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President Petr Pavel appointed ANO party leader Andrej Babiš prime minister at Prague Castle on Tuesday morning. Babiš returns to the post after nearly four years and will become prime minister for the third time. At 71, he will be the oldest politician to lead a Czech or Czechoslovak government.

The rest of the cabinet—formed by ANO with the Freedom and Direct Democracy (SPD) party and the Motorists' party— will be appointed on Monday, 15 December.

With the cabinet in place, Babiš will be able to attend the European Council meeting scheduled for 18–19 December. Before Christmas, he also hopes to convene two cabinet sessions. The new government will likely have to draft its own budget, as the coalition parties are dissatisfied with the version submitted by the outgoing administration of Prime Minister Petr Fiala (Civic Democrats).

Czechia will become the first country in Europe to operate S-70M Firehawk helicopters, which the Police Air Service will use for firefighting, rescue and police missions. Because the new aircraft are financed from EU funds, they will also be deployed in international rescue operations, said Monika Kowalczyková, head of Czech Aviation Service (ČLS). She signed the purchase contract with manufacturer PZL Mielec today. The Interior Ministry has framework agreements for up to three new Firehawks and three refurbished UH-60L Black Hawks. Firehawks carry an integrated firefighting tank and can load water on the ground, allowing safer night operations. Their equipment can be removed within an hour, enabling multi-purpose use.

Prague recorded about one-third fewer new hepatitis A cases in November than in October, suggesting a possible stabilisation of the outbreak, the city’s health authority said. Last week, 40 new infections were reported; since January, 1,291 people in the capital have fallen ill, compared with just 37 in all of 2024. Officials say prevention efforts and targeted vaccination of people experiencing homelessness are helping. In November, 228 cases were reported, including 31 among homeless people and two linked to travel abroad. Nationwide, 2,880 cases have been recorded this year, the most since 1984, with Prague accounting for over 40 percent.

Slavia Prague visit Tottenham this week needing points to stay in contention for the Champions League knockout stage. Still without a win, they have three draws and sit 31st among 36 teams, with Barcelona and Pafos still to come. Coach Jindřich Trpišovský expects to have striker Tomáš Chorý back and says the team “has the tools” for a strong display. Ending Tottenham’s 22-match unbeaten European home run will be demanding. Spurs, led by Thomas Frank, are mid-table in the Premier League and 16th in the Champions League standings. The match starts on Tuesday at 9 pm Central European Time.