Prague  - Slovak central bank governor Ivan Sramko said Tuesday the global financial crisis would reduce economic growth and may widen budget gaps in Slovakia, which is to become the 16th country to adopt the euro on January 1.

Speaking to reporters at a conference in Prague, Sramko said a slight increase up to 2 per cent would be permissible depending on how the funds would be used.

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, who won the 2006 election on promises to expand welfare, recently said that the 2009 deficit could slightly exceed the planned 1.7 per cent owing to the global financial crisis.

Prague - The Czech economy expanded while the country's chief export market, the 15-member eurozone, officially fell into recession, a government estimate showed Friday.

The Czech Republic's gross domestic product (GDP) grew by 4.7 per cent year-on-year in the third quarter of 2008, according to the Czech Statistical Office's early estimate.

Prague - Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski Friday called for patience before US president-elect Barack Obama makes up his mind on the fate of US missile defence plans in Eastern Europe.

Speaking to reporters in Prague, Sikorski said Obama told him he wants to make sure the system works. The minister would not say what that could mean for project's future.

"We should patiently wait until the new administration is formed and until they make up their mind," Sikorski said.

Prague- The Czech energy firm CEZ said Thursday its net profit jumped by 46 per cent to 12.3 billion koruny (608.6 million dollars) in the third quarter of 2008, from 8.42 billion koruny in the same period the previous year.

The state-controlled company reported July-September sales of 41.4 billion koruny (2 billion dollars), up by 2.6 per cent from 40.3 billion koruny last year.

CEZ saw strong results in the third quarter despite falling energy prices amid the turmoil on the global financial markets.

Prague - Roma children continue to suffer discrimination in the Czech Republic's schools, a year after the Europe's human rights court ruled that their segregation was unlawful, a Roma rights group said Thursday.

The Budapest-based European Roma Rights Center (ERRC) said a survey of 20 so-called practical elementary schools, which provide education to disabled children, showed that Roma children were overrepresented in such schools.

In a landmark verdict for the Roma activists, the European Human Rights Court ruled in Strasbourg a year ago that segregating the Roma children in such schools amounted to unlawful discrimination.

Prague - The Czech parliament's lower house Tuesday agreed to double the state's guarantee for private savings to 50,000 euros (63,770 dollars) in a bid to prevent a flight of money from Czech banks.

All 171 lawmakers present in the chamber voted in favour of the bill, which also requires presidential approval. The upper house may take up the amendment or decide to pass it on.

The Czech Republic, which is surrounded by countries that either provide or plan to provide unlimited savings guarantees, currently protects 90 per cent of retail bank deposits up to 25,000 euros.