Чехия: самые многолюдные демонстрации с 1989-го

В столице Чехии Праге состоялись массовые антиправительственные демонстрации, которые оппозиционеры называют самыми многолюдными в истории страны после падения коммунистического режима в 1989 году.

Чешские демонстранты утверждают, что в акциях протеста приняли участие 120 тыс. человек, однако власти оценивают количество протестующих в 90 тысяч.

Также как в 1989-м, участники демонстрации трясли ключами, призывая правящую правоцентристскую коалицию запереть за собой двери и уйти в отставку.

Демонстранты, среди которых было немало студентов и пенсионеров, скандировали "Остановите воров!" и "Долой правительство!". Они прошли через центр Праги по Вацлавской площади – главной в чешской столице.

Оппозиция недовольна предложенными правительством жесткими мерами экономии и распространением коррупции.

France votes in first round of presidential poll.

Polls have opened in France's presidential election, taking place amid widespread disaffection caused by the eurozone crisis and unemployment.

Centre-right incumbent Nicolas Sarkozy is seeking re-election, saying only he can preserve a "strong France".

But he is facing a tough challenge from Socialist Francois Hollande, who has said it is "the left's turn to govern".

There are 10 candidates in all, and if none wins more than 50% of the votes there will be a run-off round on 6 May.

Polls in mainland France and Corsica will be open from 08:00 to 18:00 (06:00-16:00 GMT), with voting stations in big cities remaining open for another two hours.

The first official results will be released after the last stations close at 20:00 (18:00 GMT).

President Sarkozy, who has been in office since 2007, has promised to reduce France's large budget deficit and to tax people who leave the country for tax reasons.

He has also called for a "Buy European Act" for public contracts, and threatened to pull out of the Schengen passport-free zone unless other members do more to curb immigration from non-European countries.

Mr Hollande, for his part, has promised to raise taxes on big corporations and people earning more than 1m euros a year.

He wants to raise the minimum wage, hire 60,000 more teachers and lower the retirement age from 62 to 60 for some workers.

If elected, Mr Hollande would be France's first left-wing president since Francois Mitterrand, who completed two seven-year terms between 1981 and 1995.

French presidents are now elected for five years.