POLL - Czechs have more confidence in their government, according to a recent poll by the CVVM agency. Forty-two percent surveyed said they trust the administration of Prime Minister Jirí Paroubek, up from 37 percent in June. President Václav Klaus remains the country's most popular politician, with a 71 percent approval rating.

CRASHES - An ultra-light plane crashed in the east Bohemian city of Hradec Kralové Sept. 25, killing the pilot. On Sept. 23, an ultra-light plane crashed shortly after taking off from Rasosky airfield, injuring its pilot. Six Czechs have died in ultra-light plane crashes this year.

RACE - The Peace Race international cycling contest will return in 2006 after a one-year hiatus. The eight-day race, set to begin in the Czech Republic May 27, will take riders across Bohemia and through Germany before circling around to end in Salzburg, Austria.

PETS - The nation's first official pet cemetery has opened in the west Bohemian town of Stará Voda. It took more than a year to get the 1-hectare (2.5-acre) site operational. Dogs, cats, parrots, hamsters and fish can be buried there at costs ranging from 200 Kc ($8.30) to 2,000 Kc, according to the animal's weight.