News in brief for Sept. 9: Top headlines for Czechia on Saturday

Approximately 200 individuals embarked on a special cultural train journey from Prague to Berlin to partake in celebrations honoring civil society in the German capital. The event, organized by representatives of the United Islands of Prague festival and the Czech-German Fund for the Future, aimed to highlight the achievements of civil society amid contemporary challenges such as the Ukraine conflict and climate crisis.

Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský's planned attendance was replaced by Czech Ambassador Tomáš Kafka due to illness. The train featured artistic performances on board and was followed by numerous Czech and German organizations and artists showcasing their work in Berlin's Bellevue Castle gardens.

Foodora's Czech division terminated the employment of a courier after a video surfaced on social media showing him urinating next to a car carrying food orders. The video, shared by Czech influencers, depicted the courier urinating near the open car door while making a delivery. Foodora confirmed the video's authenticity and said that the courier had apologized. A company spokesperson called the man's behavior, which led to his immediate termination, unacceptable.

The company offered a refund and compensation to the affected customer. Foodora stressed that the majority of its couriers maintain high standards of conduct, with training and a courier code in place to ensure customer satisfaction.

The Czech Foreign Ministry confirmed that no Czech citizens were among the casualties of the devastating earthquake that struck Morocco's High Atlas Mountains on Friday. The ministry reported approximately 170 Czechs currently in Morocco via the Drozd travel system. Two Czech nationals were in the affected Atlas Mountains region during the earthquake, but they have been confirmed as safe.

The earthquake has claimed over 800 lives and left more than 600 others injured. Czech tourists have reached out to the embassy with inquiries about road conditions for early departure. Travel agencies are coordinating safe returns for Czech citizens in Morocco.

Sixteen-year-old Czech tennis player Tereza Valentova has advanced to the US Open girls' singles final. On Saturday, she will face American Kathrin Huiova for the title. In the semifinals, Valentova knocked out top-seeded Slovakian Renata Jamrichova despite delays that pushed the match into the late evening.

Playing under artificial lights, Valentova clinched her spot in the final. The 16-year-old Czech prospect eyes capturing the junior singles title at Flushing Meadows to emulate her idol, Novak Djokovic.

The National Security Office (NBÚ) has initiated an administrative proceeding against the Presidential Office (KPR) to investigate whether former President Miloš Zeman's letters were improperly kept in classified mode. If confirmed, the KPR could face a fine of up to CZK 300,000 for unauthorized concealment of information.

The NBÚ concluded that the KPR may have committed an offense and has launched proceedings. The KPR states that it is cooperating with the NBÚ and will provide the requested documents. Since President Petr Pavel took office in March, the KPR has actively addressed the matter.

Pharmaceutical company BB Pharma said it has increased penicillin supplies to the Czech Republic by 500 percent over the past six months, with another 30,000 packs arriving Monday. The health minister dismissed criticism about shortages, saying medicine was available but not distributed evenly.

A spike in panic buying has worsened shortages, according to officials and pharmacies. They urged reserving medicine ahead of time. The minister said he would import antibiotics himself before patients went without. Distributors aim to get each pharmacy about three packs in an upcoming delivery of 30,000 doses.

The Czech Interior Ministry proposal to continue including birth numbers in IDs could receive cabinet approval next week, despite regulations requiring their removal by 2025. The changes also update insolvency law and address concerns voiced by privacy advocates that birth numbers enable identity abuse.

Critics argue it reverses digitization progress and efforts to phase out birth numbers' use in identifying individuals to private firms and government agencies.

A convoy of three semitrailers carrying a bridge set and an accompanying vehicle has departed from Polerady near Prague for the town of Mežica, where it arrived yesterday evening. The bridge over the Meža River will then be built by Czech soldiers. Last week, Czech soldiers built the first bridge in Črna na Koroškem.

This is the second of three temporary bridges that the State Material Reserves Administration has provided to Slovenia. Around 70 bridges have been destroyed in Slovenia due to the widespread flooding.

August was a month with above-normal precipitation in the Czech Republic. The total monthly precipitation of 134 mm represented 172 percent of the normal for the years 1991 to 2020, according to the Czech Hydrometeorological Institute. The average temperature for August was 18.6 degrees Celsius, which is within normal limits, while also being the ninth warmest August since 1961.

The highest temperature recorded was 35.6 degrees Celsius, while the lowest temperature was minus 0.4 degrees Celsius. The highest daily amount of precipitation, 101.3 mm, was recorded on Aug. 26 at the station Nýdek, Filipka in the Moravian-Silesian region.