The Daily Dozen: 12 things to know about Czechia today

During her visit to Prague, the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh visited Charles Bridge, Old Town Hall, Prague Castle, and Brno. They were greeted by tens of thousands of people standing in the streets, former head of castle protocol Miroslav Sklenář, told CNN Prima. He added that Havel made it a point to introduce the Queen, an unabashed lover of animals, to his dog. "The queen came to say goodbye in his study, where his dog Ďula was waiting," Sklenář said. Read more.

A newly announced package of financial assistance from the United States to several European countries, including the Czech Republic, will encourage further investment in defense, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, said. The support in total will amount to CZK 2 billion. Austin met with Czech Defense Minister Jana Černochová, and at a joint press conference, she thanked Austin for the U.S. willingness to defend Europe. Earlier today Austin paid his respects to Czechoslovak wartime paratroopers who killed high-ranking Nazi official Reinhard Heydrich. 

A liquefied natural gas terminal was inaugurated in the Dutch port of Eemshaven in the Netherlands. The Czech Republic has leased a third of the terminal's annual capacity. Energy company ČEZ will use the gas this winter to ensure household heating. ČEZ CEO Daniel Beneš said the first ship with gas for the Czechia will arrive in the Netherlands on Sept. 19. The gas will come from the U.S. The terminal will help Czechia reduce its reliance on Russia for energy.

Král Charles III or Král Karel III? Since the death of Queen Elizabeth II on Thursday, the Czech media has been struggling with what to call Britain's new monarch. The Czech version seems to be winning so far, but the issue is far from settled. "It depends on the media and the public, which option they will lean toward, we will not issue any recommendations," linguist Pavel Štěpán from the Czech Language Institute (UJC) told news server iDnes. The Czech News Agency (ČTK) and Czech Television have started using  Karel III already.

During the first seven months of this year, some 43,964 entrepreneurs started their business activity and 29,081 entrepreneurs ended it. This made an increase of 14,883 entrepreneurs, the most since 2017. The largest increase was in Prague and the most popular sector was information and communication activities, according to research conducted for the firm CRIF – Czech Credit Bureau. If the economy slows down, the pace at which the number of self-employed people increases could also slow down, CRIF stated.

The first year of the international visual arts festival Prague Art Week 22 will begin tonight at the plaza next to the New Stage of the National Theatre at 5 p.m., where the festival center will be located. During the week, several galleries, museums, and art institutions will have tours and special events. The festival runs to Sept. 15.

Boaters might be able to sail on some sections of Czech rivers with up to 0.05 percent alcohol in their blood without the threat of a fine, the Czech News Agency (ČTK) reported. This equals approximately two deciliters of wine or two 10-degree beers. The Chamber of Deputies added the provision into an amendment to the Act on Inland Navigation. The rule would only apply to waterways where there is no risk of heavy traffic and only to pilots of small vessels without an engine The proposal has yet to be considered by the Senate and then signed by the president.

The capital of Prague, in cooperation with Prague 1, has launched a campaign that encourages tourists to respect the locals and, among other things, not to park shared bicycles and scooters on the sidewalks. The "Don't park where people walk" campaign encourages tourists to park shared vehicles in designated stands. Along with the recommendation for parking scooters, the Prague Tourist Agency recommends another 10 rules for respectful behavior when visiting the Czech capital.

The newly opened PojďCafé, part of the hall of fame devoted to stabbing survivor, Czech Wimbledon winner and tennis superstar Petra Kvitová serves up a cake featuring the athlete's likeness. The cafe is located by the Knurr Palace in Fulnek; the cake is a classic Miša and was endorsed by Kvitová herself on social media.

Glass and porcelain manufacturers are struggling with the enormous increase in energy prices. Some companies have already had to limit production. The glassworks in Blanensko shut down one of its two furnaces according to ČTK. The management of the company has already dismissed some employees. Businesses in the Karlovy Vary region are also dealing with the critical situation; some are looking to the regional government for help.

Updated data from the 2021 Census on citizenship has now been added for all residents, including persons with dual or multiple citizenship. There were approximately 45,000 such persons living in the territory of the Czech Republic at the time of the census. The vast majority of them had citizenship of the Czech Republic and one foreign country.

In total, foreigners made up 4.7% of the population in the Czech Republic during the census. Among them, the highest share of people with citizenship of Ukraine (1.4%), Slovakia (0.9%) and Vietnam (0.5%) were represented in the population. Residents with foreign citizenship from EU countries made up 1.6% of the population and from non-EU countries 3.2% of the population.

The public can express sympathies to the members of the British royal family after the passing of Queen Elizabeth II through a condolence book that will be available to the public in the British embassy in Prague on Thunovská street today from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. On the weekend and the following weekdays, the book will be available from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. PM Petr Fiala came to sign the book at about 14:00. President Miloš Zeman announced that Czech flags would be flown at half-mast at Prague Castle, the presidential seat, due to the death of Queen Elizabeth II. They will remain that way until the funeral.