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Gambling on slot machines and other coin or bill operated terminals has long been a problem in the Czech Republic. According to new data, the number of pathologically-addicted gamblers in the country tops 100,000 – an increase by one-third over the last five years. Although many municipalities are now fighting for gambling venues in their vicinity to shut down, there is a new problem: quiz machines.

Repeated requests by hundreds of ethnic Czechs in Ukraine for repatriation have become a source of conflict on the Czech political scene. Though the Foreign Ministry refused to set up a repatriation programme for Ukrainian Czechs, they have found a powerful advocate: President Miloš Zeman, who is now pushing for action. But a mass repatriation of Czechs from Ukraine might put the government in an awkward position.

The government has moved to protect the Czech food market against cheap imports diverted to the country due to Russia’s embargo on food products from the EU. Importers are now required to report some types of incoming food products to two days before their arrival, and inform the authorities of their estimated retail price. But some in the Czech food industry are questioning the effectiveness of the measure.

Josef Toufar, a priest tortured to death by the communist secret police for allegedly faking a “miracle”, could be about to finally get a decent burial. Almost 65 years after he was dumped in a mass grave, his relatives’ long calls for an exhumation may be answered by the end of the year. Meanwhile, the Czech Roman Catholic Church is pushing for the cleric to be beatified.

The Czech nominee for EU commissioner in charge of justice, consumer protection and gender equality Věra Jourová faced the traditional grilling by four EP committees on Wednesday. Her performance during the three hour long question-and-answer session elicited a mixed response. Two of the four committees –those on civil liberties and gender equality – have demanded additional questions before making a final decision on whether to recommend her appointment. I asked Jakub Janda of the Prague-based European Values think tank to assess her performance

The Václav Havel Library is on Wednesday holding the conference Human Rights 25 Years After, in connection with the awarding this week of the second Václav Havel Human Rights Prize. The library, which was founded a decade ago, recently moved to new, bigger premises on Prague’s Ostrovní St. I discussed the reasons for the move – and its programme of public events – with its programme coordinator Veronika Brázdilová.

After years of delays, the controversial Blanka tunnel, a key part of Prague’s inner ring road, has finally been completed. Originally due to open in 2011, the biggest and most expensive project in the history of Prague was repeatedly delayed. On Tuesday, Prague City Hall announced that the Blanka tunnel is set to go into trial operation on December 2.

Twenty-five years ago, the West German Embassy in a normally quiet part of Prague’s Malá Strana became a refuge for hundreds of East Germans, desperately trying to escape from communism. On September 30 1989, they got the news they were hoping for, when West Germany’s foreign minister stood before them and announced they were free to emigrate to the West.

A probe into how Czech hospitals handled EU funds in the last five years has sparked a row among members of the coalition government. Health Minister Svatopluk Němeček has backed complaints by hospital directors over the audit’s alleged arbitrariness and lack of transparency. But the Finance Ministry says the probe, ordered by the EU, is a standard procedure, and accuses Mr Němeček of trying to influence its results.

Czech President Miloš Zeman has come under criticism for denouncing sanctions against Russia – in Russian – at an event organised by a close associate of Vladimir Putin’s. Mr. Zeman described the conflict in Ukraine as a civil war and said the situation was a mere “flu” compared to the threat of Islamic terrorism.