Euro 2021 Qualifiers: Croatia U-21 Squad and Czech Republic Draw 0:0
September 7, 2020 - In the Euro 2021 qualifier tonight, the Croatia U-21 Squad and the Czech Republic drew 0:0.
The Croatia U-21 national team drew against the Czech Republic in the 6th round of qualifications for the European Championship, which will be played next year in Slovenia and Hungary.
With a victory, Croatia would catch up with the Czech Republic and Greece and finish with a chance to qualify for the Euro. However, with this draw, they remained five points behind the first-placed Czech Republic and three points behind second-placed Greece.
The match saw plenty of fouls, and the best player was Borna Sosa, who dominated the right side of the Czech defense throughout the match.
In the first 20 minutes of the match, there were no opportunities on either side. Croatia had the first opportunity in the 35th minute when Sosa served Spikic whose shot was saved by the Czech goalkeeper. In the 42nd minute, the best chance of the match was missed by the Czech side, as Drchal's shot was stopped by Semper.
The second half continued in a similar rhythm as the first until the 55th minute when Musa missed a stellar opportunity for Croatia. Drchal had a chance to endanger Semper's goal in the 67th minute, but unlucky in the end.
In the qualifying group, the Czech Republic is in first place with 15 points, in second is Greece with 13, while Croatia is in third place with 10 points after six games played.
The winners of nine groups and the five best second-placed teams will qualify directly for the Euro.
Croatia is now facing a difficult road to Euro U-21 because it must win all matches until the end of qualifying if it wants to stay in the game to advance.
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Agro-Klaster Company First in Croatia with GMO FREE Certificate for Free-Range Eggs
ZAGREB, September 7, 2020 - The Agro-Klaster company from Vinkovci is the first in Croatia to receive the GMO FREE certificate for free range eggs, it was said on Monday at a ceremony for the presentation of certificates in Vukovar, where further investment in production was also announced.
The director of the Agro-Klaster company, Zdenko Podolar, said that Agro-Klaster currently comprised 18 sub-contractors and was organising its own free-range eggs production facility in Soljani, in which HRK 3.5 million (€465k) was being invested.
He said that the facility in Soljani could open in a month, with a capacity of 6,000 laying hens, but at the beginning the plan was to keep 4,000, and the production would expand depending on market demand.
The 18 sub-contractors have about 5,000 egg laying hens, and this year over 700,000 eggs were delivered to the market. However, the production and sales would have been bigger if there had not been problems with the epidemic and the limited tourist season.
The Agro-Klaster company was certified by the Swiss company SGS Adriatica, and the head of certification, Drago Gojic, underscored that the procedure had been carried out in line with the NON GMO standard, in cooperation with the Donau Soja Organisation.
He added that the Belje Fodder Factory and the Agro-Klaster company were the only two Croatian companies holding the GMO FREE certificate under the Donau Soja Organisation's standard, valid for the entire Danube region.
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New Model of Digital Assistant Andrija Intended for Parents of Pupils
ZAGREB, September 7, 2020 - A new model of the digital assistant Andrija has been developed for the start of the new school year, and it is intended to advise parents whose children are starting school in case they have doubts about the coronavirus and school attendance and absence, epidemiologist Branko Kolaric told Hina.
"Andrija" is a digital assistant of the Croatian Health Ministry aimed at helping fight the coronavirus. It helps Croatian epidemiologists and the entire health system to control the COVID-19 epidemic.
"Andrija will answer parents' various questions, such as what to do if a child has temperature or if someone in the class or family is in self-isolation," Kolaric, a member of the team of experts who helped develop the Health Ministry's application, said on Monday.
The new model is available in response to the circumstances of the start of the school year, when most pupils are returning to school after the summer holidays and distance learning of the previous school year and with epidemiological measures of the Croatian Public Health Institute in place.
"Parents need help understanding these measures, recognising symptoms of possible infection in the child or in the household and they need clear instructions on what to do in such situations," Kolaric said, adding that the digital assistant "Andrija" can help parents.
The digital assistant is available at https://andrija.ai/ and can be activated on WhatsApp at +385 99 775 3049 by sending the keyword "Pozdrav".
The digital assistant "Andrija" is named after Andrija Stampar, a distinguished Croatian doctor and scholar in the field of social medicine.
