News in brief for Sept. 5: Top headlines for Czechia on Tuesday

Cities in the Czech Republic, including Prague, are tackling the issue of pigeon overpopulation by building urban dovecotes, iRozhlas reports. These structures provide food and water for the birds while experts replace their eggs with artificial ones to control the population.

Prague has a dovecote located near the Old Town Square, equipped with feeding stations and nesting boxes. The goal is to encourage pigeons to inhabit the dovecote and deter them from damaging nearby buildings.

Filip Minařík, the most successful jockey in Czech history, died at the age of 48. The cause of death was severe depression, which led him to suicide, according to Czech and German media.

Minařík won 1,769 horse races before suffering a head injury and breaking his leg in 2020. Despite spending several weeks in a coma, he made a remarkable recovery with the support of his wife and returned to life. Minarik's racing career spanned 11 countries, including Japan, where he achieved success.

Karlova Street in Prague's historic center was temporarily shut down today due to an incident involving a truck colliding with a gas lamp. Gas workers swiftly halted the gas supply, while the police will now conduct an investigation into the accident, as stated by police spokesperson Jan Rybanský.

The collision occurred shortly before 10 a.m. on this popular tourist route leading to Charles Bridge. To ensure safety, nearby store occupants, totaling five individuals, were evacuated. Firefighters successfully stopped the gas leak, allowing for the closure of the affected street until further notice.

From January, all old-age, disability, and survivors' pensions in the Czech Republic will increase by CZK 360. The solidary basic part of the pension will see an increase, while the merit part will remain the same. Labor Minister Marian Jurečka announced this during a press conference today.

The regulation on pension increases will be approved by the government by the end of September. The added amount will account for the growth in the cost of living of pensioners. The average retirement pension at the end of the first quarter was CZK 19,461.

Two 12-year-old girls from Prague went missing on their first day of school. Police are still searching for them and have asked the public for help. The girls were last seen in the Balabenka area of Prague.

Marie Cíglerová, who is slightly older, is described as 150-155 cm tall with black hair and green eyes. She was wearing blue jeans, a black sweatshirt, and white sneakers. Her friend, Sandra Skalická, is also 150-155 cm tall with brown hair and brown eyes. She was wearing green baggy pants and black sneakers. Anyone with information is urged to call 158.

Psychiatrist Jan Cimický has been charged with four counts of rape and 35 counts of extortion, according to a report from news site Aktualne.cz. The cases involve Cimický's female patients, who accused him of sexual harassment or assault two years ago. Cimický, a well-known doctor and writer, had previously denied the accusations and expressed his intent to prove his innocence.

The main trial is expected to take place in November. Cimický denied any guilt and criticized the police's actions, stating that he intends to actively defend himself and prove his innocence.

Czech top seed Markéta Vondroušová outlasted American Peyton Stearns 6-7 (5), 6-3, 6-2 in a dramatic three-set match to advance to the U.S. Open quarterfinals for the first time.

Vondroušová, the reigning Wimbledon champion, extended her Grand Slam winning streak to eleven matches. She will next face American Madison Keys, who defeated world number three Jessica Pegula in straight sets.

The first week of September will be accompanied by sunny and warm weather with temperatures gradually rising and reaching tropical temps, according to the Czech Hydrometeorological Institute (ČHMÚ). Fog may appear in the morning. Afternoon temperatures will range from 25 to 30 degrees Celsius, and night temperatures will rise above 10 degrees Celsius.

The sky will be clear or partly clear all week with no rain or showers expected. The warm weather is expected to persist throughout the weekend and until the middle of next week, ČHMÚ reports.

The Young Doctors' Section of the Czech Medical Chamber (CLK) is calling on politicians not to approve the proposed amendment to the Labour Code. They are also demanding a debate on the state of the healthcare system. If their demands are not met, they are threatening to stop serving voluntary overtime from Dec. 1.

CLK chairman, Jan Prada, stated that 4,000 doctors have joined the call. The young doctors are rejecting an increase in the number of hours of legal overtime and are seeking sustainable working conditions, compliance with the Labour Code, and adequate financial remuneration.

During the holidays, there were 16,024 traffic accidents in the Czech Republic, resulting in 86 deaths and 320 serious injuries. This marks a decrease of 559 accidents compared to last year's numbers. The police also handled nearly 69,000 offenses during the summer months, an increase of 2,500 offenses compared to the previous year.

Failure to pay attention while driving, incorrect turning or reversing, and inadequate lateral distance were the primary causes of accidents. The police emphasized the importance of responsible driving and cooperation to ensure road safety.