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Incoming European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen's new team of commissioners was confirmed in office by a vote of the European Parliament on Wednesday. The EC’s first female president promised a transformation that would touch “every part of the EU’s society and economy”, with the fight against climate change at the top of her list.

The murky death of Jan Masaryk in 1948 has been back in the news recently, after the discovery of fresh evidence prompted the reopening of the case. The new investigation is welcomed by Masaryk’s great-niece Charlotta Kotik, who says that if he had wished to kill himself he would have done it in his characteristic style.

A group of historians, educators and archivists – including from Czech Radio – has rolled out a digital app designed to stimulate students’ interest in using primary sources. The overall aim of the HistoryLab project is to develop students’ historical literary and critical thinking, and help teachers craft interactive, multimedia lesson plans.

The 1966 film Daisies by Věra Chytilová has come sixth in an extensive new BBC poll of the 100 greatest works by female directors. But what makes the surreal, anarchic Czechoslovak New Wave film such a classic? I discussed Daisies with journalist Hynek Pallas, who wrote a description of it for the BBC project.

The number of induced abortions in the Czech Republic has dropped by nearly 20 percent over the past five years. While in 2014, the Institute of Health Information and Statistics recorded a little below 22,000 induced abortions, last year it was only 18,300. One of the reasons is that an increasing number of Czechs are planning their parenthood.

One of the oldest pieces of art in the world, the Venus of Dolní Věstonice, will go on display for the first time in five years. Visitors of the Regional Museum of Olomouc will be able to view the clay statue in a special high security glass box from Wednesday.

The Czech Army’s six-year mission in helping maintain security at the Bagram military base in Afghanistan will soon come to an end. Newly, the army’s tasks will focus on monitoring and supporting Afghan special forces and operating a field hospital in the country.

Markéta Pekarová Adamová has just been elected chairwoman of the opposition TOP 09. The sole female leader of a party in Parliament is herself just 35 and is reaching out to younger voters. But her main task will surely be ensuring TOP 09 makes it back into the lower house.

The refugee support initiative Češi pomáhaji (Czechs help) has announced it has a list of around 200 Czech families who say they are willing to accept refugees currently stationed in Greek camps. At a press conference on Thursday they called on the Czech government to create a special interdepartmental group which would put the wheels in motion. However, the government says that its conditions have not yet been met by the Greek authorities.

Czech presidential elections are still three years away, provided Miloš Zeman finishes his second term. But candidates hoping to succeed him should already start building their “brand” at least two years before voters head to the ballot box, experts say. A new poll sheds light on the qualities Czechs want in their next head of state.