GROSS - Stanislav Gross did not commit a crime when he purchased a luxury flat in the Barrandov neighborhood of Prague, State Attorney Julius Lachnitt says. The former prime minister came under suspicion for shady financial dealings when the purchase surfaced earlier this year, and he eventually resigned from government. Gross has asked for further inquiries.

TERRORIST - The wife of Oussama Kassir, the Swede of Lebanese decent arrested in Prague Dec. 11, says he is mentally ill. Kassir is wanted in the United States on suspicion of supporting terrorism. Zeinab Kassir says that before his arrest, her husband had been lying in bed for several nights without sleeping, and prison would only make his condition worse.

STORM - Heavy snows that blanketed much of the nation Dec. 16 are blamed for two deaths and scores of road closures, car accidents and power outages. Snow reached 40 centimeters (1.3 feet) in some parts of east Bohemia, while the country's oldest highway, the D1, was closed for more than three hours. In Prague, heavy winds closed Prague Castle.

IMAGE - One in six Czech women are seriously considering plastic surgery to improve their looks, according to a Median Agency poll. Thirty-five percent are considering breast enlargement, while the proportions that desire liposuction or a facelift are 22 percent and 15 percent, respectively.

BODYGUARDS - Two bodyguards of fugitive billionaire Radovan Krejčíř were arrested Dec. 16 on criminal conspiracy charges. Police say they are keeping the two men in custody out of fear that, if free, they might try to influence witnesses in the state's case against Krejčíř, who is currently living in the Seychelles Islands with his wife and son, having escaped arrest earlier this year.