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A power-generating turbine at the first reactor of the Temelin nuclear plant was shut down again on Thursday morning only hours after the power station was reconnected to the national grid on Wednesday evening. The plant had been shut down on Monday because of the same problem. A spokesman has said technicians will replace insulation in the electric part of the turbine, adding that the latest stoppage did not affect the nuclear reactors. Since the controversial plant was launched in October 2000, it has been plagued with technical faults and has been shut down dozens of times. The shutdown comes just days after government regulators approved a request to graduate the first unit from the "testing" stage of operation to the "trial" stage. Last month, regulators approved the test start-up of Unit 2.

The Temelin nuclear plant was shut down on Tuesday night because of an apparent problem with a power-generating turbine. A spokesman said technicians were investigating a possible leak in the Unit 1 turbine, which has been plagued with technical problems since the plant was launched in October 2000. The spokesman said the latest hitch posed no danger to the public and did not affect the plant's two nuclear reactors. The shutdown comes just two days after government regulators approved a request to graduate the first unit from the "testing" stage of operation to the "trial" stage. Last month, regulators approved the test start-up of Unit 2.

With Czech general elections set for the end of this week the opposition Coalition, made-up of the Christian Democrats and the Freedom Union-DEU, has outlined terms important to its parties in possible post-election negotiations- negotiations which will almost certainly be required to form what is expected to be a coalition government in the Czech Republic. The Coalition's terms include a commitment to move on several issues including the fight against corruption, improvement in social support for the family, and opening up of Czech universities to a greater student body. Another important term outlined on Tuesday in possible cabinet dealings was a clear pro-European Union stance.

The Austrian Chancellor, Wolfgang Schuessel said on Monday that EU entry for the Czech Republic and other candidate countries in 2004 is an ambitious but realistic goal. Speaking at a conference in Vienna, Mr Schuessel was reacting to scepticism in his country and elsewhere towards the Czech Republic and other candidates being ready to be part of the first batch of countries to join the EU by 2004. Although accession talks come to a close by the end of the year, most candidate countries still have reforms ahead of them with the most painful being that in the financial sector as well as unemployment, Mr Schuessel noted.