Morning Briefing │ May, Friday 10th, 2024

* SPORT:

The 87th World Hockey Championship kicks off today in Prague and Ostrava. Matches will be held at Prague’s O2 Arena and Ostrava’s Ostravar Arena. Free fan zones have been set up near the arenas and will be open until May 26th.

* POLITICS

Czechia ought to have an ambassador in Russia, Prime Minister Petr Fiala said. However, he admitted uncertainty about how long the ambassador position would be vacant. While filling the role in Moscow is a government objective, Fiala did not provide a specific timeline. This news comes after the current Czech ambassador to Russia, Vítězslav Pivoňka, was recalled by the government.

* WEATHER:

Friday is expected to be cloudy but dry, with some spells of sunshine here and there. Daytime temperatures should range between 12 and 18 degrees Celsius.

* UKRAINE:

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had a telephone conversation with Czech President Petr Pavel on 9 May to discuss weapon supplies and preparations for the upcoming Global Peace Summit in Switzerland. Zelenskyy thanked Pavel for Czechia’s initiative to purchase ammunition for Ukraine; its implementation “will have a significant impact on the battlefield,” Zelenskyy tweeted.

* EUROVISION:

Czech singer Aiko did not qualify for the finals of the international song contest Eurovision 2024, which takes place in the Swedish city of Malmo. The artist performed the song Pedestal (“Pedestal”):