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With a new government finally in office, the focus has shifted from the country's political crisis to key foreign policy issues. In the coming months the Czech leadership will have to decide about hosting a US radar-base on its territory, consolidate its stand with regard to the EU constitution and start preparing for the country's EU presidency in 2009. The government's foreign policy team is now bigger than ever and on Tuesday President Klaus invited three government ministers to Prague Castle for some foreign-policy fine tuning.

One of the country's biggest manufacturers of kitchenware is recording millions of crowns in losses. The Italian authorities have banned the sale of a number of thermal containers made by the Czech brand Tescoma, saying the flasks are carcinogenic. Dita Asiedu reports:

The world famous Czech photographer Jan Saudek has just got his own permanent gallery near Prague's Old Town Square. It features over 100 works by the photographer, who is a remarkably youthful 71. I caught up with Jan Saudek briefly at the thronged opening and asked him: why his own gallery?

Speculation about the future of Czech football star Milan Baros ended on Monday, when the 25-year-old striker left England's Aston Villa for France's Olympic Lyon. The transfer brings to an end a period of frustration for the player, who scored just one goal in 17 league games this season for Villa

Foresters around the country are busy clearing the damage of last week's gale force winds. The extent of the devastation is still being assessed but latest estimates say four and a half million cubic metres of wood were affected - the worst damage recorded in the last fifteen years.

On Monday organisers from different Christian denominations in Prague held an open-door event at a number of important Prague churches in and around Prague's Old Town Square. From four pm onwards churches not normally accessible at this time of day, like St Salvatore's or St Nicholas' church, were kept open with organised activities meant to attract believers and non-believers alike.

Formal talks between the United States and the Czech Republic will begin soon on placing part of America's Missile Defence Shield on Czech territory. The Czech Republic will most likely host a radar and tracking station - a controversial step for a country that once hosted Soviet military installations. The move must still be approved by parliament, although no referendum is planned. The Prague-based American peace activist Gwendolyn Albert explained to Radio Prague why she opposed the missile defence system.

Seven months after the country's inconclusive general elections, the Czech Republic finally has a legitimate government. Prime Minister Topolanek's centre right coalition government made up of the Civic Democrats, Christian Democrats and the Green Party won a vote of confidence in the lower house on Friday. Of the 198 deputies present it got approval from 100. Its survival was secured by two rebel Social Democrat deputies who agreed to tolerate the government -by absenting themselves from the assembly hall - in order to end months of political

Within hours of Friday's confidence vote, the United States officially asked the new Czech government to host part of its planned missile defence system. Prime Minister Topolanek supports the proposed radar base - but will the Czech parliament approve?

This Sunday the cream of the country's regional theatres will be enjoying the limelight at a gala evening and awards ceremony at Prague's Karlin Musical Theatre. It will be the high point of the annual Ceske Divadlo (Czech Theatre) festival, which gives regional theatres the chance to come to Prague and show they can hold their own with the best the capital has to offer. Ahead of the gala evening I spoke to the festival's organiser, Marek Vesely.