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The Czech and Serbian foreign ministers met in Prague on Monday, discussing Serbia’s candidacy for EU accession and the two country’s relations. The tensions over Czech Republic’s recognition of Kosovo back in 2008 seemed to be a thing of the past. Serbia became an official candidate for EU accession in March of this year, and it is looking to strengthen ties with all of its European supporters.

Finance Minister Mirsolav Kalousek stirred the political waters considerably on Monday in presenting his revised draft state budget for 2013. The bill shocked many within both the government and the opposition by proposing billion crown cuts in high priority areas such as infrastructure and education.

Prime Minister Petr Nečas was re-elected leader of the centre-right Civic Democratic Party over the weekend, successfully fending off a challenge from the party rebels who are threatening to bring down his government. Armed with a convincing victory in the first round of elections, the prime minister now faces the toughest battle of all – putting down a rebellion in his party that has virtually paralyzed the centre-right administration.

Prime Minister Petr Nečas has a date with destiny this weekend, at a conference of his Civic Democratic Party in Brno. Mr Nečas will try to use a leadership election to put down a rebellion in the party ranks over tax and VAT increases. The row threatens to topple his centre-right government, so the conference is being keenly watched by everyone.

Radek John, MP and head of the small opposition party Public Affairs, has announced a rather unusual career change; Mr John confirmed that as of today he was returning to his original profession of journalism, joining a large publishing house as head of current affairs. Nothing so strange about that you might think – except Mr John says he has no plans to resign as MP and party leader.

Holcim Czech Republic, a major supplier of construction materials, has begun putting the logo of a non-profit organization Transparency International on its product packaging starting this week. The move is part of a slow, but important trend among Czech companies trying to make their employees and customers aware of their anti-corruption policies.

Coalition MPs in the Chamber of Deputies on Tuesday postponed a crucial vote on a controversial tax bill until next week in the hopes that by then the troubled Civic Democratic Party will have its house in order. Six rebel MPs within the party have not budged on their promise to vote against the bill if it includes the proposed tax hikes. That has not only shaken Prime Minister Petr Nečas’ position within the party, it could bring down the centre-right government.

The Czech Academy of Science and Prague’s Charles University have come together to launch a new top-of-the-line scientific center, that should place the Czech Republic on the map of modern biomedical research. Supported partially by EU funds and the Czech government, the BIOCEV project was officially launched on Tuesday, though some of its researchers are already making headway in the field of genetic research.

Czech singer Marta Kubišová has been awarded France’s Legion of Honour in recognition of her art as well as of her courage in standing up to communist oppression. One of the greatest pop stars of the time, she became a symbol of the Prague Spring of 1968. But when she refused to bow to the new regime established after the Soviet invasion, she was banned from performing, and could only return to the stage after the fall of communism 20 years later.

Criminal investigators have revealed success in an operation at the weekend which led to the arrest of seven Czech nationals in the Dominican Republic. Wanted for various crimes including fraud and money laundering, the suspects, at least one of whom had been sought by the authorities as far back as 2003, is being seen as a major coup as well as a show of exemplary cooperation between the Dominican and Czech police.