PRAGUE, Oct 8, 2008 (AFP) - Czech annual consumer price growth grew to 6.6 percent in September from August's 6.5 percent, pumped by fast-growing power, gas and heating prices, the Czech Statistical Office (CSU) said Wednesday.

PRAGUE, Oct 8, 2008 (AFP) - Czech state-run energy giant CEZ has bought a 37.4 percent stake in Turkish energy distributor Akenerji Elektrik Uretim, CEZ spokeswoman Eva Novakova said Wednesday.

'Today we have accomplished another milestone in the CEZ Group's international expansion,' said CEZ board chairman and chief executive Martin Roman.

SVETLA NAD SAZAVOU, Czech Republic, Oct 7, 2008 (AFP) - 'This is the first time I've seen those tough guys cry. It's a shock,' says Josef Bohm, deputy mayor of Svetla nad Sazavou in central Czech Republic.

PRAGUE, Oct 7, 2008 (AFP) - Napoleon enthusiasts in the Czech Republic announced Tuesday they want to build a memorial to horses killed in the battle of Austerlitz, in which Napoleon defeated the Austrian and Russian armies in 1805.

PRAGUE, Oct 7, 2008 (AFP) - The Czech finance ministry announced a plan Tuesday to raise guarantees for bank deposits to 50,000 euros, in line with a decision by EU finance ministers.

PRAGUE, Oct 6, 2008 (AFP) - Thousands of Czechs shrugged off the bitter disappointment of not seeing national hero Jaromir Jagr and shelled out up to half a month's salary to enjoy super-powered NHL action at the weekend.

PRAGUE, Oct 6, 2008 (AFP) - The current cult of economic growth at all costs may harm the civilisation, former Czech President Vaclav Havel said in an television interview Monday on the global financial crisis.

'The cult of permanent change, newness, growth at all costs may lead civilisation to an abyss,' said Havel, who was Czech president in 1993-2003.

PRAGUE, Oct 6, 2008 (AFP) - Czech league results on Monday:

Sparta Prague 1 Slavia Prague 4

Banik Ostrava 0 Slovan Liberec 0

Mlada Boleslav 3 FK Pribram 1

SK Kladno 0 Ceske Budejovice 0

Bohemians Prague 1 FK Teplice 0

Sigma Olomouc 2 Viktoria Zizkov 0

FK Jablonec 2 FC Brno 0

Tescoma Zlin 2 Viktoria Pilsen 0

PRAGUE, Oct 6, 2008 (AFP) - Two Czech opposition parties criticised Sunday the government's plans to boost its troop presence in Afghanistan, saying it would aggravate the fight against the Taliban.

PRAGUE, Oct 5, 2008 (AFP) - Czech league results on Sunday:

Mlada Boleslav 3 FK Pribram 1

SK Kladno 0 Ceske Budejovice 0

Bohemians Prague 1 FK Teplice 0

Sigma Olomouc 2 Viktoria Zizkov 0

FK Jablonec 2 FC Brno 0

Tescoma Zlin 2 Viktoria Pilsen 0

Sparta Prague v Slavia Prague, Banik Ostrava v Slovan Liberec

PRAGUE, Oct 2, 2008 (AFP) - Czech police arrested 100 supporters of Dynamo Zagreb here on Thursday in the run-up to the UEFA Cup clash between the Croatian club and Sparta Prague.

'The fans were aggressive towards police who had to accompany them to the stadium,' said police spokesman Iva Knolova.

PRAGUE, Sept 29, 2008 (AFP) - Czech crystal maker Sklo Bohemia is closing its doors and laying off 1,250 employees after being crippled by the financial difficulties of parent company Bohemia Crystalex Trading, local media reported Monday.

PRAGUE, Sept 29, 2008 (AFP) - Results from the Czech league on Monday.

