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New Czech government of populist leader Andrej Babiš wins a mandatory confidence vote

PRAGUE (AP) — The Czech Republic’s new government led by populist Prime Minister Andrej Babiš won a mandatory confidence vote in the lower house of Parliament on Thursday over its agenda aimed at steering the country away from supporting Ukraine and rejecting some key European Union policies.

Lawmakers voted 108-91 in favor of the coalition in the ballot that every new administration must win to govern.

Babiš, previously prime minister in two governments from 2017-2021, and his ANO, or YES, movement, won big in the country’s October election and formed a majority coalition with two small political groups, the Freedom and Direct Democracy anti-migrant party and the right-wing Motorists for Themselves.

The parties, which share admiration for U.S. President Donald Trump, created a 16-member Cabinet.

The political comeback by Babiš and his new alliance with two small government newcomers are expected to significantly redefine the nation’s foreign and domestic policies.

Unlike the previous pro-Western government, Babiš has rejected any financial aid for Ukraine and guarantees for EU loans to the country fighting the Russian invasion, joining the ranks of Viktor Orbán of Hungary and Robert Fico of Slovakia.

But his government would not abandon a Czech initiative that managed to acquire some 1.8 million much-needed artillery shells for Ukraine only last year on markets outside the EU on condition the Czechs would only administer it but would not contribute money.

The Freedom party sees no future for the Czechs in the EU and NATO, and wants to expel most of 380,000 Ukrainian refugees in the country.

The Motorists, who are in charge of the environment and foreign ministries, rejected the EU Green Deal and proposed the revival of the coal industry.

US Biathlon pushes back decision to join US Ski & Snowboard in merger of Olympic sport organizations

The U.S. Biathlon board of directors voted Wednesday to push back a planned merger with U.S. Ski & Snowboard in order to review the details after facing opposition from its community. As part of the motion, the board said it supports the principles of a rare consolidation between two Olympic sport organizations. But the board also wanted a “definitive agreement that more specifically defines them and ensures governance autonomy for U.S. biathlon.” A working group is being set up and will present a draft by late August. The board’s decision followed a long closed-door meeting to decide whether to remove the board’s chair, Bob Hall, over an ethics claim. It was dismissed. The integration became necessary, officials said, to boost biathlon’s revenues and performance. It also drew concern among athletes who felt it might hurt the sport. Hall said the alliance means a $3 million improvement to its budget over the next four years.
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