The Daily Dozen: 12 things to know about Czechia today

Turkey earthquake|The Czech Republic will send material aid such as medical equipment, trauma kits, and equipment for homeless people to Turkey on Friday, ČTK reports, citing Mariana Wernerová from the Department of Communication of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The aid for the earthquake-stricken country comes from the stocks of state material reserves. 

Nicotine ban|The Czech Senate is today set to approve a ban on the sale of nicotine sachets, otherwise known as pouches, to those under the age of 18. The sachets, which are placed between the gum and upper (or lower) lip, are designed to help people quit smoking – but their overuse can be dangerous. Read more in our article.

Parking app|The city of Prague is expanding the functionality of its Lítačka app by incorporating useful new features for the Prague Integrated Transport system's (PID) app, including the ability to pay for parking. Additionally, users can view a map of paid parking zones, navigate to a parking spot, set notifications for the end of parking validity, extend it and securely save a card for future one-click payments for parking and transit tickets. Read more in our story.

New water area|The municipality of Prague 4 will open to the public in May a new water area in the Braník neighborhood, according to a press release. The biotope cost the town hall almost seven million crowns from its own and European funds. Although the maximum depth of the reservoir will be 1.8 meters, swimming in it will not be allowed, since its purpose is to strengthen species biodiversity and educate the public. 

2-for-1 event gone wrong|A sales event held by a newly opened pizzeria in the town of Příbram held a sales event that was so successful that the owner was forced to close the restaurant after two hours and apologize to customers, pribram.cz reports. Owner Jiří Pukman said they sold enough pizzas for one month during that time, adding “The chefs were on the verge of collapse. I had to take some sedatives too." 

Masopust|This time of year sees the traditional Czech zabijačka, or pig-sticking taking place. The event's popularity has been revived in recent years, enjoyed by many for its social element amid the slow winter months, and as a means of paying homage to a firmly rooted food tradition. Read more in our article.

Prague tourism|For the first time since 2012, Prague became the most popular destination for Czech travelers in 2021. According to current data from the Czech Statistical Office, almost 1.5 million of them visited the Czech capital last year. Based on a questionnaire survey by the CzechTourism agency, around 70 percent of Czechs came to the metropolis for vacation, visit or shopping.

Looted art|The Czech state returned 14 artifacts to descendants of a Czech Jewish industrialist that had been confiscated during World War II. Four paintings from the late 18th century and early 19th century were released by the National Gallery Prague and 10 liturgical vestments by the Museum of Decorative Arts (UPM) in Prague. Read more in our story.

Czech movies|Cinephiles in Prague can catch the best Czech movies of 2022 through the first weekend in March during the Czech Lion (Český lev) film festival at Edison Filmhub. Almost all films will be shown with English subtitles. Movies screening at Edison Filmhub represent those nominated for 2023 Czech Lion awards, the Czech Republic’s version of the Academy Awards. Read more in our article.