Czech news in brief for November 23: Sunday’s top afternoon headlines

The ministerial nominations of the incoming ANO, SPD, and Motorists coalition will be approved by the coalition council on Tuesday evening, ANO deputy chairman Karel Havlíček said in a Czech Television interview. He stressed that all three parties must agree on the final list. If the coalition agrees on Motorists MP Filip Turek as foreign minister, Havlíček said he would respect the decision.

The Czech Hydrometeorological Institute has issued a warning for possible ice formation in South Bohemia, Vysočina, and parts of Central Bohemia from 6 p.m. on Monday to 9 a.m. on Tuesday. Freezing rain may cause slippery roads and pavements, creating hazards for traffic and pedestrians. Meteorologists expect snowfall from the west, with isolated freezing precipitation in the southeast.

A survey by NMS for Czech Radio shows that over 70 percent of Czechs are against displaying foreign flags on state buildings. Two-fifths support flying only the Czech flag, while about a third favor also including the EU flag. Support for foreign flags is higher among voters of the outgoing government and the Pirate Party, while SPD and coalition partner voters largely back only the Czech flag.

The Czech Ministry of Health has proposed changes to the drug regulation, easing conditions for medical use of psilocybin from magic mushrooms and the chemical GBL, while tightening controls on HHC, THC, MDMB-PINACA, and muscimol from the fly agaric mushroom. The draft also bans 20 new synthetic derivatives linked to recent fatalities. The rules, affecting research, medical use, and industrial applications, would take effect from Jan. 1, 2026.

Police are investigating the death of a 42-year-old man from Mladá Boleslav who was reportedly stabbed following a verbal dispute. A 54-year-old suspect has been detained, police spokeswoman Michaela Richterová said. The victim died at the scene from serious injuries. Authorities have ordered a forensic autopsy and are continuing to examine all circumstances surrounding the incident.