Press Review | All stories

All the papers today are dominated by two big stories - the death of alleged StB torturer Alois Grebenicek and the fraud charges against Viktor Kozeny, the notorious "Pirate of Prague". Also making headlines today is Monday's shooting in the Prague metro, a story which receives prominent coverage in Mlada Fronta Dnes.

Today's papers belong to one person and one person only - the Rolling Stones' Mick Jagger. He's pictured on every front page performing on Prague's Letna Plain, where massive crowds came to see the Stones rock out on Sunday. Even the financial daily offers a tiny picture of the performer, though in lieu of a cover splash. That daily opts instead for a photo of veterans marking the 50th anniversary of the end of the Korean War.

"Prime Minister Spidla wins first battle", that's how today's papers describe the approval of a package of government-proposed public finance reforms by the Lower House. The cabinet has pegged its future on parliamentary approval of the reforms. But, as the papers point out, this was only the first out of three readings.

And all of today's papers carry a photograph of US President George W. Bush giving a friendly hug to former Czech President Vaclav Havel, who was in Washington to accept the Presidential Medal of Freedom - the highest civilian award in the United States recognising exceptional meritorious service. In the domestic news, it is the threatened position of the Czech coalition government that makes the headlines.

Two stories dominate Wednesday's front pages: the killing of Saddam Hussein's two sons by United States forces in Iraq, and the threat to the governing coalition posed by the surprise resignation of Josef Hojdar from the Social Democrats' group in the Chamber of Deputies.

Tuesday's meeting of lower house deputies during which they are expected to engage in heated debate over the government's fiscal reform plan, the accident caused by a primary candidate for the post of Justice Minister, and the charges of sexual harassment brought against one of the country's leading sculptors are the main stories making the front pages. All dailies also carry a different photo: people flock to the swimming pools in and Tour de France leader Lance Armstrong is featured in .

Prime Minister Vladimir Spidla and his wife Viktorie wearing white Stetson hats and broad smiles - that is an image that dominates today's front pages. The couple posed for a group photo with Czech expatriates living in Texas, who all donned traditional Czech folk costumes for the occasion.

Two first ladies grace the front page of Lidove Noviny. Livia Klaus and Margot Loffler, the wife of visiting Austrian President Thomas Klestil are shown arm in arm, wearing big smiles - a photo symbolic of the thaw in Czech-Austrian relations. The Austrian President's one day visit to Prague has been hailed as a success with both sides prepared to strengthen cooperation and conduct "an open friendly and critical dialogue" as President Klestil put it.

The election of a well known news anchor to the post of general director of Czech public television is splashed across every single front page today - overshadowing the Prime Minister's visit to the United States as well as the President's talks in France.

A remarkable day for Czech diplomacy - that's probably the most accurate way of summing up this past Tuesday - and each of the Czech papers take due notice, offering photographs of a grinning Prime Minister Vladimir Spidla shaking hands with US President George W Bush. The headlines read "Spidla greeted at the White House" and "Bush supports Czech role in rebuilding of Iraq", while MLADA FRONTA DNES writes "Spidla meets Bush, Klaus Chirac" reflecting on the day's other important diplomatic event - President Vaclav Klaus' visit to France.