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The animals rights group We Don't Eat Animals has released secretly taken footage from twelve cow farms showing employees beating, kicking, hitting, and dragging animals behind a tractor by chains wrapped around their necks. The number of documented cases, they said, proves that these are not isolated incidents or individual misconduct, but are a routine practice. The State Veterinary Administration has said it is looking into the matter. Petr Majer, a spokesman for the Administration, told Czech Radio that the footage clearly shows that the law against animal cruelty had been violated. He said the Veterinary Administration is not ruling out the possibility of criminal charges being filed.

The government has approved a draft treaty between the Czech Republic and the Vatican, Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský announced after Wednesday’s cabinet meeting. The agreement protects the freedom of religion of citizens and legally anchors clerical services in social and health care institutions or in prisons and the army. According to the foreign minister, it ultimately protects not only the interests of the Catholic Church, but all other churches and religions that people practice on the territory of the Czech Republic. Czechia is one of the last European countries to sign a treaty with the Vatican. Minister Lipavský said the text of the treaty will be available to the public after it is signed, on October 24.

Outpatient specialists will join the two-day strike of general practitioners announced for the end of October. They disagree with the healthcare funding decree for 2025, arguing that it fails to take into account rising costs. Most surgeries will be closed on Tuesday, 29 October and Wednesday, 30 October. Emergency contacts should be available.

Hospitals will not join the strike action, although according to Milan Kubek, president of the Czech Medical Chamber the chamber supports the protest of general practitioners and outpatient specialists. He said that Health Minister Vlastimil Válek should not interpret this decision as a sign of weakness, but rather as willingness to further negotiations.

Inspectors from the Anti-Monopoly Office are conducting an investigation at the headquarters of Seznam.cz,  on suspicion that the company abused its dominant position on the market, the ctk news agency reported. The inspection, which began on Tuesday, was confirmed by Seznam, which says it is cooperating fully with the team of inspectors. Seznam.cz is the owner of the popular internet search engine of the same name, web and news sites such as Novinky and Seznam Zprávy, and is also one of the key players in online advertising on the Czech market.