A Croatian International Teacher Honored with 2020 Teacher of the Year Award
September 1, 2020 - Dr. Romana Trefil, teacher of German and Individuals & Society at Atlanta International School, has been honored with the 2020 Teacher of the Year Award from Rate my Teachers (RMT).
She received her master’s degree in German Philology and History, and PhD Degree in German Philology at the University of Vienna, Austria. Before coming to the USA in 2017, she taught in schools in Germany, Austria and Croatia.
RMT is a review site (www.ratemyteachers.com) where students in grades K-12 and college can rate teachers and courses. As of April 2010, over 11 million teachers have been rated in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, New Zealand, and Australia.
To mark its first full school year using a new and improved rating system, RMT honors teachers selected by their students as among the best. Working with educational psychologists, teachers, and students themselves, at the beginning of the 2019 school year RMT relaunched with a fresh design and a new and improved survey. In addition, moderation procedures were upgraded to keep comments civil and relevant, while still providing space for students to share their experiences.
With a full year of refreshed ratings and comments and more coming daily, RMT decided to celebrate the milestone by recognizing the best-rated teachers in each state or province. To be considered, a teacher must have an average overall rating above a 4.0, and to win, they must have the highest overall number of above-average ratings. This year, a total of 69 teachers have been honored in four countries: 48 in the USA, 11 in Canada, 7 in Australia, and 3 in New Zealand.
Link: https://ratemyteachers.com/teacher-of-the-year-2020
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Opposition Supports New Measures in Parliament But is Critical Too
ZAGREB, September 1, 2020 - Parliamentary party whips, both right and left wing, said on Tuesday they would honour the obligations regarding wearing masks in parliament, remote voting and a reduced number of MPs in the chamber, although some criticised how decisions were made.
Deputy Speaker and Homeland Movement president Miroslav Skoro told press that parliament's presidency "unanimously decided to introduce the obligation to wear masks during sittings at the advice of all experts, epidemiologists."
Asked what would happen if Homeland Movement MP Karolina Vidovic Kristo continued to refuse to wear a mask, Skoro said that if someone disregarded the obligation, "they will be removed from the sitting."
As for electronic voting, he said that since a number of MPs might end up in self-isolation, the functioning of parliament must be ensured.
Petrov: Bridge called for electronic voting six months ago
Bridge leader Bozo Petrov said he asked for electronic voting six months ago as well as for all parliamentary work to be possible online so that all MPs could participate in it.
That should be ensured for those who can't be in parliament because they are ill, though not just for voting but for debates too, he added.
"It makes no sense for parliament to change its Standing Orders, which are at the level of a law, according to measures proposed by the national COVID response team which have not been adopted in any way, nor did the team come to parliament to explain on the basis of which decisions, information and views it is adopting such measures."
A body created by the government is adopting measures which are not included in a law and then parliament, which should be a legislative body independent of the government, adopts those measures as a law under which we should all behave, Petrov said.
The way in which COVID measures are being adopted recalls "the dictatorship Croatia went through," he said. That's crazy and everyone should have the right to ask why and receive a well-argued response, not 'because I say so,' he added.
Petrov said the team should have come to parliament to explain why masks must be mandatory in a well-argued and scientific way, not provisorily and arbitrarily, and asked for MPs' confirmation.
Tomasevic: We support presidency's measures
The leader of the We Can! platform, Tomislav Tomasevic, said his parliamentary group supported the measures established by parliament's presidency, including the obligation for MPs to wear masks.
He added, however, that a political debate on the legal aspect of the COVID response team's decisions which restricted human rights was legitimate.
Social Democratic Party whip Arsen Bauk said their group had no problem with the obligation to wear masks in parliament, remote voting or the reduced number of MPs in the chamber due to COVID measures.
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Doctor: Average Age of Coronavirus Dead Ten Years Lower than in First Wave
ZAGREB, September 1, 2020 - The head of the Clinic for Infectious Diseases at the Split University Hospital, doctor Ivo Ivic, said on Tuesday that the average age of patients who died from coronavirus in that clinic was 10 years lower compared to the average age of those who died in the first wave of the epidemic.
"Since June 17, when we can say that the second wave started, 12 patients infected with COVID-19 have died here, and their average age is 73, which is quite unfortunate since that is 10 years lower than the age of persons who died in the first wave, which was 83," Ivic told a press conference in Split.
He also said that there were twice as many deaths during the first wave and that the high average age of those who died then (83 years) was due to the fact that the coronavirus had then spread to nursing homes around Split.
According to doctor Ivic, 155 coronavirus patients have been hospitalised at the Split University Hospital since June 17, their average age is 66, and 65 of them have recovered, while in the first wave there were around 200 coronavirus patients in that hospital and their average age was 72.
He said that the Clinic for Infectious Diseases could currently withstand the number of patients, but it was to be expected that new patients would continue arriving.
