The Daily Dozen: 12 things to know about Czechia today

Czechs in U.S. election | Although voting in the U.S. midterm elections is over and some races are still too close to call, some candidates with Czechs connections already grabbed our attention. Meanwhile in Czechia, pundits worry that the results could empower the local right, with journalist Marek Svehla tweeting that the results "will bring political conservatives a little closer to (presidential candidate Andrej) Babiš."

New streaming service enters Czech market |The SkyShowtime streaming service will be available in the Czech Republic next February, according to Forbes. The platform will likely be a hit with film buffs, with a catalog of films from two representatives of two of the biggest Hollywood studios, Universal Pictures and Paramount Pictures. It also includes content from DreamWorks, UK Sky, US Showtime and Nickelodeon

Gigafactory goes on |Prime Minister Petr Fiala said that a gigafactory making batteries for electric cars will partner up with Volkswagen and an undisclosed car brand from Korea, Seznam Zprávy reports. Government and business representatives are meeting today to discuss the project, whose construction is planned near the Plzeň-Líně airport.

Drink in public, lose your booze| Police officers in Brno say that a new tactic is a win-win solution to public drinking, iDnes reports. The officers have been taking the bottles of alcohol away from people caught drinking in public, which Jakub Ghanem, spokesman for the Brno city police, says is a "legally correct" approach. Additionally, fears of future confiscation of purchased alcohol keep people from returning to the area where they had the police encounter.

Swimming pools struggle to stay afloat | Skyrocketing energy costs are forcing swimming pools to take cost-cutting measures, such as closing early, Seznam Zprávy reports. Pavel Münster, head of the swimming pool in Litomyšl, said the facility also suspended a morning fitness swimming class, and will not heat the outdoor pool at all. Other places increased ticket prices by 10 or 15 percent.

Historic steamer to connect Czechia and Poland| After two successful trips last summer, the historic steam train running from Ústí nad Orlicí to Poland's Dzierżoniów or Silesia Javorina could become a permanent feature, ČTK reports, citing a press release. Dominik Barták, spokesman for the governor's office, said that the decision depends on the success of an application for a EU funds.

Red poppies mark Veterans' Month| Pay your respect to war veterans throughout the month of November by purchasing decorative poppy flowers from more than 1,000 Czech locations. The collection marks Veterans' Day, which is celebrated worldwide on Nov. 11, and whose symbol is the red poppy. The money goes towards direct assistance to veterans and other freedom fighters through the National Remembrance Assistance Center. 

Czechia to create sex offender registry| Czech lawmakers are planning to create a registry listing sex offenders. An additional requirement also in the works is for people working with minors, such as teachers, to present an official certificate showing they have no convictions for child abuse or similar offenses. Read more here.

Colors of the fall| Using macro photography, photographer Michal Turek created unique close-ups of autumn leaves that you can see in a gallery on the Seznam Zprávy website.

Reconstructed house wins architecture award| A married couple won the main prize in the Czech Architecture Award competition for designing their family house in the Trhové Sviny town in České Budějovice district. The architects from Atelier 111 connected two neighboring houses intended for reconstruction via their backyards to a third house. You can see the result here.