The Daily Dozen: 12 things to know about Czechia today

Goldcrests (known as králíček obecný in Czech) are some of the most frequent birds that animal rescuers have been getting calls about in recent days, Metro reports. Kateřina Landová from the Prague Animal Rescue told the newspaper Metro that Prague was "an important migration hub" for goldcrests, leading to instances of birds flying into windows and glass façades of buildings, for instance in an office park in Prague 4.

People who find injured birds should put them in a box, in a dark and quiet place, and call Prague Animal Rescue at 774 155 185.

A study by the Center for Public Opinion Research (CVVM) cited by iDnes showed that life satisfaction ranks high among Czechs. The respondents answered the question "Taking all the circumstances into account, how satisfied are you with your life at present overall?" using a scale to rate their life satisfaction on a scale of 0 to 10, with zero being "completely dissatisfied" and ten being "completely satisfied."

The average values ​​of answers stood at 6.8, which confirms "life satisfaction among Czech citizens does not change over time and remains significantly above average."

Between January and September, the number of new HIV infections were about 18 percent higher than during the same period last year, Czech Radio reports, citing data from the National Institute of Health. So far this year, Czech health officials recorded 221 HIV infections, with more than half of the positive cases registered being foreign nationals.

The Czech Republic experienced one of the largest increases in the price of electricity in the first half of 2022, compared to the same period in 2021, Eurostat reports. The EU's statistical office noted that household electricity prices increased in 22 EU countries during that time, with Czechia experiencing a 62 percent increase, followed by Latvia with 59 percent. Electricity prices in several countries dropped due to governmental subsidies, allowances, and regulations, with the largest drop by 54 percent happening in the Netherlands.

A fire on the ground floor of an apartment building in Frýdek-Místek injured 4 people and led to the evacuation of 25, according to a press release from the local firefighting service. The fire was caused by the charging of lithium-ion polymer batteries in the apartment. Preliminary estimates put the damage to the apartment and the façade of the building at CZK 1 million.

The exhibition of Prague-born Slovak sculptor Mária Bartuszová is one of the highlights of this season at the Tate Modern in London, ČTK reports. The exhibition brings together many works by the abstract artist that were seldom exhibited before in the UK.

According to the press release, Bartuszová "shaped the sculptures by pushing, pulling, or submerging them into water, creating unique and distinct shapes" that suggest "raindrops, seeds or eggs," or the human body. "Later, she allowed the balloons to burst, creating delicate works similar to cocoons or nests."

The Czech Republic has one of the lowest percentages of children (under 18 years of age) in the EU at risk of poverty, Eurostat reports. While the share among the population of the EU was 24.4 percent of all children, the number stood at 13.3 percent in the Czech Republic. The country with the lowest such population was Slovenia with 11 percent, whereas at the other end of the scale stood Romania with 41.5 percent, according to the EU's statistical office.

The fines for Prague restaurants found to be in violation of health standards totaled CZK 120,500 in September, Pražská Drbna reports. Some of the violations recorded were a kitchen ceiling with paint peeling off, inappropriate meat storage, and storage of dishes and utility containers in the hall in front of the toilet. Out of a total of 158 ​​inspections, 21 were initiated by the public, the majority of them after people suffered from health issues after eating in those restaurants.

Fio banka will move its headquarters to the newly built office complex close to Masarykovo nádraží, Seznam Zprávy reports. "Fio banka is the largest tenant in Masaryčka so far," said Pavel Streblov, director of Penta Real Estate for commercial construction. Fio banka said that the motivation for the planned move is the growth of the financial institution and the commensurate growth in the number of its employees.

Police from the Hradec Králové Region said that a two-year-old boy who disappeared on the evening of Oct. 29 was safely returned to his family after walking 3.5 kilometers, according to a press release. The incident happened in Rychnovska near Sedloňovo, and involved a search party consisting of police, professional and volunteer firefighters from Rychnovsko, and members of the mountain rescue service.

Despite a significant number of coronavirus infections at the start of autumn, the situation is different compared to the same time last year, according to Czech Vaccinology Society chairman Roman Chlíbek, Seznam Zprávy reports. This is due to the high numbers of people vaccinated against the Omicron coronavirus version. Chlíbek added that even those who have been infected this year should not hesitate to revaccinate.

After five years, the UK band Placebo returns for a concert tonight at Prague's O2 Arena to promote their latest album, according to O2 Universum. Singer Brian Molko said that "Never Let Me Go" was a "true story told through the lens of paranoia, utter disgust with the values ​​of modern society and the deification of surveillance capitalism."

The band has sold more than 13 million albums worldwide to this date, and had five albums in the top ten of the UK charts.