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The National Reference Laboratory for HIV/AIDS has just announced that in the first 10 months of this year alone, the number of new registered cases of HIV has already exceeded the previous annual record from 2010. This week the number hit the 200 mark – and it is expected to grow further by the end of 2012.

Leaving aside the controversy involving the biggest public health insurance provider and a new round of doctor strikes looming on the horizon, the public health insurance system in the Czech Republic is quite a generous one. But unlike some other EU countries, this generosity does not extend to everyone who lives and pays taxes here. Almost 100 thousand foreigners living in this country have no access to public insurance, and in some cases are denied insurance all together. A number of NGOs have been campaigning to include these people in the public

Civic Democrat Alexandr Vondra announced on Wednesday he was stepping down as defence minister. The straw that broke the camel’s back in Mr Vondra’s case, was defeat in the recent Senate elections as well as his failure to retain a top spot in his party’s leadership. His departure has led to speculation of a possible broader cabinet reshuffle even as the parties in government begin negotiations on a revamped coalition agreement.

Former Prague City Police chief Vladimír Kotrouš appeared in court on Monday on corruption charges, roughly a year after he was caught red-handed with a suspected bribe. On Monday, he surprised many by admitting guilt. The case won’t end there: the funds he admitted to taking are thought only to be the tip of the iceberg.

A skirmish in the battle over the fate of the right-of-centre government’s extensive programme of reforms reached its final stage on Tuesday. The opposition took a case to the Constitutional Court saying that laws changing the country’s health, social and pension systems had been pushed through in a manner that contravened their rights. In the end, the opposition saw that complaint rejected – but scored a partial success when compulsory work for the jobless was overturned.

The Czech Republic's first direct presidential election has hit its first snag. On Friday, the Czech Interior Ministry disqualified three out of eleven candidates from the race on the grounds that they failed to collect the required 50,000 valid signatures in support of their bids. But some experts have voiced doubts about the method the ministry used in calculating the number of invalid signatures which they say could lead to lengthy legal battles, and might even delay the actual vote.

The Czech military has grounded its fleet of L-159 fighter jets after one of the planes crashed on its way back from a training session near Kolín in central Bohemia on Thursday. The pilot did not survive the crash. It is the second fatal accident involving the Czech-made military aircraft since they were first introduced in 2003.

With corruption perceived as one of the country’s most serious problems, the Czech government has now moved to give whistleblowers greater legal protection. While it hopes to encourage more public sector workers to report corrupt practices, it is stepping cautiously for fear that the legal norm could be abused.

Czech President Václav Klaus has weighed in on the case of two Czech nationals held in Greece on espionage charges. The two men, both professional video game developers, were arrested in September on the Greek island of Lemnos after they took photos of local military installations. But they say they were only collecting material for a new game. Mr Klaus has now appealed to the president of Greece, asking him to follow the case with special attention.

Cards issued under a new electronic system streamlining welfare and social benefit payments will – in the end – not be compulsory. The prime minister made the announcement on Tuesday, making clear the system – which has come under criticism from both non-governmental organisations and political circles – will be revised.