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Africa Day, celebrated both on the African continent and around the world on May 25, is an opportunity to take stock of the continent’s development, achievements and problems. Today Africa is frequently mentioned in connection with the migrant crisis and the need to help the hundreds of thousands of people who are displaced or leave their homes due to military conflicts, drought or extreme poverty. I spoke to Lenka Pešková about how the Czech branch of ADRA (Adventist Development and Relief Agency) is helping in Ethiopia, presently the biggest host

The Czech Development Agency was set up in 2008, under the Czech Foreign Affairs Ministry, with the aim to help eradicate poverty in the world and contribute to sustainable development. Where is it helping today, how much money is it distributing and how successful is it in improving the lives of people in different parts of the world? Those are just some of the questions I discussed with the head of the agency Michal Kaplan.

The general director of the Czech National Museum has just signed an agreement committing the institution to helping Syria save, preserve and conserve much of its cultural and historical heritage damaged by six years of war. At the Prague signing, Michal Lukeš and his Syrian counterpart were on hand to describe the task they face.

Researchers from Brno’s Masaryk University are engaged in an extensive study mapping the effects of toxic substances in the environment on the health of the population. An EU grant for a modern biobank will enable them to take further a pan-European project that Brno scientists joined in 1991. The aim is to study the impact of the environment from embryo stage through life, on three generations of people. Jana Klánová, head of the Brno-based Research Centre for Toxic Compounds in the Environment, explains what kind of research this involves.

Petr Vidner has a life-long fascination with steam locomotives. While most of his childhood friends packed up their miniature trains sets years ago, Petr transformed his hobby into bigger and better things -he built the second largest mini-train railway in the country. Ten years on, his home in Skalsko attracts visitors from far and wide.

The increasingly frequent occurrence of floods, droughts and extreme heatwaves in the past decade have led the Czech government and local administrations to consider long-term measures to moderate the impact of these excesses. The Prague City Council is currently debating a long-term strategy that should gradually prepare the capital for the inevitable impacts of climate change. I spoke to Klara Sutlovicova from the Prague-based environmental think tank Glopolis about the measures that would be most effective and what other cities are doing to protect

Twice a year Prague’s New Town Hall hosts the city’s biggest Antique Fair. This year´s spring edition of the traditional event, held from April 20 to April 23, presents antique jewels as well as gemstones and small collectors’ items, which are not only exceptional pieces of art but serve as a good investment. Many are antique family jewels with a long history that their owners were forced to sell after fleeing from wars or revolutions in their native country.

Prague’s famous 15th century astronomical clock, known as Orloj, is one of the oldest and most elaborate clocks ever built and one of the city’s best-known landmarks. Its main attraction is the procession of twelve wood-carved saints – St. Paul and eleven apostles - who come out on the hour. This spectacle is watched and recorded by approximately 700,000 tourists every year. However a major reconstruction of the tower and clock, which is just getting underway, will mean that tourists will have to forego this particular attraction for more than half

The discovery of the remains of a Neolithic settlement on Czech soil in 2001 led to years of painstaking research. Now the results of more than 15 years of study have appeared in a surprising format – a comic book called A day in the life of a Neolithic woman. The book, which is intended primarily for schoolchildren and educators, is the work of archeologist Veronika Mikešová and illustrator Michal Puhač who merged facts and fantasy to bring us a glimpse of life in this part of the world 7,000 years ago. I spoke to the illustrator about what the

Dvůr Králové zoo has started sawing off the horns of its rhinos in the wake of a tragic incident at a zoo in France where poachers killed a rhino for its horn. The zoo keeps the largest group of rhinos in Europe, runs a successful breeding program and is actively involved in efforts to save the Northern white rhino from extinction. I spoke to Jan Stejskal project coordinator at Dvůr Králové zoo and began by asking about the threat of poachers to the rhino herd.