Prague - The Czech Republic's seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate stood at 4.3 per cent in the third quarter of 2008, the lowest in 12 years, government data showed Friday.

The July-September rate, based on EU-wide International Labour Organization (ILO) methodology, was down 0.8 percentage points year- on-year, the Czech Statistical Office said. But the fall would not hold.

"The trend came to an end. We saw by the end of the third quarter that the decrease will not continue," said Dalibor Holy, office's head of labour statistics.

Prague - The Czech Republic should not set a target for switching to the euro at a time of global financial meltdown, the country's central bank governor said Thursday.

"At a time when waters are raging not even a good swimmer would jump in," said Czech National Bank Governor Zdenek Tuma.

Speaking before parliament's upper house, Tuma said the country should not fix its currency, the Czech koruna, in the pre-entry exchange rate mechanism when financial markets and exchange rates are highly unpredictable.

Prague - The Czech parliament's lower house Wednesday approved a treaty establishing the International Criminal Court (ICC), a body set up to punish war crimes and genocide.

The Czech Republic, which takes over the European Union's six- month rotating presidency on January 1, was the last EU member to ratify The Hague-based tribunal.

The house ratified the treaty 140-6 in a vote that required a majority of 120 votes in the 200-seat chamber. Thirty-seven lawmakers abstained from the vote.

Prague - The Czech parliament's lower house Wednesday approved a treaty establishing the International Criminal Court (ICC), a body set up to punish war crimes and genocide.

Prague - The Czech parliament's lower house Wednesday postponed an initial vote on Czech-US treaties that allow the United States to place a missile defence facility on Czech soil.

The house adjourned a debate on the US project and may return to the issue on Thursday.

Czech Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek lacks a majority for the US plans in the closely divided 200-seat chamber.

Prague - The Czech parliament's lower house Wednesday began debating Czech-US treaties on placing a planned US missile defence radar base on Czech soil.

Czech Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek lacks a clear majority for the US plans in the closely divided lower house.

He cancelled a White House meeting with US President George W Bush planned for Wednesday in order to back the treaties in the chamber.

Several lawmakers for the Greens, the junior coalition partner, either reject the project or would like to wait for a new US administration before making the decision.

Topolanek asked lawmakers to pass the treaties in the first vote and postpone the second and final vote until after a new US president takes office.