PRAGUE (AP) — Populist billionaire Andrej Babiš said on Thursday he would get rid of his major businesses by moving them to an independent trust in order to be able to become the prime minister again.
Babiš said he believed the move would help him avoid a conflict of interest that could arise from his private dealings and his political status.
“I’ve decided to take a step that I never thought I would take,” Babiš said in a video message on Facebook.
“I’ve decided to irrevocably give up the Agrofert company, with which I will never have anything to do again, I will never own it, I will have no economic relations with it, and I will not be in any contact with it,” he said.
President Petr Pavel said after the announcement late Thursday he would appoint Babiš as prime minister on Tuesday.
Babiš, a former prime minister, owns some 200 companies under the Agrofert conglomerate.
He said an independent trustee will be in charge of Agrofert in a trust fund while it will be under control of an independent protector until he dies and then his descendants will inherit it.
Pavel asked Babiš last month to form a new government after his ANO (YES) movement won parliamentary election and said last week he was ready to swear him in as prime minister within a week if the businessman clarifies how he plans to avoid a conflict of interest.
ANO and two other small political groups, the Freedom and Direct Democracy anti-migrant party and the right-wing Motorists for Themselves, agreed to form a majority coalition government.
The parties have agreed to create a 16-member Cabinet with ANO holding eight posts and the prime minister. The Motorists would have four and the Freedom party three.
The three parties forming the coalition are critical of the EU and reject several of its policies, particularly on environment and migration. They are also expected to steer the country away from supporting Ukraine in its war against Russia’s invasion.
FILE - This photo combination shows Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis, left, March 7, 2019, in Washington and Czech Republic's President Petr Pavel in Washington, July 10, 2024.. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, Matt Rourke)
JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — An earthquake in Indonesian waters set off small tsunami waves Thursday morning, killed at least one person and damaged houses and buildings, officials said.
The magnitude -7.4 earthquake was centered in the Molucca Sea at a depth of 35 kilometers (22 miles), the U.S. Geological Survey said.
Tsunami waves were recorded at several monitoring stations less than half an hour later, including in Bitung with a height of 20 centimeters (8 inches) and in West Halmahera with a height of 30 centimeters (a foot), according to Indonesia’s Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Honolulu said waves of 5 centimeters (2 inches) were recorded in Davao in the southern Philippines, but there was no threat for more distant areas about three hours after the quake.
Strong shaking lasting 10 to 20 seconds was felt in Bitung, a coastal city in North Sulawesi province, and surrounding areas, as well as in Ternate city in neighboring North Maluku province, according to Indonesia's Disaster Management Agency.
Initial assessments showed light to moderate damage in parts of Ternate, where local disaster officials reported that one church in the Batang Dua Island district was affected and two houses were damaged in South Ternate. In Bitung, damage assessments were still underway, the agency said.
Indonesia's Search and Rescue Agency reported a 70-year-old woman died in North Sulawesi's Minahasa district and another resident was injured.
“At this stage, caution is still required, particularly for communities living along the coast,” Disaster Management Agency spokesperson Abdul Muhari said in a statement. He urged residents not to return to beaches or coastal areas until authorities issue an official all-clear.
At least two aftershocks were recorded following the main quake, both offshore. Officials said neither aftershock had tsunami potential, though they were felt in affected areas.
“We had just woken up and suddenly the earthquake hit... we all ran out of the house,” Bitung resident Marten Mandagi said. “The shaking was very strong,”
Mandagi said he had not seen any damage in his area. “We’re still checking whether there is damage or not. But here we are safe, there are no casualties or destruction,” he said.
Indonesia, a vast archipelago of more than 280 million people, sits on major seismic faults and is frequently hit by earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.
Police officers inspect a damaged building following an earthquake in Manado, North Sulawesi, Indonesia, Thursday, April 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Tonny Rarung)
Onlookers gather as police officers inspect a damaged building following an earthquake in Manado, North Sulawesi, Indonesia, Thursday, April 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Tonny Rarung)
