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One week after the start of the Winter Olympics in Vancouver, the Czech team has won one gold and one bronze medal and are hoping more will follow before the games are over. But it seems that the Czechs have also impressed in one unofficial contest – fashion.

The Czech Republic’s controversial institute for studying its Nazi and Communist totalitarian past is to take a new course. Its current director and one of the main forces behind the institute’s creation was surprisingly voted out of office. We report on the vote and the prospects for the troubled institute under new management.

Now, ever gone on holiday and been forced to leave your teddy bear at home? Well, fear not, a Czech tour operator is launching what looks like a world first for tourism – holidays for cuddly toys. Starting from 90 euros you can send your teddy bear or other furry friend on a luxury trip to Prague or other Central European cities – you’ll even receive a photo album with his holiday snaps. Earlier we spoke to the man behind the idea, Tomio Okamura.

The Czech Republic has been covered in snow and ice for over a month and many people are thoroughly tired of the weather here. But one group of Czech Michael Jackson fans have taken advantage of the freezing temperatures and have created an ice statue of the late pop singer. What’s more, they want a permanent memorial to Jackson built in Prague.

The Czech hockey team has gotten off to a winning start in its first game at the Winter Olympics, beating their former federal partners Slovakia 3:1 late Wednesday. The Czechs drew first blood in the match but the Slovaks soon tied. After that it was close almost all the way.

On Wednesday, the Supreme Administrative Court in Brno delivered the first-ever verdict outlawing a political party in the Czech Republic. It ruled in favour of the government’s proposal to ban the far-right Workers Party on the grounds that it spreads xenophobia and racial hatred. Sarah Borufka has the details.

Sixty-five-years ago, shortly after midday on February 14th, 1945, a fleet of 62 U.S. Air Force bombers dropped their deadly cargo on Prague in the mistaken belief they’d reached their intended target Dresden. A total of 701 civilians were killed and dozens of buildings – including Prague’s largest synagogue - were destroyed. As soon as the all-clear sounded a Red Cross photographer named Stanislav Maršál went out into the streets to document the aftermath; he was so traumatised by what he saw that he hid the photos away for sixty years. Now, five

Some of the earliest silver coins discovered in the Czech lands feature in a new exhibition that has just begun at the National Museum. Many were minted in Prague, and some were found during reconstruction work at Prague Castle. And, says the show’s curator, the coins were used in the buying and selling of slaves.

The widely respected Czech photographer Werner Forman, who settled in Great Britain in the late 1960s, died in London on Saturday. His work took him to many parts of the globe and reflected the best and worst of the world around him – from atrocities committed in concentration camps to precious works of art. He wrote about 40 books on ancient and oriental cultures and his archive contains some 15,000 photographs of archaeological sites, architecture and art from the great museums and private collections from all over the world. Ruth Fraňková spoke

Czech security experts announced on Monday they had uncovered a global botnet network allowing hackers to steal private information by tapping private modems and other computer devices. The viral network, dubbed “Chuck Norris” after the brawny Hollywood star, was used to gain everything from banking passwords to personal info. It is only the second time Czech experts have seen such a system in use, saying on Monday that individual users and small businesses were at the greatest risk.