Czech news in brief for June 24: Wednesday's top morning headlines

Good morning, Dagmar Havlová has withdrawn her consent for the Václav Havel Library to use her late husband's name, raising serious questions about the institution's future. The debate has been among the most closely watched in recent months. Yesterday's tense day-long police manhunt across three regions ended with the arrest of an armed teacher in Prague's Strašnice district. And a petition to give women some monthly relief has racked up thousands of signatures. Good morning, here's your headline mix.

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Dagmar Havlová has formally withdrawn consent for the Václav Havel Library to use the former president's name, telling ČTK she has lost confidence in the institution's current management and direction. Without those personal rights, the library cannot legally continue operating under its existing name.

The backstory: The move follows the withdrawal of major sponsors Zdeněk Bakala and Karel Komárek, all apparently responding to the board's decision to place director Tomáš Sedláček on "work obstacles," effectively freezing him out. Sedláček refused to resign. The board says it is seeking legal analysis and will meet in the coming days.

Police arrested a 55-year-old teacher in Strašnice yesterday after a search spanning Prague, Central Bohemia, and the Hradec Králové region. The man, who had ties to a vocational school in Čelákovice, was armed and in a poor mental state. Police evacuated the school, guarded two ministries, and conducted preventive patrols across several towns before catching him in the afternoon. The mayor of Křinec, where he lives, said he had been "an orderly citizen until now."

In addition: The man held a weapons permit but had no registered weapons police confirmed he was carrying at least one pistol.

A petition calling for legally protected menstrual leave in Czechia has gathered more than 26,000 signatures since launching last Monday. Modelled loosely on Spain's 2023 system, which requires a medical certificate and allows three to five days off per month, the proposal targets women experiencing severe symptoms, not a blanket benefit. The petition notes that current options require either a GP visit for sick leave or reliance on employer goodwill for time off.

Severe stats: According to National Geographic figures cited in the petition, up to 91 percent of women of reproductive age experience painful menstruation; 29 percent describe it as severe.

Kindergarten abuse: isolation rooms, slapped hands

Czech Radio's investigative team has mapped cases of inappropriate behavior by kindergarten teachers, including physical punishment, humiliation, and locking children in separate rooms. The Czech School Inspectorate received 175 complaints about kindergartens last school year, 42 concerning teacher conduct. In one Prague case, a three-year-old was repeatedly left alone on a toilet when she cried.

Parents afraid to report: Five complaints last school year specifically cited physical punishment, including slapping and hair-pulling. A lawyer specializing in children's cases told Czech Radio that parents are often reluctant to report for fear of being seen as "problematic."

The Czech Food Chamber is warning that parcel boxes can exceed 50°C in summer heat; enough to melt chocolate, burst kombucha bottles, and destroy probiotic bacteria. Discounts may be tempting, but the risks are real: steamed bread molds quickly, honey loses enzymes, and nut butters separate.

Best bets: The chamber recommends ordering food only from retailers using refrigerated vans, or picking up in air-conditioned shops. Safe bets for box delivery: pasta, rice, oats, tinned goods.

Shakespeare comes to the castle. The 29th Summer Shakespeare Festival opens at Prague Castle's Supreme Burgrave's Office this evening with The Comedy of Errors, one of Shakespeare's earliest and, by all accounts, most chaotic comedies. Two English performances are on the line-up.

Playing Prague gets an upgrade. The mobile game that drew 102,000 downloads in its first year returns with ten new levels and locations beyond the center, including the Old Wastewater Treatment Plant in Bubeneč and the Klementinum. A PC version will arrive within two weeks. Five levels cost CZK 99; the basic version stays free.

Little Hanoi, Next Generation. A grand ceremonial gate, banh mi baguettes, plastic chairs, and dozens of personalities who are both Vietnamese and Czech. The Little Hanoi, Next Generation exhibition has started, revealing the stories of Czechia's largest minorities. Opening in Holešovice Hall 11.