Slovan Liberec 3 Sparta Prague 0

Standings (after eight matches):

PRAGUE, Sept 28, 2008 (AFP) - Czech football league results on Sunday:

Viktoria Zizkov 1 Mlada Boleslav 2

Ceske Budejovice 2 FK Jablonec 1

FK Teplice 2 Tescoma Zlin 0

FK Pribram 2 Bohemians Prague 1

FC Brno 2 SK Kladno 0

Slavia Prague 3 Sigma Olomouc 0

Viktoria Pilsen 1 Banik Ostrava 3

Slovan Liberec v Sparta Prague

PRAGUE, Sept 23, 2008 (AFP) - Japan signed a deal Tuesday to buy some of the Czech Republic's unused carbon credits, the Prague environment ministry announced.

PRAGUE, Sept 22, 2008 (AFP) - Czech league results on Monday:

Sparta Prague 0 FK Teplice 0

Tescoma Zlin 0 Slavia Prague 3

Banik Ostrava 2 FK Pribram 0

Mlada Boleslav 2 SK Kladno 1

Bohemians Prague 2 Slovan Liberec 0

FK Jablonec 2 Viktoria Zizkov 0

Sigma Olomouc 1 FC Brno 1

Viktoria Pilsen 1 Ceske Budejovice 1

PRAGUE, Sept 21, 2008 (AFP) - The Czech ambassador to Pakistan was killed in the suicide bomb attack on Islamabad's Marriott hotel, in which at least 60 people died, the Czech foreign ministry announced Sunday.

Czech Foreign Minister Karel Scvhwarzenberg vigorously denounced the attack, which cost the life of the recently appointed diplomat Ivo Zdarek.

ISLAMABAD, Sept 21, 2008 (AFP) - The Czech ambassador has been missing inside Islamabad's Marriott hotel since the building was hit by a suicide bomb attack, the Czech Republic embassy told AFP on Sunday.

PRAGUE, Sept 21, 2008 (AFP) - The Czech ambassador to Pakistan was killed in the suicide bomb attack on Islambad's Marriott hotel, in which at least 60 people died, Czech public television CT 24 reported Sunday.

PRAGUE, Sept 21, 2008 (AFP) - Czech league results on Sunday:

Banik Ostrava 2 FK Pribram 0

Mlada Boleslav 2 SK Kladno 1

Bohemians Prague 2 Slovan Liberec 0

FK Jablonec 2 Viktoria Zizkov 0

Sigma Olomouc 1 FC Brno 1

Viktoria Pilsen 1 Ceske Budejovice 1

Sparta Prague v FK Teplice, Tescoma Zlin v Slavia Prague

PRAGUE, Sept 21, 2008 (AFP) - Czech league results on Sunday:

Banik Ostrava 2 FK Pribram 0

Mlada Boleslav 2 SK Kladno 1

Bohemians Prague 2 Slovan Liberec 0

FK Jablonec 2 Viktoria Zizkov 0

Sigma Olomouc 1 FC Brno 1

Viktoria Pilsen 1 Ceske Budejovice 1

Sparta Prague v FK Teplice, Tescoma Zlin v Slavia Prague

LONDON, Sept 19, 2008 (AFP) - Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has voiced cautious optimism that Tomas Rosicky will be back in action before Christmas but admitted that the Czech midfielder's injury has been far more complicated to treat than first anticipated.

PRAGUE, Sept 18, 2008 (AFP) - Members of the official delegation of Czech side Sparta Prague were assaulted overnight prior to Thursday's UEFA Cup 1st round match with Dinamo Zagreb, Czech news agency CTK reported.

Four officials and four bodyguards were attacked in the street by some 20 baseball bat-wielding youths, according to the agency.

PRAGUE, Sept 16, 2008 (AFP) - Record Czech Republic international scorer Jan Koller confirmed his retirement from international football on Tuesday despite pleas from coach Petr Rada to change his mind.

The 35-year-old - scorer of 55 goals in 90 international appearances - said that he had spoken to Rada several times but had opted to keep his word and retire.

