News

The Máj department store in downtown Prague reopened on Monday following a major overhaul. Across nine floors the well-known building on the corner of the streets Národní and Spálená offers shops, restaurants, entertainment and a rooftop terrace. It also contains a Tesco supermarket.

The renovation job on the 1970s building was launched in mid 2022 and cost CZK 4.5 billion.

The first delivery of munitions to Ukraine sourced under a Czech artillery initiative will reach the country by the end of June, as promised, the Czech minister of defence, Jana Černochová, said on Sunday. Ms. Černochová told CNN Prima News that 18 countries had signed memoranda of understanding with Czechia on funding the artillery drive, with Iceland the most recent.

Ms. Černochová would not reveal if some of the artillery had already been delivered.

At the end of May, Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala said that 15 countries had signed up to the initiative, under which shells are being purchased for Ukraine from states outside NATO and the EU, pledging to contribute EUR 1.6 billion.

The minister of labour and social affairs, Marian Jurečka, says he will propose salary increases of between 7 and 10 percent from September for civil servants, culture workers, technical or non-teaching staff in education and other state employees.

Mr. Jurečka said on a Czech Television debate show on Sunday that he would put forward these planned pay rises at a meeting of Tuesday of the tripartite, which comprises government, employers and unions.

A final agreement on the increases should come in July, the minister said.

Czech national soccer team manager Ivan Hašek says he is confident his charges’ luck will change in their third and final group game, against Turkey on Wednesday. The Czechs have lost to Portugal and were held to a 1:1 draw by Georgia, leaving them with only one point so far.

Hašek, who is 60, said the German referee in Saturday’s clash with Georgia had generally ruled in the Georgians’ favour in 50-50 situations and had been overly quick to hand out yellow cards.

The coach also said the atmosphere at the championship in Germany – where many Czech fans have been attending games – could help Czechia get the necessary result against Turkey.