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

Hundreds of towns and municipalities across Czechia are holding rallies today in support of President Petr Pavel, organized by the Milion chvilek group. The events follow a Feb. 1 demonstration in Prague attended by up to 90,000 people. Organizers say the gatherings defend democracy, public media, and Czech sovereignty amid disputes between Pavel and Foreign Minister Petr Macinka. Over 767,000 people have signed a related petition.

Prague police are seeking public help to find 23-year-old American student Angelina Grace Backers, last seen by her ex-boyfriend on Feb. 10 in Prague 10. Her phone is unreachable, and she did not depart the country as planned. Police say she has a history of drug treatment and recent mental health struggles. Backers is 170 cm tall with medium-length black hair and brown eyes, wearing a green bomber jacket, dark striped sweater, and black pants.

Prague 2 unveiled three art installations on Feb. 14 commemorating the 701 victims of the 1945 U.S. air raid on the city. The bombing occurred when American pilots mistakenly targeted Prague instead of Dresden. The installations were created from charred beams recovered during repairs at the General University Hospital. Many residents failed to seek shelter during the alarm, as Allied planes had previously only flown over the city.

Czech Foreign Minister Petr Macinka and former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton voiced opposing views on Donald Trump at the Munich Security Conference. Macinka said Trump’s approach reflects backlash against progressive policies, criticizing what he called “gender revolution” and climate alarmism. Clinton disagreed during the panel debate. Macinka also questioned the European Commission’s democratic legitimacy, a view rejected by Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski.

The number of trains passing stop signals in Czechia stayed elevated at 177 cases last year, the Rail Authority reported. Human error and lapses by carriers or infrastructure managers are the main causes. Director Jiří Kolář said driver training and safety measures will be strengthened. Offences by individuals, especially teenagers, also rose, often linked to social media stunts. Collisions at railroad crossings increased slightly to 143.