He reiterated that he was for fining those not adhering to the epidemiological measures if, he added, there was no other way to achieve behaviour suitable for the "new normal".
We must start living with the coronavirus, we cannot stop life, but we must adhere to the measures of distancing and protection, he underscored.
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Unemployment Slightly Increased in EU in July, Decreased in Croatia
ZAGREB, September 1, 2020 - In July 2020, unemployment slightly increased in the European Union and the euro area, while it slightly decreased in Croatia, according to a report by Eurostat on Tuesday.
The seasonally-adjusted EU unemployment rate increased to 7.2% in July 2020, up from 7.1% in June 2020 and 6.7% in July 2019.
The euro area unemployment rate was up by 0.2 percentage points to 7.9%, an increase also compared to 7.5% in July last year.
A total of 15.184 million persons were unemployed in July in the EU, including 12.893 million persons in the euro area. Compared to June, the number of persons unemployed went up by 336,000 in the EU and by 344,000 in the euro area.
Croatia's unemployment rate above European average
The seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate in Croatia was 8.6% in July, remaining above the EU and euro area average. The unemployment rate went down by 0.2 pp compared to June, but rose compared to July 2019, when it was 6.6%.
In July 2020, there were 157,000 jobless persons in Croatia, which is 4,000 fewer than in June 2020, but 39,000 more than in July last year.
The highest unemployment rates were registered in Spain (15.8%), Italy (9.7%) and Sweden (9.4%).
The Czech Republic had the lowest unemployment rate in the EU (2.7%).
Out of the 27 member states, the data for three of them -- Estonia, Greece and Hungary -- were not available.
Slight increase in youth unemployment
In July 2020, a total of 2.906 million young persons (under 25) were unemployed in the EU, including 2.338 million in the euro area. Compared to July last year, the number of young persons unemployed went up by 37,000 in the EU and by 29,000 in the euro area.
The youth unemployment rate grew to 17% in July this year, up from 16.9% in June. It also increased by 2 pp compared to July last year.
In the euro area, the youth unemployment rate was 17.3% in July, up by 0.1 pp compared to June and by 1.7 pp compared to July 2019.
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It's Official: Ivan Rakitic Leaves Barcelona for Sevilla!
September 1, 2020 - Ivan Rakitic leaves Barcelona for Sevilla!
Barcelona has confirmed the transfer of Ivan Rakitic to Sevilla FC on its official website. The Andalusian club will pay 1.5 million euro to Barcelona for the Croatia national team player, with the possibility of paying an additional nine million euro through bonuses.
On Wednesday at 11 am, the club will say goodbye to Rakitic with a ceremony and a press conference. Barcelona thanked the Croat for six years of loyalty during which he became the fourth foreigner with the most appearances in the history of the club.
"FC Barcelona publicly expresses its gratitude to Rakitic for his commitment and dedication and wishes him good luck and success in the future.
This Wednesday, September 2, starting at 11.00am CEST, the farewell ceremony and subsequent telematic press conference of the player will take place."
Rakitic won 13 trophies with Barcelona, played 310 games and scored 36 goals with the same number of assists.
"The Swiss-born Croatian joined FC Barcelona from Sevilla in the summer of 2014, and wearing number 4 on his back, he quickly became a regular feature of the blaugrana midfield. In fact, he has gone on to become the foreigner with the fourth most appearances ever for Barça, only topped by Leo Messi, Dani Alves and Javier Mascherano, and has the most appearances of all for a European foreigner," Barcelona concluded.
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Wearing Face Masks in Croatian Parliament Mandatory as of Wednesday
ZAGREB, September 1, 2020 - Wearing face masks in the Parliament chamber will be mandatory as of Wednesday, and not more than 41 MPs will be allowed to attend per session, Croatian Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandrokovic said on Tuesday after a meeting of the Parliament Presidency.
"We have decided that masks will be mandatory for plenary sessions, and we will strictly abide by this. This will no longer be a recommendation, but an obligation," Jandrokovic told the press, stressing that the decision was made unanimously.
He said that the decision was made in accordance with the recommendations of the Croatian Public Health Institute and medical organisations because of the current epidemiological situation and the fact that one MP was positive for the coronavirus.
Any MP not wearing a face mask will first be cautioned by the chairperson and if they refuse to put it on, they will be asked to leave or face being escorted out by security. "We will not be aggressive, but we must protect MPs' health. We will not wear masks just for our own sake, but to protect others as well," Jandrokovic said.
The new parliament will return to the work regime that had been in place during the previous parliament, that is only 41 of 151 MPs plus the chairperson will be allowed to attend per session.
This number was arrived at by dividing the number of members of each political group by four, as a result of which the ruling HDZ party will be entitled to have 16 MPs present, the Social Democrats nine, the Homeland Movement three, Bridge and the green-left bloc two each, and the other groups one each.
"In that way we will ensure a sufficient physical distance," Jandrokovic said, adding that the option of electronic voting would also be used.
