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The Czech branch of Transparency International has long been pushing for a law that would regulate lobbying in the government and Parliament and on Monday it was able to report the first tangible result in this respect. The Czech government council coordinating the fight against corruption has agreed to prepare a draft legislation regulating lobbying similar to that adopted by the European Commission a year ago. TI’s project manager Radim Bureš says such a law is essential to making the legislative process more transparent.

On Monday, it was confirmed after weeks of speculation that Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Čech had indeed signed with crosstown rivals, Arsenal. Arsenal fans especially welcomed the move – confidant the top goalkeeper will bring new resilience to their club.

Heightened security measures are in place at Czech airports, railway stations, foreign embassies and other key institutions in the wake of Friday’s terrorist attacks in France, Kuwait and Tunisia. A meeting of the country’s National Security Council on Sunday night assessed potential threats to the country’s security and measures to deal with the ongoing migrant crisis.

Protivín, a Czech brewery in East Bohemia, is producing a soon to be released beer called Queen Bohemian Lager, marking the 40th anniversary of Bohemian Rhapsody – one of the most famous of rock songs by British legends Queen. The beer will go on sale first in Europe and then round the world.

Forensic tests have shown that remains removed a mass grave in Prague belong to a priest tortured to death by the communist secret police. Sixty-five years later, Josef Toufar is finally set to get a decent burial in the village where he was accused of faking a “miracle”.

Czech prime minister Bohuslav Sobotka has said the country should set limits on the proportion of the local media market that one or a handful of owners can corner. The call comes as European public broadcasting bosses are gathered in Prague to set goals and share insights into how they can keep and raise their profile in an ever more fragmented and competitive media market.

In just over a week’s time the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival will get underway in the picturesque West Bohemian spa town. Special guests will include Hollywood stars Richard Gere and Harvey Keitel, while as always cinephiles will seize the rare opportunity to catch scores of interesting new and classic movies on the big screen. This year’s Karlovy Vary is the 50th, so I asked artistic director Karel Och what festival organisers had done to make it extra special this time.

The Czech Republic is one of a number of EU member states staunchly refusing European quotas on the acceptance of illegal migrants. Ahead of a meeting of EU leaders, the country’s prime minister made clear the country is ready to accept refugees but only voluntarily. Meanwhile, the country’s Interior Ministry is looking into scenarios whereby stricter border controls could be reintroduced.

Czech president Miloš Zeman is set to meet with Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka and other government and parliament representatives at Prague Castle on Tuesday for the second time this year to streamline their foreign policy stances. The Mediterranean refugee crisis and the situation in Ukraine are expected to be among the main issues on the agenda of Tuesday’s meeting.

Although neither club has made an official announcement yet, it appears that Arsenal’s signing of Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Čech is just about a done deal. Čech played for 11 seasons with the Blues, helping the club win the Premier League title four times as well as the Champions League. But after he lost the No. 1 spot to Thibaut Courtois last season, it was only a matter of time before the 33-year-old goalkeeper moved on.