Czech news in brief for February 15: Saturday's top headlines

Brno will host the MotoGP World Championship from July 18-20 after a five-year break, city mayor Markéta Vaňková confirmed. The event’s return was made possible by new ownership of Automotodrom Brno, which will now organize the races. Despite challenges with high entry fees and track repairs, ticket sales are strong, with demand comparable to previous record years. The city and region will contribute a total of CZK 70 million to the event.

Temperatures plunged across Czechia last night, dropping below -10°C in some areas. The coldest spot was Sněžka, where -13.3°C was recorded. The Czech Hydrometeorological Institute forecasts continued low night temperatures, potentially reaching -15°C early next week. Daytime temperatures are expected to stay near freezing, with occasional light snowfall. By Thursday night, the cold spell is expected to ease slightly.

Zdeněk Hřib will head the party's campaign for the upcoming parliamentary elections. At the party's national forum in Zlín, Hřib secured the leadership role, defeating Senator Adéla Šípová. Hřib, who is also Prague’s deputy mayor, aims to focus on housing, living costs, and modernizing the state. He plans to run for parliament in Prague, where he intends to strengthen the party’s election performance.

Prague Police are searching for a 14-year-old girl who went missing after leaving her home in Vestec, near Prague, on Friday afternoon. The girl, last seen at 3 p.m., was heading to a doctor’s appointment in Prague’s Smíchov neighborhood but has not been heard from since, with her phone switched off. She is 150 cm tall, has brown hair, and was wearing a white hoodie and a black-and-white checkered jacket.

Czech President Petr Pavel will participate in a panel on European support for Ukraine at the Munich Security Conference today, alongside EU and Nordic leaders. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz will also deliver speeches. The conference’s first day focused on the war in Ukraine, with concerns raised over potential U.S.-Russia talks without Kyiv. Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský is also attending.

Drivers should exercise caution today, especially in areas of higher elevation where packed or slushy snow remains on the roads. In the Liberec and Ústí nad Labem regions, ice is a concern, and snowfall continues in some areas. In the Olomouc region, secondary roads are still covered with snow. Temperatures have dropped as low as minus six degrees Celsius across Czechia. Police are responding to several accidents, including a collision between a bus and a car in Bílina.

The Czech government has approved Jan Havránek as the next ambassador to the United States, Respekt.cz reports. Havránek, currently deputy to Ambassador Miloslav Stašek, is an expert on defense and security. Other diplomatic appointments include Aleš Vytečka to Finland, Marek Libřický to India, and Daniel Blažkovec to Vietnam, with postings set for 2026. The Foreign Ministry declined to comment, citing the classified nature of the selection process.

The Czech Pirate Party will elect its leader for the autumn parliamentary elections at a national forum in Zlín today. Party chairman Zdeněk Hřib, with 12 regional nominations, is the frontrunner against Senator Adéla Šípová, who has five. The forum follows leadership changes after the party’s exit from government. Hřib, a former Prague mayor, initially declined to run but changed his stance. The Pirates will finalize candidate lists by June.

Police in Pilsen detained a 23-year-old man after witnesses reported he was loading a gun on a tram. Officers found a weapon and live ammunition in his possession, later determining it was a toy gun. The man was taken into custody, and the toy was secured for examination, police said. The incident, which occurred just before 11 a.m., prompted a swift response from local authorities.

Czech police have charged two foreign nationals, aged 28 and 39, for endangering the public and property damage after an attack on a truck on the D5 highway near Pilsen. The Jan. 27 incident involved a BMW passenger allegedly breaking the truck's side window—possibly using a slingshot—while overtaking. The attack, recorded by another truck driver’s dashcam, led to no injuries. Police are investigating the exact method used in the assault.