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The suicide bombings in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in which over thirty people died, and the anonymous blackmailer threatening to poison hospital food make the front-page headlines in all of the main papers today. A mix of photographs are also featured ranging from US Secretary of State Colin Powell in Riyadh to a man in a medieval costume at a demonstration against pension reform in Paris.

The government's trip to Brno features heavily on the front pages today - Pravo shows Prime Minister Vladimir Spidla and cabinet colleague Zdenek Skromach helping themselves to traditional Moravian cakes and glasses of wine in the town square, while Mlada Fronta Dnes features a rather intimate photo of Interior Minister Stanislav Gross kissing a member of a Moravian folk group. The government needs all the positive publicity it can get: the widespread public finance reforms unveiled in Brno have been criticised by both unions and right-wing economists.

All of today's papers lead with the same story, the government's plans to reform the public finance system. Canada's victory over Sweden in the finals at the World Ice Hockey Championships also makes the headlines in most of the main dailies. On the international front, it's US President George Bush's dissatisfaction with his team in Iraq and the recent car accident that left three Czech soldiers injured in Basra, that make the front pages.

A mix of headlines and photos on the front pages today - LIDOVE NOVINY features a picture of two men with a lot to smile about: President Vaclav Klaus, and Communist Party leader Miroslav Grebenicek, pictured holding glasses of wine on the balcony of the presidential chateau in Lany. While Mr Klaus's popularity is rising almost on a daily basis, Mr Grebenicek was invited to attend cross-party talks hosted by President Klaus on the EU - the first time a Communist Party leader has received such an invitation from the president since 1989.

The planned reform of public finances, relief over a negative SARS test and EU-related matters - these are the main stories on most of Wednesday's front pages. Further from home the papers have given space to the British Prime Minister Tony Blair celebrating his fiftieth birthday, two Czechs jailed in Thailand who have been given fresh hope of coming home, and the work of the Czech field hospital team in Basra. Pravo has gone for a couple of girls in bathing suits - citing Tuesday's 28.4 degrees temperature record.

The front pages of the major Czech newspapers are today a potpourri of reports on hockey, weather, SARS, mad cow disease, taxes and Iraq. Lidove noviny and Mlada fronta Dnes both have big colour photos from the ice hockey game in Helsinki on Monday, when the Czech Republic and Slovakia tied three all. Pravo, on the other hand, includes a picture of Czech and Slovak cooperation, with Defence Minister Jaroslav Tvrdik reviewing the joint Czech and Slovak chemical unit stationed in Kuwait.

All the dailies lead with yesterday's meeting of government ministers at the Kolodeje chateau where they tried to come up with a solution to the deficit in public finances. The proposed reform of public finances will also include a reform of the pension system, PRAVO writes. The ministers agreed on a unified retirement age for both men and women which should be postponed to 63 years of age. Early retirement will be made financially disadvantageous and self-employed workers will pay higher social insurance.

All of the front pages of the Czech dailies today report on the earthquake in south-eastern Turkey, and some of them also focus on American president George Bush's declaration that the war in Iraq is over. While these are the main international stories, the domestic reports that dominate the Czech newspapers today look at the May Day commemorations and a dispute within the coalition government over a proposed law on rent regulation.

A number of high-profile international stories appear on the front pages of the Czech papers - plans for the reconstruction of Iraq, which the Czech Republic is involved in, growing concern and tightened safety measures in connection with the spread of SARS and the summit in Brussels at which the leaders of France, Germany, Belgium and Luxembourg agreed to create a multi-national defence force headquarters to improve "command and control capabilities" for EU-led military operations. There is much speculation as to how far Europe will take the common

A variety of topics are covered in today's papers, ranging from the fear of the deadly SARS virus spreading to the Czech Republic to the country's political and economic involvement in the rebuilding of Iraq. All main dailies lead with different stories and feature different photos.