News

Czechs have until 4 p.m. (CET) today to request voter ID cards if they plan to cast ballots outside their home district in this week’s parliamentary elections. The same deadline applies for citizens abroad who wish to collect documents for voting by mail at embassies. Nearly 11,000 of the 27,500 registered expatriates have already applied for postal voting in its first-ever use. At 2 p.m., the deadline also expires for candidates to withdraw or be removed from party lists. Ten nominations have been cancelled so far, including two from the South Moravian Spolu coalition linked to a hospital scandal. Voting takes place on October 3 and 4.

Prague Zoo director Miroslav Bobek will resign at the end of October following criticism from current employees and former staff who have recently spoken out about his behavior. Bobek, who has led the zoo since 2010, has denied allegations of bullying and harassment.

He said the campaign against him is harming the zoo and he does not want the situation to undermine years of work and development. Bobek added that during his time as director, he believes the zoo achieved many successes, expanded, and attracted more visitors. He also said that his high standards were aimed at improving the zoo, but he always demanded the most from himself.

Czech canoeists Gabriela Satková, Martina Satková and Adriana Morenová won gold in the women’s team event at the Canoe Slalom World Championships in Penrith, Australia. They delivered a clean run and finished more than three seconds ahead of Germany. Britain took bronze.

The Czech women returned to the top after three years in this non-Olympic discipline. Previous world titles came in 2021 and 2022 with Tereza Fišerová. The Czech men’s trio of Jiří Prskavec, Vojtěch Heger and Adam Král placed eighth.

The Museum of Literature in Prague is displaying newly discovered parts of the manuscript of The Good Soldier Švejk. The exhibition opened on Tuesday and runs until October 2. Visitors can also see the first volume of Jaroslav Hašek’s famous novel with a personal dedication never shown before, along with rare archival materials.

The discovery was announced on August 28, when researchers found the texts in the estate of Hašek’s publisher, Karel Synek. Written or dictated by Hašek until his death in 1923, the manuscript is part of The Fateful Adventures of the Good Soldier Švejk During the World War, a satirical classic and one of the most translated Czech works.