter rocket on Monday. Various headlines read "Sharon had Sheikh Yassin Killed" and "The Middle East in Fury", while Mlada Fronta Dnes writes "On the edge of war: Palestinians promise revenge".

Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, photo: CTK

Czech Foreign Minister Cyril Svoboda criticised the assassination saying that such attacks would solve nothing but lead to another vicious cycle of retribution. In an op-ed in Mlada Fronta Dnes Petr Pravda also ponders the reasoning behind the killing, writing that even Adolf Eichmann was tried by a court before he was sentenced to death. Mr Pravda, like many other analysts, speculates that the Israeli move was planned to make the upcoming withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza not seem like a Hamas victory.

Turning to the Czech political scene Pravo writes that Czech political parties are likely to run tight budgets for elections to the European Parliament in June - about half of what they would invest in normal parliamentary elections. According to the daily the Social Democrats spent some 70 million on elections in 2002, the Civic Democrats 60 million and the Communist Party 10.

This time around the numbers will be more sober - but the communists still plan in investing about 4.5 million crowns. The paper shows a dapper Miroslav Ransdorf, deputy head of the Communist Party, in a campaign poster that reads "You deserve the best!". The parties are generally saying they won't be kicking off any massive events, simply doing the rounds, travelling around the country to present their programme. All campaigns will officially kick-off on May 1st, the day the Czech Republic joins the European Union.

Many of today's dailies, including Lidove Noviny, take note of police arresting on Monday of Milan Volf, the mayor of Kladno, near Prague. Lidove Noviny writes that police specialising in corruption and economic crime took Mr Volf into custody on suspicion of having misused 41 million crowns in the city coffers.

Sazka Arena, photo: CTK

The mayor is accused of using the funds to help the town's local hockey club. According to the daily the arrest has come as a surprise to many co-workers at city hall, while the mayor's deputy Antonin Kajgr has suggested it was all a mistake, saying the town was operating under its budget as planned. Mr Volf is currently being remanded in custody as prosecutors wait to hear whether he will be released bail - there is fear that if not held behind bars Mr Volf could influence witnesses in the case.

April is just around the corner and with it the World Ice Hockey championships in Prague. Pravo features a story on the brand-new Sazka Arena, a gorgeous saucer-shaped dome that will be the main venue for the event as well as the site where the final will be played. According to Pravo the arena is fully completed and has cleared inspection in time for the championships ahead. Before the tournament the arena will however see two "test" concerts: one from the legendary Czech band Olympic, another of the Czech musical Rebelove, or rebels. Around 12, 000 are expected to attend.