Romania’s government fell yesterday in a no-confidence vote, as opposition parties seized on widespread public anger over biting austerity measures and corruption.

The future of the Czech Republic’s government looks uncertain after a number of members of a junior coalition partner walked out on their party following a bribery scandal.

THE Czech government has rejected EU criticism of its use of a test of the credibility of gay asylum seekers.

CZECH president Vaclav Klaus has said he believes the Lisbon Treaty will come into force despite his attempts to block it, giving a glimmer of hope he may sign it in the coming weeks.

THE Czech government is to ask its fellow EU member states to allow the country to opt out of the Charter of Fundamental Rights in an effort to persuade their president to sign the Lisbon Treaty.

CZECH President Vaclav Klaus set out his terms yesterday for signing the EU’s Lisbon reform treaty, demanding an exemption to protect Prague from post-war property claims and safeguard the sovereignty of the judiciary.

The President of the Czech Republic today clarified what he wants before signing the Lisbon Treaty – a UK style “opt-out” from the Charter of Fundamental Rights.

CZECH President Vaclav Klaus raised a new obstacle to the European Union’s Lisbon reform treaty yesterday, telling EU president Sweden he wants a footnote added to the document before signing it into force.

The US today scrapped plans for a missile defence shield in eastern Europe that had raised new tensions with Russia.

The US appeared today to be preparing to shelve a controversial "missile shield" plan which was to be based in eastern Europe.

European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso today stepped up pressure for an EU summit deal this week on sweeping EU supervision of banks and financial bodies.

Health experts were stepping up efforts to contain a deadly outbreak of swine flu today.

MURPHY’s law seems to prevail in the EU as in many other spheres. Just when the union needs to concentrate very closely on getting its act together on the global economic crisis, a sideshow threatens to take over.

The Czech government collapsed after losing a parliamentary no-confidence vote regarding its handling of the economic crisis.

PLANS to make it easier to punish foreign motorists who commit road traffic offences in Ireland are effectively unworkable, an Oireachtas committee has heard.

THE Czechs launched their controversial artwork in the EU’s headquarters yesterday, saying freedom of expression was the foundation of democracy — and promptly apologised for the work.

IRELAND has been portrayed as a furry brown set of bagpipes, Bulgaria as a Turkish squat toilet, Belgium as a box of chocolates and Luxembourg as a gold bar.

The European Union said today gas supplies should restart after it struck a deal with Russia on supervising the flow of gas through Ukraine.

Senior EU diplomats were holding emergency talks on the Russian gas dispute this afternoon as concern grew about dwindling supplies to a clutch of mid-European member states.

The Czech Republic's highest court has ruled that the Lisbon Treaty is not in conflict with the country's constitution.

The Czech Constitutional Court has delayed its verdict on whether the Lisbon Treaty conforms to the country's constitution.

The Czech President breaks off his official state visit to Ireland later to meet the founder of the anti-Lisbon Treaty group Libertas.

EXPECT less sugar and more spice from Czech president Vaclav Klaus’s hardline eurosceptic views during his visit to Ireland.

The euro-sceptic President of the Czech Republic is due to begin a three-day visit to Ireland today.

DISAPPOINTMENT and shock were the reactions from European leaders to Ireland’s rejection of the Lisbon Treaty while groups opposed to it were delighted and demanding a complete re-negotiation of the deal.

THE European Commission refused to comment on the latest opinion poll showing a big swing against the Lisbon treaty, but it did urge all Irish citizens to vote next week.

RUSSIA and China yesterday denounced US plans for a global missile defence shield and signed a multi-million nuclear contract.

Czech prime minister Mirek Topolanek said his government voted to resign today after losing a vote of confidence in parliament.

A COURT in the Bahamas is expected to rule shortly on attempts by the US government to extradite Irish passport holder Viktor Kozeny to face bribery and international money laundering charges.

A new report released today by Amnesty International sets out what it says is further evidence that eastern European countries might have been involved in secret CIA flights transporting terror suspects to clandestine prisons.

A web of dodgy dealings has caught up with Viktor Kozeny, writes Dinah A Spritzer.

When Harry Potter author JK Rowling saw a newspaper photo of a child in a caged bed in the Czech Republic almost two years ago, her initial instinct was to turn the page.

The Czech government plans to legalise prostitution as part of an ongoing struggle against organised crime, an official revealed today.

THE former British minister for Europe, Denis MacShane, tells a good story from one of those negotiating sessions in Brussels where European leaders advanced, bit by bit, the creation of the new Europe.

Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty will have its contract extended to stay in its current location in downtown Prague for up to two more years, officials said yesterday.

MORE than 3,000 Czechs have signed a petition against Turkish membership of the European Union.

About 3,000 litres of radioactive water leaked at a troubled nuclear power plant in the Czech Republic close to the Austrian border, officials in Prague said today.

The Czech Republic is on track to join the European Union, Prime Minister Tony Blair said today during a brief visit to Prague aimed at strengthening prospects for European integration.

The Czech government has decided to buy 24 supersonic fighter jets from BAE Systems together with Saab in a deal worth up to £1bn.

Panasonic is to cease production of mobile phones at a UK factory with the loss of 350 jobs.

Tobacco manufacturing giant, Phillip Morris, has apologised for saying that one of the "positive effects" of smoking is an early.