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Prime Minister Mirek Topolánek leaves on a three-day working visit the United States on Monday. His meetings with US President George Bush and American top officials are expected to revolve around two outstanding issues in bilateral relations – the lifting of visa restrictions for Czechs travelling to the US and Czech participation in the US missile defence programme.

A court in Hradec Králové sentenced a male nurse to life in prison on Thursday for murdering seven patients and trying to kill ten more. Petr Zelenka, 31, will spend the rest of his life behind bars, after being found guilty of giving lethal injections to patients at a hospital in Havličkův Brod. The conviction makes him the worst serial killer in the country’s post-communist history.

Czech troops stationed in Kosovo as part of the KFOR multinational peace-keeping force, were called in on Thursday to reinforce local police units during a rally held at a border crossing between Serbia and Kosovo. It was their first call to action in newly independent Kosovo, unsettled by escalating Serbian protests.

If you want to see original English drama performed on a Czech stage, come to Prague’s Divadlo Minor this weekend. Saturday will see the premiere of this year’s three best plays selected by the jury of The Prague Post Playwriting Contest. The winners of the competition, organized by the English-language weekly, get the chance to see their plays produced by theatre professionals. I went to have a look at the last minute preparations at Divadlo Minor.

Under a new system presented on Thursday, foreigners who apply for either permanent residence or Czech citizenship will, from next January, have to first pass a compulsory exam in the Czech language. But why is the Czech Republic introducing this requirement? And will applicants from other Slavic countries find the tests relatively easy?

A Bucket of Blood, The Bride of the Monster and Blood Feast: what do these rather unusual titles have in common? Apparently they’re some of the worst movies ever made, and this week you have the rare chance of seeing them on the big screen. The Shockproof Film Festival got underway at Prague’s Aero cinema on Tuesday; I spoke to the festival’s organiser Petr Šaroch.

With recriminations and allegations still flying around following last week’s re-election of Czech president Václav Klaus, the opposition Social Democrat party has initiated a controversial new campaign, which it claims places an emphasis on a new style of politics in the Czech Republic.

Fidel Castro’s decision to step down as Cuban leader surprised many around the world but has been positively greeted by many – not least the United States and members of the European Union. The controversial 81-year-old dictator held power for almost fifty years, outlasting numerous US presidents as well as surviving untold attempts on his life. Here in the Czech Republic, observers say Mr Castro’s decision to step down was expected but are sceptical his retirement will in any way open the way for broader democratic change.

Czech bee colonies have been stung by a warmer-than-usual winter. The balmy temperatures in the Czech Republic over the last couple of months have provided an ideal breeding ground for a parasite which has been wreaking havoc on the country’s bee population. Experts predict that up to half of the Czech Republic’s bees could have been wiped out.

The Czech Republic remains reserved towards recognizing Kosovo as an independent country. After the former Serbian province proclaimed independence on Sunday, Czech diplomats said they would wait for a common EU strategy on the issue. But a meeting of EU foreign ministers on Monday failed to reach any joint policy towards Kosovo, and the Czech Foreign Ministry has set down its own conditions for the recognition of Kosovo.