World IN BRIEF : CZECHOSLOVAKIA : Dubcek Has Spinal Surgery After Crash

Former Czechoslovak leader Alexander Dubcek underwent spinal surgery for injuries he suffered in a car accident, and his driver was charged in the crash. Milan Rocen, the chief surgeon at Prague’s Na Homolce hospital, said doctors operated to repair fractured lower vertebrae and to ease pressure on the spinal cord after Dubcek regained consciousness. Rocen said Dubcek, 70, was awake after the operation but that his condition remained serious. The state CSTK news agency reported that driver Jan Reznik had been charged with “causing bodily harm” and could face up to a year in prison if convicted.