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Bosses at the Czech Republic’s biggest car maker and biggest manufacturing concern, Škoda Auto, have moved to try and calm fears that some production could be moved to Germany to ease the fact that local plants are working full out.

A new report from the National Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Addiction has presented an alarming picture of half a million so-called problem gamblers in the Czech Republic with average debts of 1.2 million crowns. And, the report suggests, the problem is getting worse.

The Festival of Democracy, an associated programme of the upcoming Forum 2000 conference, is kicking off in Prague and other Czech cities. In its first full year, the event broadens issues examined at the conference for an even wider audience, adding a cultural component with live music, discussions and film screenings.

Czech ice hockey veteran Jaromír Jágr has just landed another NHL season, probably his last, with the Canadian Calgary Flames. And although not so keen on the snow after Florida, the player and team are upbeat about his contribution for the new season.

Two rare treasures have been discovered by chance this year in South Bohemia. One of them, consisting of hundreds of silver coins from the 11th century, has now gone on display at the Museum of Prácheň in Písek.

A top level meeting has been convened by the Czech government to try and calm an explosive situation between Prague’s licenced tax drivers and self employed drivers using the Uber application. The hastily convened meeting follows a go slow protest in the capital at the start of the week which snarled up traffic in the centre and to the international airport.

The sculptures of babies gracing one of Prague’s dominant landmarks, the Žižkov TV Tower, are coming down for maintenance. The fiberglass babies, which helped to improve the public perception of the once-hated tower, are now sixteen and in need of renovation.

The Potato Research Institute, based in the town of Havlíčkův Brod, has announced that it has managed to cultivate a new potato variety, known as “Val Blue” which is characterised by a striking blue-purple colour.

The Prague art Gallery Rudolfinum is celebrating its 100th exhibition with a number of spectacular side-events; none more so than the burial of a Soviet-made MiG-21 fighter plane.

Czech politicians have joined in the widespread condemnation of the police violence accompanying Catalonia's referendum on independence. Reacting to developments over the weekend they said the Spanish government’s policy in this matter was short-sighted, over the mark and would only strengthen the separatists.