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Almost exactly a month ago, on January 12, the already impoverished Haiti was hit by a devastating earthquake that killed an estimated 230,000 people and left hundreds of thousands more without shelter. Anthropologist and historian Markéta Křížová is the author of the only history of Haiti in Czech, and has been following recent events there keenly. This week we discussed the situation in the country and the outlook for the future. But first I asked Křížová how often she had been to Haiti when preparing her book.

Last month spelt the end of a major six-year-project for Czech businessman Pavel Policar, the head of a company that helped build what is now the world’s tallest building, the Arab Emirates’ Burj Khalifa (until recently the Burj Dubai). At an incredible 828 metres, it is the world’s tallest free-standing manmade structure. And it was the family-owned company, Pega, based in Pardubice - founded by Pavel Policar’s father-in-law - that designed and built the world record-breaking construction elevators that helped make the tower a reality.

In his weekly TV show “Ano, šéfe!” or “Yes, Boss!,” Zdeněk Pohlreich sets restaurant owners straight. Some might say he is the closest equivalent that the Czech Republic has to Gordon Ramsay. And the Czech celebrity chef has some authority on the topic: he started cooking in 1975, then left the country shortly after the Velvet Revolution and spent some time working abroad. Since returning home, he has applied what he calls “the Western standard of cooking and service” to a number of restaurants around Prague. Zdeněk Pohlreich’s current operation

A new study conducted by Czech researchers on alcohol consumption has suggested that the problem of alcohol abuse could be worsening in the Czech Republic. The study, to be published in the Central European Journal of Public Health, suggested that as much as 30 percent of Czech men are problem drinkers while the number is 9 percent for women, risking health and possible addiction through their drinking habits.

A new book of oral history, published by Academia, takes a look at the bygone communist era in the Czech Republic from the perspective of ordinary people, that is, those who didn’t have any political ambitions. Compiled by oral historian Miroslav Vaněk and his team, “Obyčejní Lidé…?!,” or “Ordinary People,” provides a fresh take on life under communism.

Bikram Yoga, practised in a room heated to 42 degrees Celsius, is one of the most intensive forms of exercise. Sure to make you sweat, this form of physical yoga is not for everyone, but at the Bikram Yoga studio in Prague, the classroom is at capacity most of the time. Its director Tereza Bonnet-Šenková talks about what the practise entails and what the benefits of Bikram Yoga are.

This week saw the opening of a new exhibition of some of the best work by one of former Czechoslovakia’s most famous illustrators, painters as well as the father of Czech animated film, Jiří Trnka, who died in 1969. Trnka is beloved for his creative use of highly detailed and mobile marionettes, and remains a veritable favourite among children for his illustrations – not least in Jan Karafiát’s famous Broučci (Fireflies) and also Trnka’s own much loved children’s classic, The Garden – about five boys, five elephants, a curmudgeon of a tomcat and

Film versions of fairytales are hugely popular in the Czech Republic, with the likes of Three Hazelnuts for Cinderella, The Golden-Star Princess and Once There was a King staples of the television schedules around Christmas time. Many of the best loved film fairytales were made during the communist era at Prague’s famous Barrandov studios. A year ago, an exhibition organized in collaboration with Barrandov for the first time gave Czech fairytale fanatics a chance to take a peek at the original costumes used in their favorite films. This year, another

In 2007, Prague graphic design students Jan Kloss and Jakub Korouš updated the 1966 model of the classic Czech Botas sneaker for a school assignment. Little did they know that their chic version of the retro sneaker would be a huge hit. I recently met with the two young designers at their Žižkov studio.

The Prague Conservatory – teaching music and acting – is one of the oldest and most remarkable secondary schools of its type in Central Europe. Dating back roughly 200 years, the school has currently begun celebrating the upcoming anniversary of its founding with a series of exhibitions, publications and events to take place over the next 24 months or so.