Vienna  - Austria overtook Germany as a beer-drinking nation in 2008 and is now second only to the Czech Republic, the Austrian brewery association revealed on Monday.

Austrians downed 8.6 million hectolitres of beer in 2008, or 109.3 litres per person. Germany fell behind as its consumption per head dropped slightly to 108 litres, while the Czechs are expected to have comfortably defended their top position.

Every Czech drank 159 litres of beer in 2007, according to the latest available figures.

While 2 per cent more of the beverage flowed from Austrian taps in 2008, volumes in traditional beer-drinking countries like Britain, Belgium and the Netherlands fell, the brewery association said.

Budapest  - The Monetary Policy Council of Hungary's central bank announced on Monday morning t

Paris  - Nine employees of a security company were killed in an attack by presumed Islamist mil

Liberec, Czech Republic  - Lukas Bauer is finally enjoying the world championships in his native Czech Republic after being almost overwhelmed by national pressure in the run-up.

"Now I am enjoying the world championships, before it was only stress," he told a news conference on the championship rest day Monday.

Bauer won the overall World Cup title last year which led to huge medal hopes and pressure. He delivered a 15-kilometres silver on Friday but had to be content with 25th place in Sunday's pursuit.

Amsterdam  - Dutch police on Monday confirmed they had detained two men and a woman suspected of having thrown shoes at Israeli army spokesman Ron Edelheit.

Edelheit was hit on his legs by the shoes at a lecture in Amsterdam late Sunday evening entitled "After the Gaza war, what next?" which was picketed by pro-Palestinian demonstrators.

It was unclear if Edelheit had pressed charges after the incident or not.

Amsterdam police spokesman Charmene van Damme on Monday confirmed the Dutch police had detained two man and a woman, all three in their early twenties.

"They were taken to the police station and interrogated but sent home afterwards," she said.

Frankfurt  - The German football federation DFB has called on Hoffenheim coach Ralf Rangnick to elaborate on comments in which he sought to explain why two of his players turned up late for a doping test.

The federation has also called for written statements from the players, defenders Andreas Ibertsberger and Christoph Janker, who are being investigated for breach of doping regulations.

The players turned up 10 minutes late for a doping control immediately after the Bundesliga match on February 7 at Borussia Moenchengladbach.