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Students from Split Invented a Device to Combat Spread of Coronavirus
September 7, 2020 – As Dalmacija Danas reports, young students from the Center of Excellence (Centar za izvrsnost) in Split have designed a device to fight the spread of coronavirus. The multi-purpose device has a contactless disinfectant, LED screen, and an ecological tank for old batteries and mobile phones, and could soon be found at the entrances of approximately 20 high schools in Split.
“The project is called Greenbox, it is a 3 in 1 solution, it includes an informative LED screen, a hand disinfectant, and an eclectic waste disposal area. We perfected it within the Center of Excellence, and the device is currently in 11 schools in Split,” explained Antonio Nikolić, a student at III. Gymnasium high school.
“In the programs, we have 430 students and 109 mentors, and they deal with topics related to mathematics, informatics, new technologies, and science. We also have the Center of Excellence for Entrepreneurship,” explained Ivica Zelić, director of the Center of Excellence of the Split-Dalmatia County.
He emphasized that a public call for testing students for this school year has been published. What they want, he says, is that students practically solve the problems that are set up to them.
Ilija Krišto, the assistant headmaster, believes that gifted children, but also capable and hard-working professors in the regular system, do not have the opportunity to show their potential.
“That is why the Split-Dalmatia County created this Center of Excellence and gives gifted children the opportunity to turn their ideas and potential into a complete project. The concept of Greenbox is just one of their many ideas. They have so many that we can't follow them,” Krišto revealed.
“It's all a challenge. You have a task and you need to solve it,” Antonio explained why he is happy to deal with such problems.
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Croatian Headquarters Now Extending Midnight Rule for Bars and Clubs
September 7, 2020 - Contrary to this morning's news, Minister of Interior Davor Bozinovic announced this afternoon that the National Civil Protection Headquarters would extend the midnight ban on bars and nightclubs because the epidemiological situation in the country had not improved.
"Unfortunately, we cannot say that the epidemiological situation has improved. This then presupposes that the decision to ban nightclubs and bars after midnight will be extended," Bozinovic told reporters during the celebration of the 30th anniversary of the Lucko Anti-Terrorist Unit, as reported by Index.hr.
The ban on clubs after midnight was introduced after clubs, primarily those on the Adriatic, proved to be places where the coronavirus spread.
"I have to point out a few related facts about these 180 newly infected. It is an even younger age group than yesterday, averaging 31 years. Most of them can be connected with gatherings on the Adriatic coast ", said the head of the Croatian Institute of Public Health, Krunoslav Capak, in mid-August.
According to that decision, bars and clubs were allowed to work until midnight. The decision was initially made on August 14 and extended on August 27 with a validity period until September 7.
Regarding the possible abolition of visas for the United States for Croatian citizens, he reminded that in the last two or three years Croatia has worked intensively to meet the conditions for entering the system of exemption from the need for Croatian citizens to have visas to enter the United States.
He has personally been to the U.S. twice, where several agreements have been signed, and a number of bilateral agreements and arrangements have also been signed, he said.
The abolition of visas for the United States requires the number of denied visas to fall below three percent, so Bozinovic appealed to Croatian citizens to contribute to reducing the number of denied visas in relation to the number of applications submitted below three percent. “I believe we will fulfill that task,” he said.
Asked if he would refinance the costs to civil servants who encourage them to get a visa, he said he knew how some states did it so it would be nothing new.
"As far as that is concerned, I am sure that it is one of the foreign policy interests, and even a priority, and it is certain that the state will help as much as it can," he said.
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EC Opens Public Consultation on Long-Term Vision for Rural Areas
ZAGREB, September 7, 2020 - The European Commission on Monday opened a public consultation on the long-term vision for rural areas, on the basis of which next year it will propose measures for the realisation of that vision, Commission Vice-President for Democracy and Demography Dubravka Suica said.
"Rural areas are often faced with challenges such as distance, poor connectivity and limited services. However, they abound in great opportunities with a matchless quality of life and can play a special role in the transition towards a green, digital and sustainable Europe. Based on these consultations we will present the long-term vision for rural areas to help them cope with these challenges and make them more attractive and dynamic. We will propose measures, including short-term ones, to achieve the long-term vision," Suica said.
The consultation will be conducted online until November 27.
