Morning Briefing │ May, Monday 4th, 2024

* LOCAL NEWS:

A body was pulled from the Vltava near Štefánik Bridge in Prague on Sunday evening. A witness alerted authorities around 7 pm. Police are investigating the deceased’s identity, with a possibility it could be the 29-year-old Briton missing since April 27th after jumping from a party boat.

* SPORT

Ethiopian Lemi Berhanu Hayle triumphed in the Prague Marathon with a time of 2:08:44, while compatriot Bedatu Hirpaová claimed the women’s title in 2:23:41. Martin Edlman surprisingly won the Czech men’s title in 2:22:19, with Petra Pastorová (2:47:04) clinching victory among the women.

* WEATHER:

Monday should continue to be overcast and cloudy with a high chance of rain, particularly in the afternoon and evening. Daytime temperatures are expected to range between 14 and 21 degrees Celsius.

* BUSINESS:

The Czech billionaire Daniel Kretinsky is preparing to table a new takeover offer for the Royal Mail ahead of a May 15 deadline. The company, which was privatised in 2013, is struggling with heavy losses and missed delivery targets. Kretinsky has privately made assurances that there would be no compulsory redundancies as part of his plans.

* POLITICS:

Czechia withdraws Vítězslav Pivoňka, its ambassador to Russia, who has been in Prague since 2022, from office. Minister of Foreign Affairs Jan Lipavský refused to comment on the deadline for appointing the new ambassador, or their name. The minister added that the Czech ambassador in Russia will resign at the end of May.