The Daily Dozen: 12 things to know about Czechia today

The principles of the United Nations are threatened by Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský said at the 77th session of the UN General Assembly in New York last night. Lipavský quoted Czechoslovak and Czech president Václav Havel and called on world leaders not to be indifferent. He said the Russian invasion not only violated the UN Charter, but also seriously harmed the global economy, food safety, and the international order. He later met with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and discussed Czech–U.S. ties.

The government agreed to raise the living and subsistence minimum from January, the Czech News Agency reported. Child allowances will also be raised. It is not yet clear how much the minimum and allowances will rise, but it should be around 30 percent. Labor Minister Marian Jurečka said the coalition wants to wait for the current inflation data from the Czech News Agency.

Municipal and Senate elections will be held in the Czech Republic on Sept. 24 and 25. The outcome of the municipal elections will determine the next mayor and City Council. They will also determine the composition of the local district authorities. Elections will also take place for senators in the Prague 6, Prague 10, and Prague 11 districts. Expats who are EU citizens can vote in the municipal elections but not in for the Senate. The deadline to register, though, has passed.

The Czech Republic qualified yesterday for next year's World Baseball Classic, the website for Major League Baseball reports. Czech players scored a 3-1 win against Spain in the final game of the Regensburg Qualifiers for the 2023 World Baseball Classic. This will be the Czech team's first appearance at the World Baseball Classic. The feat is even more remarkable given that the Czech team is composed of homegrown players who play in Extraliga, whose games only take place Friday through Sunday. 

The Museum of Bohemian Paradise in Turnov will display replicas of the garnet jewelry made for the late Queen Elizabeth II in 1996. The collection includes a necklace, a bracelet, a brooch, a pair of earrings, and a ring. They will be displayed until Oct. 30. The copies were made at the same time as the original. In more royal news, the area around the English College in Prague’s Vysočany district may be called náměstí Alžběty II (Elizabeth II Square) in the future. The district approved the proposal but the final decision has to be made by the Prague City Council.

The annual poll for the Czech Tree of the Year (Strom roku) was won by a 300-year-old pear tree in the village of Drásov, Central Bohemia. The tree is located about 25 meters from the entry to the shaft of a uranium mine. The tree, which beat 11 other finalists, was praised for its ability to survive in the harsh environment. It is the second fruit tree to win in the 20 years the poll has taken place. The tree will now compete for the title of European Tree of the Year.

After the Honda Africa Twin motorcycle of a Chilean traveler on a world tour disappeared in Prague, members of the Prague motorcycling organized a fundraiser to replace the vehicle. The bike was stolen on the night of Sept. 13, and Abel Rodriguez found some of his possessions from the trunks strewn on Voroněžská Street. People responding to his now-deleted Facebook post have given him a new motorcycle, repaired his damaged clothing, and given him food and shelter. A donation bank account has received almost CZK 250,000. 

The Czech village of Lodenice finds itself at the center of a worldwide vinyl revival trend, Deutsche Welle reports. Lodenice, with around 2,000 inhabitants, is home to the biggest vinyl record producer in the world. GZ Media's daily production is around 350,000 vinyl records, CEO Michal Štěrba says. Back in 1994, it pressed the same number annually. The total for last year stood at 56.5 million records. Artists they have printed for include the Rolling Stones, Black Sabbath, and Ariana Grande. The U.S. vinyl market registered sales of 22 million units in 2020.

As part of the Czech presidency of the EU, the National Archives in Prague 4 is displaying numerous maps and plans of Prague and the Czech lands from the 17th to 19th centuries, as well as artifacts like a piece of gold and quartz from a mine in Jílové u Prahy. The show called "Czech Lands in the Middle of Europe' runs to Oct. 30, and is broken into themes of what divides and joins Europe, along with the impact of Bohemia on Europe.

The newly established animal rights non-profit organization Zvířecí ombudsman (Animal Ombudsman) supports introducing video cameras in slaughterhouses, Metro.cz reports. Member of European Parliament Jiří Pospíšil created the organization in response to increasing inquiries from the press and public about animal abuse. The organization also offers assistance in legal issues involving animals. Spain adopted cameras in slaughterhouses at the end of August to prevent the torture of animals.

On Sept. 22, 1575, Rudolph II received the crown of Bohemia in a ceremony held in Prague's St. Vitus Cathedral. A year later, he succeeded his father Maximilian II as archduke of Austria, and also became Holy Roman Emperor. Rudolph II's love for Prague turned it into the most important city of the empire, and a thriving art center. His interest in the occult also brought in bright minds from all over Europe, such as astronomers Tycho Brahe and Johannes Kepler and several notable alchemists such as John Dee and Edward Kelley.

Rising Hollywood star Ana de Armas recently told Vogue that a Pilates studio in Prague was what got her hooked on the exercise while filming "The Gray Man." “I’ve been going to this beautiful Pilates studio very close to my hotel,” she said. “It’s in this gorgeous old majestic building on the top floor with windows to the river.” The action drama, which was the most expensive film ever made by Netflix, used Prague both as itself and as four other cities: Bangkok, Baku, Vienna, and Berlin.