The Daily Dozen: 12 things to know about Czechia today

Goblincore Putin|A statue of Russian President Vladimir Putin in the shape of a goblin-like figure, switching off a gas valve, has temporarily replaced the controversial monument of Soviet Marshal Ivan Konev in Prague 6's Bubeneč district today. According to artist and blacksmith Dušan Dostál, who created the sculpture, the latter will be auctioned off as part of the Gift for Putin (Darek pro Putina) initiative after 30 days. Read more.

Bribery trial|A court case against former Prime Minister Petr Nečas, his wife and former cabinet section chief Jana Nečasová, and the former deputy agriculture minister Roman Boček was reopened yesterday, according to Czech Radio. They face up to six years in prison in a bribery case connected to the passing of tax legislation in 2012.

Snow alert|Heavy snowfall is complicating traffic in southern Bohemia, according to iRozhlas. Czech police closed part of the D3 highway from Tábor to Prague after several trucks got stuck, blocking traffic for other vehicles. According to Karel Huisl from the South Bohemian Region administration and maintenance dispatch, plows and spreaders have been active on the roads of the South Bohemian Region since last night, when rain turned to snow. 

State help |Although one in four households in the Czech Republic is eligible for housing allowance, only 4 percent receive it, iRozhlas reports, citing research by PAQ Research for a joint project with the Czech Radio Czechia 2022: Life without payment. Sociologist Daniel Prokop said that almost half of people don't apply for the allowance because they "mistakenly" believe they are not eligible.

Food quality|Inspectors from the State Agricultural and Food Inspection discovered that the same 7Days Bake Rolls product with a pizza flavor had different ingredients in neighboring countries, iDnes reports. Although sold under the same name, the product on the Czech market was made with palm oil, while the version sold in Germany and Austria was made with sunflower oil. Read more.

Intrepid traveler|Czech Miroslav Račan has sailed all over the world on a boat that he built himself 16 years ago, Novinky.cz reports. His boat Sněhurka is one of only three hundred ships, including icebreakers, that have conquered the Northwest Passage. Although Račan considers the boat his second home, he still gets seasick when he returns onboard after a long stint on dry land.

Better to prevent than to cure|The prevention of up to 80 percent of diseases can be achieved through lifestyle, director of the State Health Institute Barbora Macková said at a conference on effective health promotion, ČTK reports. Czechia loses up to CZK 85 billion per year due to diseases, which represents 1.4 percent of its GDP.

Exhibition for LGBTQ+ rights|A new photo exhibition that aims to draw attention to the lack of rights for Czech same-sex couples opened in Prague inside the Masaryk railway station. One of the organizations behind the exhibition, which is titled “Children and families who are not recognized,” is “Jsme fér,” (We are fair in Czech), which is calling for same-sex couples to be able to marry legally and raise children. Read more.

Internet connection meter | The Czech Telecommunications Authority made available yesterday a new mobile application called NetTest, which measures the speed of the mobile Internet, Novinky.cz reports. The app is useful as a certified meter for basic internet connection parameters, such as upload and download speed, ping or signal level.