Klaus strikes positive note on EU treaty deal

Czech President Vaclav Klaus has backed away from a major dispute with other EU leaders by indicating that he is satisfied with a proposal to modify the Lisbon Treaty following a last minute demand he made last week.

Mr Klaus' surprise request - viewed with some exasperation in other EU capitals - concerned obtaining an opt-out from a rights charter contained in the treaty. The president argued the charter would expose the Czech Republic to property claims by ethnic Germans expelled fro...