Daily news summary

President to name Andrej Babiš prime minister next week

The minority government proposed by the leader of ANO, Andrej Babiš, will have nine ministers from among party ranks as well as unaffiliated experts who were not a part of the previous government, while it is expected that a number of current ministers such as Robert Pelikán, at Justice and Dan Ťok, at Transport, will continue in their posts. Four ministerial posts are to be held by women.

The exact names on the list were not made public on Tuesday, but Mr Babiš said the president had no reservations regarding any of the candidates.

President Zeman will name Mr Babiš prime minister on December 6 and the government on December 13 - in time for representatives to be able to take part in the upcoming EU summit.

The current government, headed by Bohuslav Sobotka, is to tender its resignation later this Wednesday.

Czechs ready to increase pressure on North Korea over missile tests

The Czech Republic is ready to step up the pressure against North Korea over the repeated ballistic missile tests, the foreign ministry said on its website on Wednesday.

According to the ministry, the missile programmes represent a flagrant violation of UN resolutions and should be abandoned completely and immediately.

Šlechtová confirms her candidacy as defence minister

The outgoing Minister for Regional Development, Karla Šlechtová from the ANO party, has confirmed that she is a candidate to be defence minister in the minority cabinet prepared by the ANO leader Andrej Babiš, Czech Television reported.

Mr Babiš submitted a list of ministerial candidates to President Miloš Zeman at their meeting at Prague Castle earlier on Tuesday. He refused to release the ministers’ names, saying that the president wanted to meet them before the announcement was made.

Czechs donated 7.5 billion crowns for charity last year

Czechs donated 7.5 billion crowns to charity last year, which is around half a billion more than in the previous year, according to figures released by the Czech Donors Forum on Wednesday.

Private donors provided 1.8 billion, firms donated 3.7 million and foundations and funds secured 1.4 billion crowns. Public collections raised 600 million crowns, with 30 million donated via donation text messages.

Kintera exhibition at Prague’s Rudolfinum attracted over 120,000 visitors

The exhibition by top Czech sculptor Krištof Kintera at Prague’s Galerie Rudofinum has attracted over 120, 000 visitors and has become the fourth most successful exhibition in the Czech Republic in the past four years. Entry to the exhibition, entitled Nervous Trees, is free, with the event prolonged until December 27.

NHL: Faksa scores first hat trick

Forward Radek Faksa scored his first-ever hat trick in the National Hockey League lifting the Dallas Stars to a 3:0 win over newcomers Vegas Golden Knights.

He is the second Czech this season to rack up three goals in one game, after Florida’s Radim Vrbata.

Weather

Thursday is expected to be overcast with heavy snowfalls and daytime temperatures ranging between 0 and 4 degrees Celsius.