Parliament begins an extraordinary sitting on Wednesday which will last until the end of next week, while it will sit regularly as of September 16.
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Croatia's Industrial Production Falls for 9th Consecutive Month
ZAGREB, September 1, 2020 - In July 2020 industrial production in Croatia fell by 1.6% on the year, decreasing for the ninth consecutive month, albeit at a slower rate than in June, according to the national statistical office DZS.
Month on month, industrial production in July increased by 5.6%, but fell by 1.6% on the year.
"The annual decrease in the volume of industrial production, which has been ongoing since November last year, has slowed down ," analysts at Raiffeisenbank Austria (RBA) said in reference to the DZS report.
Industrial production contracted in two of five sectors, mostly in the production of non-durable consumer goods (-9.3%) and intermediate goods (-2.6%).
On the other hand, the production of capital goods increased by 14.7%, followed by energy (+2.1%), and durable consumer goods (+1.7%).
In the first seven months of the year, industrial production decreased by 5.7% on the year.
Data indicates a continued fall in third quarter
The decrease in production in July and the recent information about the fall in retail sales indicate that the economy will continue to contract in the third quarter.
That means that the economy will officially dive into a recession, which is defined as a fall of GDP for two consecutive quarters.
Last week DZS reported that GDP had contracted by a record 15.1% in Q2 on the year, which is the first time GDP has fallen since mid-2014.
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Croatian Road Authority Seals HRK 15.9m Deal with Spegra and Strabag
ZAGREB, September 1, 2020 - The Hrvatske Ceste (HC) road authority has signed a HRK 15.9 million /€2.12m) contract with the Spegra and Strabag construction companies for extraordinary road maintenance which includes four viaducts and a tunnel, and the works are expected to be completed in four months,HC said on Tuesday.
The works cover four viaducts and a tunnel on the Solin-Klis road in Split-Dalmatia County.
Traffic will be redirected for the duration of the works.
During the night between Wednesday, September 2 and Thursday, September 3 this road will be completely closed between 9.30 p.m. and 5.30 a.m, HC said.
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Ronaldo is Coming to Poljud: Nations League Match Between Croatia and Portugal in Split!
September 1, 2020 - The Executive Board of the Croatian Football Federation has decided that the Nations League match between Croatia and Portugal will be played in Split.
The last round match of the Nations League Group C between Croatia and Portugal will be played on November 17 at Poljud Stadium in Split, announced HNS.
The 2018 World Cup finalists thus return to Split after a spectacular match against Hungary in the European qualifications for EURO 2020, which was played on October 10 last year.
HNS Executive Director Marijan Kustic and Executive Board member Ile Topuzovic held a meeting today with representatives of the City of Split, led by Mayor Andro Krstulovic-Opara, who gave their consent for the match in Split.
We remind you that in Group C of the Nations League, Croatia will compete against Portugal, France and Sweden. After the September opening in Porto and Paris, Croatia will host Sweden and France in October in Zagreb, while in November they will play against Sweden and then finish the group competition in Split against Portugal.
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Europa League 3rd Qualifying Round Draw: Rijeka and Lokomotiva Learn Opponents
September 1, 2020 - Rijeka and Lokomotiva have learned their opponents for the Europa League Round 3 qualifying draw.
On Monday, Hajduk and Osijek found out their opponents in Europa League's second qualifying round. Hajduk will play against the Macedonian club Renova away, and Osijek will play against Basel.
The draw for the third qualifying round was held today, and Rijeka and Lokomotiva joined Hajduk and Osijek in learning their opponents. In this phase of the competition, only one match will be played without spectators, and two matches will be played in the playoffs.
Lokomotiva away, Greek Aris or Ukrainian Kolos arrives in Rijeka
The first to be drawn was Lokomotiva, which moved to the Europa League after losing to the Vienna club Rapid in the Champions League. Lokomotiva will thus host the winner between Hungarian club Honved and Swedish club Malmo.
Rijeka did well in today's draw and will welcome Greek Aris or Ukrainian Kolos Kovalivka.
If Hajduk passes Macedonian club Renova, they will play against Azerbaijani club Neftchi or Turkish club Galatasaray. If Osijek throws out Basel, they will welcome Cypriot club Anorthosis at City Garden.
Hajduk - Renova and Osijek - Basel will be played on September 17, and the matches of the third qualifying round are on the program a week later.
Europa League Round 3 Qualifying Draw:
Rijeka (starts in the third qualifying round) - Aris (Greece) or Kolos Kovalivka (Ukraine)
Lokomotiva (joins in the third qualifying round after relegation from the Champions League qualifiers) - Honved (Hungary) or Malmö (Sweden)
Hajduk (if they knock out Renova) - Neftchi Baku (Azerbaijan) or Galatasaray (Turkey)
Osijek (if they knock out Basel) - Anorthosis (Cyprus)
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