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Czech politicians - including the prime minister - have, on the whole, welcomed President Vladimir Putin's offer of possible cooperation by Russia with the US on missile defense. The offer was made by Mr Putin against the backdrop of the G8 summit on Thursday. The move came after weeks of strong rhetoric against the US and its planned defense programme by the Russian leader. While visiting Prague earlier this week, President George W. Bush invited the Russians to come in on the project.

In his offer, Mr Putin suggested the possible use of a Russian military base in Azerbaijan. Czech officials, while welcoming Russia's return to negotiations, have indicated that a base in Azerbaijan could complement but not replace planned US installations in Europe.

Radim Obst, the state attorney in charge of the legal case against Deputy Prime Minister Jiri Cunek (charged with corruption) has been replaced by another attorney over a procedural mistake; Supreme State Attorney Renata Vesecka made the news public on Friday. The move saw strong reaction from the opposition during a parliamentary session, interrupted on Friday after both Social Democrat and Communist MPs failed to push through debate on the Cunek case. The Social Democrats have accused the government of trying to manipulate proceedings, an accusation the coalition has rejected. The Social Democrats have said they may consider calling for a vote of no-confidence on the centre-right government.

The Czech economy grew by 6.1 percent in the first quarter of 2007, retaining its tempo from the final quarter of last year. The Czech Statistical Office released the latest numbers on Friday. Trade and Industry Minister Martin Riman has called it a "good result", although it was one that was widely expected. Analysts attribute the quick tempo to high consumer spending

In other numbers, the Czech Statistical Office revealed on Friday that unemployment in the Czech Republic fell to 6.4 percent in May, decreasing from 6.8 percent a month before. Prague traditionally has the lowest jobless rate, with 2.4 percent out of work. The worst hit areas include North Bohemia's Most with 17.5 percent, northern Moravia's Karvina with 15.2 percent unemployed.

The Czech Senate has proposed that state honours be granted to the resistance group of the Masin brothers, who fought their way out of Communist Czechoslovakia in the early 1950s. It is the fourth time the Senate has nominated the Masin group. Left-of-centre representatives were against. The group this year was not nominated for the Order of the White Lion. In total the Senate nominated 25 people, among them renowned Czech author Arnost Lustig, historian Zdenek Mahler, and the late Jan Langos, the first head of Slovakia's Institute of National Memory, who died last year in a car accident.