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August Sees 24% Yearly Drop in New Car Sales
ZAGREB, September 7, 2020 - In August 2020, 2,599 new passenger cars were sold in Croatia, down 24% on the year, while 25,167 new vehicles have been sold this year so far, down 47% on 2019, the Promocija Plus market search agency said on Monday.
Volkswagen sold the most new vehicles in the first eight months of 2020 (3,919) and it holds 15.5% of the market. Skoda was second with 3,418 new vehicles sold and 13.5% of the market, while Renault came third with 2,350 sales and 9.3% of the market.
As for luxury cars, Audi sold 843 new vehicles in the first eight months of 2020, BMW sold 732, Mercedes 661, Porsche 100 and Tesla 21.
In the said period, petrol-fueled cars accounted for 56.8% of all sales, with 14,285 vehicles sold, followed by diesel cars with 8,921 sold, hybrids (1,474) , natural gas vehicles (330) and electric vehicles (157).
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Croatia One Step Away from US Visa Waiver
ZAGREB, September 7, 2020 - Visas for the US, if another 2,000 are issued this month, will become history, Vecernji List daily said on Monday, adding that Croatia was a step away from US visas being waived.
The Croatian Foreign Ministry has asked civil servants and people in the banking and business sectors to apply for US visas and they will almost certainly be approved, which will help the rejection rate to drop below 3% by the end of this month, which is the last requirement Croatia must meet, the paper said.
Croatia was a step away from meeting that requirement before the coronavirus pandemic stopped travel and reduced the number of visa applications to a minimum. The ministry's call is a way to make up for that.
There is little time as Americans wrap up the fiscal year during which they take the rejection rate into account on September 30.
If Croatia makes that date, visas will be waived next year, but if it misses it, now, when we are a step away from achieving the goal it has been waiting for since declaring independence, it will enter a new fiscal year and the counting of rejections will begin again.
In order to achieve that goal which now seems very likely, it was necessary to have good political relations and meet technical standards, including technical equipment, functioning border services, security data processing and sharing, and passports which meet the highest standards, the Vecernji List said.
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VIDEO: One Minute Zagreb Burger Festival - All the Best Burgers and Best Vibes
Zagreb, September 7, 2020 – TCN covered the opening of Zagreb Burger Festival . Now we bring you our One Minute video, showing all the most delicious burgers and capturing the vibe happening right now in central Zagreb
This year, for the fifth time, the kings of street food – burgers – are back at Zagreb Burger Festival. Until September 13, you can try several dozen types of burgers - from prime beef, game, fish and veggie versions, or those in coloured red, green, and black brioche buns.
For those who want to visit the Zagreb Burger Festival and enjoy a drink, there are also cocktail masters, as well as a special stand intended for gin lovers. Of course, beer is also served, as well as soft drinks.
Kids can also have fun at the specially prepared Zagreb Burger Festival Kid’s Zone, which has trampolines. One stand is also dedicated to desserts, so visitors can sweeten up with ice cream and cakes after the burgers.
Due to this year's ongoing Coronavirus situation, the number of catering houses is reduced from last year's 27 to 14. To make it easier for people to keep their distance, plants are set up as part of the festival exterior. A green oasis has been created!
Make the most of the nice weather during the late summer - head down to the Zagreb Burger festival, where you can lounge on the beds, sit on the grass, soak up the vibes and feel like you’re on a picnic.
Zagreb Burger Festival is accompanied by great music, welcoming DJs and performers to the festival's elevated stage.
To get a closer look at the atmosphere, check out TCN's One Minute video, which captures all the best burgers and all the best vibes.
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Graduate From Metkovic Enrolled At Harvard University
September 07, 2020 - This year will surely remain in our memory, mostly not very beautiful because most of us associate it with the coronavirus, layoffs, and getting used to the 'new normal'. But not everything is so black, at least not for Nikola Jurković, a graduate from Metkovic, who has great reasons to celebrate.
Years of work, effort, and study paid off, and the result of all this is enrollment in one of the world's most prestigious universities, Harvard University. He will pause the academic year due to the epidemic, but he is launching an interesting project through which he will try to help future graduates enroll in American universities, reports Srednja.hr
A very small number of Croatian students decide to continue their education after high school at one of the foreign universities, and even fewer of them manage to get into one of the world's most prestigious universities. One of them is Nikola Jurković, now a former graduate of the Metkovic High School.
