The Daily Dozen: 12 things to know about Czechia today

Russia and Ukraine|President-elect Petr Pavel told French daily Le Monde that it is almost impossible to talk with the Russian command in this phase of the war in Ukraine, Russia must first show willingness to negotiate and submit at least a framework peace draft. Read more in our article.

Vice tax|A three-year draft plan for combatting addiction, which the government will receive by the end of this month, could bring up to CZK 15 billion annually into state coffers, national anti-drug coordinator Jindřich Vobořil said yesterday. This is because the plan includes new taxation of addictive substances and more effective tax collection. Read more in our article.

New delivery service|The Billa supermarket chain launched Monday an e-shop allowing customers in Prague and Brno to order groceries online. After evaluating the testing phase, the grocery store plans to expand the service throughout Czechia. Read more in our article, which also compares different delivery services available in Czechia.

Road traffic|A new index compiled by the Accident Portal has revealed the most dangerous intersection in the Czech Republic. Analysts compiled a detailed overview of the riskiest spots for pedestrians and drivers alike by taking a look at the number of accidents and injuries in those areas. Read more in our article.

New tram model|The first tram of a modified fleet left on line number 13 yesterday, the Prague Public Transit Company announced on social media yesterday. The tram is part of a new T3R.PLF tram series with a low floor, which makes them more accessible. Additionally, these trams have a seating arrangement of 2+1 seats in the high-floor section, and a two-colored floor to ease orientation for the visually impaired.

High-profile horse|The thoroughbred horse stolen from a stable in Litoměřice belonged to Chechen dictator Ramzan Kadyrov, iDnes reports. Czech police spokeswoman Pavla Kofrová said they received a report that the theft happened last week. According to police description, the 16-year-old stallion is an English thoroughbred bay with an irregular white star on his forehead worth around CZK 400,000.

Protected status|A new protected landscape area located at the confluence of the Morava and Dyje rivers, which form the largest floodplain forests in Central Europe, is in the works, the Environment Ministry and the regional authorities announced yesterday. The government pledged in its policy statement that Soutok will be a national park. Read more in our article.

Utilities|We spoke with the realtors at Engel & Völkers about what your rights are when it comes to utilities, including the fact that roughly about half of all landlords prefer to keep the electricity and gas in their own name. Read more in our article to find out about tenant rights, and whether it's a good idea to have utilities in your own name.

Music trivia|This day marks 40 years since the release of New Order's "Blue Monday." The song has a special meaning for those who grew up in Czechoslovakia since it served as the theme song of the TV music chart Triangel, broadcast from Bratislava throughout the 1980s.