News of Radio Prague

Czechs mark 58th anniversary of liberation from Nazis

People in the Czech Republic have been marking the 58th anniversary of liberation from the Nazis. Ceremonies were held across the country. In the town of Plzen in West Bohemia a procession of army vehicles drove through the city centre, to mark the arrival in May 1945 of U.S. troops led by General Patton. Meanwhile in the capital Prague, politicians and ordinary people remembered the 3,000 soldiers and civilians who died in the popular uprising, one of the last battles of the Second World War. A special ceremony was held outside the Czech Radio building, which played a crucial role in the uprising.

New poll shows rising support for EU membership ahead of poll

A new opinion poll has shown that Czechs are likely to approve membership of the European Union by a strong margin in next month's referendum. The weekly survey, conducted by the TNS Factum agency, forecast that 83 percent of those who intended to participate in the referendum would vote in favour, up from 76 percent a week ago and the highest figure since the polls started in February. The Czech Republic hopes to become a member of the EU in May of next year.

Spidla: low turn out will play into hands of Communists

The Prime Minister, Vladimir Spidla, has warned that low turnout in June's referendum would play into the hands of the Communist Party, who are campaigning for a "No" vote. Mr Spidla called on people to take part in the poll, which is being held on June 13th and 14th.

Czechs face Canada in semis of world ice-hockey championships

The Czech ice-hockey squad face Canada on Friday evening in the semi-final of the world championships in Finland. The Czechs went through to the semis after defeating traditional rivals Russia 3-0 on Wednesday evening in their quarter final match. NHL goal scoring champion Milan Hejduk led the scoring for the Czechs, world champions in three of the last four years.

Weather forecast

Weathermen say the country will see stormy weather gradually moving in on Thursday night, bringing with it a cold front. The storms could be accompanied by hailstones. Friday and the weekend will be cooler than the last few days, with rain in places.