It is ranked the third best university in the world
Nikola will study at Harvard, the world's third-best university according to the Times Higher Education rankings.
'I knew I'd be sorry my whole life if I didn't at least try. Some colleges are better than others, and I don’t see why my geographical location should limit my choice of colleges. In addition, studying in America opens many more doors than studying in Croatia. I decided to aim for the best possible, so whatever happens, happens' - Nikola begins his story.
During his schooling, this excellent student participated in numerous school and county knowledge competitions. He says that he competed most seriously in physics, from which he participated in two national competitions and the European Olympics. He also participated in the state of logic and several hackathons.
And at the final examination, he achieved excellent results - he wrote higher levels of compulsory subjects and Physics. In the Croatian language, he received a grade of four, and similarly in other exams. However, an excellent result on the final exam was not decisive for Harvard enrollment - the Croatian final exam is not even taken into account when ranking candidates.
'The process for Harvard is the same as for most of the better American colleges. At the beginning of the school year, I wrote standardized tests and an English language exam. Of the standardized tests, I wrote the ACT (general test) and SAT Subject Tests (electives) in physics and higher levels of mathematics. By the New Year, I had sent applications to colleges. I applied for college scholarships in January, did interviews in February, and got results in March. An important part of the application was the engineering portfolio, where I documented various projects I worked on in the high school STEM group Acervatio. It was all over before graduation, so it didn’t affect enrollment. I just had to go through it to officially finish high school', Nikola explains.
He pauses for a year because of the epidemic
In the first year, he will not have to choose a study direction, it comes only later. Nikola says he is not yet sure in which direction he will go, but his main interests are physics and mechanical engineering, especially in the context of the space industry.
Although he got into Harvard several months ago, he is still not moving to the United States. He decided, due to the current epidemiological circumstances, to pause for a year, and he also told us what his student life there would look like.
'Because of the coronavirus, I had the choice to work all year online from home or take a break for a year. I decided to take a break, so I’m going to America next fall. This year I was offered a full scholarship with pocket money and covered plane tickets, which means that my costs would be lower at Harvard than if I had decided to study in Croatia. Almost all students live on campus, and I will, if the pandemic is reduced by then, be one of them. In the first year, you live in a freshman home and eats at Annenberg, a canteen often compared to the Great Hall of Harry Potter. Inside it looks like a cathedral. I have always loved to travel, and I have a lot of the most beautiful memories from trips where I met people from other parts of the world. I will miss the Neretva valley, but I still can't wait to leave', Nikola points out.
He launches an interesting project on YouTube
The whole process of applying to foreign universities is perhaps the biggest 'obstacle' due to which many do not even dare to study abroad. That is why Nikola decided to help future graduates clarify their doubts about applying to American universities. How different - than through a video tutorial on YouTube.
'When I applied, I went directly into the unknown. I had no idea what the entries looked like, and during most of the process, no one helped me. I have a feeling that most, like me a year ago, are completely unfamiliar with the process of enrolling in American colleges, and don’t know where to start. I decided to make these videos so that it would not happen again, and so that future graduates have a place where they can easily get answers to their questions without the need to contact a counselor. They are not there to replace advisors, but to be the first step in understanding the process. I plan to make five videos on enrollment for now and am currently working on a third, which is about the applications themselves at the end of the first semester. For the animation, I use Manim, made by Grant Sanderson. At the end of the enrollment, I had a nice experience with EducationUSA (BiH because Mostar is closer to me than Zagreb), which provides free counseling, and I would definitely recommend that you contact them if you are considering enrollment', Nikola advises.
And for all those who want to enroll in one of the world's best universities, but may be afraid of the distant and unknown, Nikola has a message:
'Do not be afraid, and do not limit yourself! If you want to get the best college possible, then I recommend you try to apply to American. Take a look at the world rankings to see which ones are the best, go to their websites and see if you like them. It may seem strange and unknown now, but a year ago I was in exactly the same position as you. Think about the chances of breaking in, winning, and investing in the enrollment process, then calculate for yourself if it is profitable. If you look at enrollment as a bet, it may be the best bet you’ll make in your life. If you have any questions, take a look at my videos, email me, or contact a consultant. Good luck! - says Nikola.
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