Czech news in brief for December 18: Thursday's top morning headlines

Czech leaders drew criticism this week over signals of support for Ukraine, as Interior Minister Lubomír Metnar ordered the removal of Ukraine’s flag from the ministry building on Wednesday, citing a policy of displaying only Czech and EU flags. The move followed a similar decision by parliament speaker Tomio Okamura.

Ahead of Thursday’s European Council summit in Brussels, Prime Minister Andrej Babiš said Czechia supports EU aid for Ukraine but will not provide additional financial guarantees, urging that aid should continue to be financed through EU loans rather than member states assuming additional financial risks. EU leaders, including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, are set to debate future funding for Kyiv today.

A new WhatsApp scam is spreading in the Czech Republic, allowing attackers to gain full access to users’ accounts without hacking passwords or encryption, cybersecurity firm Gen warned. The scheme, known as “ghostpairing,” starts with a message such as “Hi, I found your photo” and a malicious link. Victims unknowingly pair a fraudster’s device with their account, enabling access to messages, photos and contacts for identity theft, scams or blackmail.

The European Commission has unveiled new subsidies for small, affordable electric cars as it eased its planned 2035 ban on new petrol and diesel vehicles, a shift that directly affects Czech consumers and the country’s car-dependent economy. The changes include a “superbonus” for EU-made electric cars priced under EUR 20,000 and a softer emissions target allowing limited combustion-engine sales. Prague welcomed the move after opposing stricter climate rules, warning they would raise costs and hurt buyers in Central Europe.

Prices of traditional Christmas chocolate collections in Czech stores are starting to fall, though more slowly than in previous years, according to an analysis by shopping comparison site Kupi.cz. Retailers have cut discounts and reduced package sizes to offset the high cocoa prices, which are pushing up the costs per gram. Analysts say shoppers are increasingly price-sensitive, with some turning to alternatives such as pralines, nuts, or dried fruit. The deepest discounts typically arrive after the Christmas holiday.

Czechs on Thursday are marking the 14th anniversary of the death of former president and playwright Václav Havel with commemorative events in Prague and eastern Bohemia. A performance of Havel’s satirical play Vernissage is being held at the Václav Havel Library, while Senate leaders are laying wreaths at the Havel family grave in Prague’s Vinohrady cemetery. A Christmas concert in his honor will take place at hte National Technical Museum. Havel, a former dissident and leading figure of the 1989 Velvet Revolution, died on Dec. 18, 2011, at age 75.