PRAGUE, Sept 16, 2008 (AFP) - The Czech Republic's two-time Olympic canoeing champion Martin Doktor announced his retirement on Tuesday so he can become the national team coach.

The 34-year-old - who won the 500 metres and 1000m races at the 1996 Olympics - has been handed the responsibility of coaching the team for the 2012 Olympics in London.

PRAGUE, September 15, 2008 (AFP) - Result of a Czech Republic league match on Monday:

Slavia Prague 2 FK Jablonec 0

PRAGUE, Sept 15, 2008 (AFP) - Result of a Czech Republic league match on Monday:

Slavia Prague 2 FK Jablonec 0

PRAGUE, September 14, 2008 (AFP) - Czech league results on Sunday:

Viktoria Zizkov 4 Bohemians Prague 2

SK Kladno 2 Sigma Olomouc 0

Ceske Budejovice 1 Mlada Boleslav 1

FK Teplice 1 Banik Ostrava 0

FK Pribram 2 Viktoria Pilsen 2

FC Brno 0 Sparta Prague 2

Slovan Liberec 2 Tescoma Zlin 1

Slavia Prague v FK Jablonec

PRAGUE, September 13, 2008 (AFP) - Czech football league result on Saturday:

Slovan Liberec 2 Tescoma Zlin 1

Viktoria Zizkov v Bohemians Prague

SK Kladno v Sigma Olomouc

Ceske Budejovice v Mlada Boleslav

FK Teplice v Banik Ostrava

FK Pribram v Viktoria Pilsen

FC Brno v Sparta Prague

Slavia Prague v FK Jablonec

PRAGUE, September 11, 2008 (AFP) - Former Czech president Vaclav Havel and Czech-born filmmaker Milos Forman have begun working together on a movie about the Munich agreement of 1938, local media said Thursday.

PRAGUE, September 11, 2008 (AFP) - Prague airport authorities said Thursday they planned to cut their workforce by about 10 percent starting in December ahead of privatisation.

'A detailed analysis has shown that certain positions are not needed for the airport's development,' said Eva Krejci, spokeswoman for Prague-Ruzyne International Airport.

WARSAW, September 11, 2008 (AFP) - US Democratic presidential contender Barack Obama has said he will only proceed with installing a US missile shield base in Poland if it does not target Russia, Poland's foreign minister said Thursday.

WARSAW, September 11, 2008 (AFP) - A US missile shield planned for Poland and the Czech Republic targets Russia, rather than any potential threat from Iran, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in an article published Thursday.

KOLKATA, September 10, 2008 (AFP) - A renowned Czech entomologist has been sentenced to three years in prison by a court in northeast India for collecting rare species of insects in a national park, a report said.

Emil Kucera, 52, was however granted bail to allow him to appeal, the Press Trust of India news agency reported Wednesday.

BELFAST, September 10, 2008 (AFP) - Northern Ireland held the Czech Republic to a goalless draw at a rainswept Windsor Park here on Wednesday as they gained their first point of the 2010 World Cup qualification programme.

PRAGUE , September 10, 2008 (AFP) - The Czech economy expanded at an annual rate of 4.6 percent in the second quarter, the natinal statistics office reported Wednesday, revising upward its earlier estimate of 4.5 percent.

The office also said that industrial output rose 6.7 percent in July compared to the same month last year, up from June's gain of 2.2 percent.

PRAGUE, September 10, 2008 (AFP) - The Czech government approved Wednesday an agreement on deploying US forces at a planned missile shield base, Defence Minister Vlasta Parkanova said.

Speaking after a cabinet meeting, the minister said the government had succeeded in having many of its demands included in the 34-page document.

PRAGUE, September 10, 2008 (AFP) - The Czech government approved Wednesday an agreement on deploying US forces at a planned missile shield base, Defence Minister Vlasta Parkanova said.

Speaking after a cabinet meeting, the minister said the government had succeeded in having many of its demands included in the 34-page document.