News of Radio Prague
Czech top politicians welcome Ireland's "yes" to Nice Treaty
Czech top politicians have welcomed the outcome of Ireland's referendum on the Nice Treaty after the final count put the "yes" side ahead by nearly 63 percent. Saturday's vote was Ireland's second referendum on the European Union's Nice Treaty, which is deemed essential for admitting 10 applicant countries, including the Czech Republic, to the EU in 2004. Ireland voted on Saturday in a re-run of a referendum held last year when the treaty was defeated by 54 percent with only a third of the electorate voting.
Czech farmers consider protests against EU demands
Czech farmers are considering fierce protests such as street blockades and demonstrations against the demands of the European Union, the commercial TV station Nova reported on Saturday. Czech farmers listed their objections in a petition last Tuesday, demanding the government to face the problem. According to its authors, almost half of Czech farmers have already signed the petition. The protest rallies could be averted if farmers succeed in negotiating better terms for themselves at a meeting with EU commissioners and the Czech government on November 11th.
Sixth Forum 2000 conference ends in Prague
The sixth Forum 2000 conference, opened by President Havel two days ago, ended in Prague on Sunday. Over the weekend, the world's leading financiers, intellectuals, politicians and environmentalists discussed issues concerning the increasingly globalised world economy. Over 40 participants, including representatives of the World Bank, various non-governmental organisations as well as academics and anti-globalisation activists exchanged their opinions on the role of the media, international trade and finance and the issues of ethics and responsibility in the world of multinational corporations.
Florenc metro station reopened after floods
Another station of Prague's metro, severely damaged by floodwater in August, was reopened on Saturday, allowing better access to the main coach station in Prague. The reopening of Florenc station is expected to greatly help traffic in Prague as special buses copying the route of the closed metro line no longer have to enter the city centre. A special concert featuring the American blues singer Sharon Lewis will take place at Florenc during Monday morning's rush hour to celebrate the reopening. Eighteen stations of the subway system remain out of operation. Another station is expected to be reopened by the end of November.
Weather forecast
Monday is expected to be warmer than the weekend, although there should be some isolated showers. Daytime temperatures should reach highs of 15 degrees Celsius.
