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Czechs are not very mobile or quick to act. At least that is the generally accepted truth. But are Czechs as a nation really lacking in enterprising spirit, curiosity, and mobility?

An international team of scientists working to save the northern white rhino from extinction has announced a major breakthrough. They have succeeded in cultivating primordial germ cells, the precursors of rhino eggs and sperm, from stem cells. I discussed the latest achievement with Jan Stejskal of Dvůr Králové Zoo, which is spearheading the international effort to save the rhinos:

In the coming months, Czechia will employ thousands of experts from Ukraine in its arms manufacturing industry, thanks to a deal struck between Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during a meeting the pair had in October.

“Digital nomad” is a phrase that many of us have been hearing increasingly frequently in recent years. In 2021, Merriam-Webster even added the term to their dictionary. And Czechs are no exception to this trend – more and more of them are getting a taste for the digital nomad lifestyle too.

If you wander into any Czech chapel or church during the festive season you are likely to see elaborate nativity scenes on display. These ‘betlémy’, as they are known in Czech, have a long and interesting history – and a large private collection of them can be viewed at the Museum of Nativity Scenes in Karlštejn.

The EU Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA), whose headquarters are located in Prague, is set to open up to visitors from the public this Friday and Saturday for the first time since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic. The rapidly expanding agency, which manages Europe’s navigation, observation and communications systems from space, has prepared a wide array of events, ranging from a satellite image exhibition to various workshops and lectures.

Fumio Obata is a British-based Japanese comic artist who specializes in ‘comic reportage’. This summer, he spent a three-week residency programme in Prague, organised by the Czech Literary Centre in cooperation with the international Lakes Comic Art Festival , during which he worked on his new book about Franz Kafka. What sparked his interest in the writer? And how does Franz Kafka go together with comics? These are just some of the questions I asked him during his recent visit to Prague:

December 7 marks exactly 104 years since the formation of the Prague Castle Guard. The unit tasked with guarding the Czechoslovak and later Czech head of state went through several transformations during its history.

At least two-fifths of Czechs believe that victims of rape are partly responsible for the crime, for example because of the way they dress or behave, suggests a new survey commissioned by human rights watchdog Amnesty International. The good news is that the number of Czechs who hold this view has been on the decline in recent years. I discussed the outcome of the survey with Amnesty’s campaigns and advocacy manager Irena Hůlová:

Czech piano manufacturer PETROF is unquestionably one of Czechia’s best known brands. The company, based in the town of Hradec Králové, produced its first piano already in 1864. Today PETROF is the largest manufacturer of acoustic pianos in Europe and their instruments are played by musicians all over the world, among them Billie Eilish or Paul McCartney.