One often hears stories from Croatia about employers not paying their staff properly, on time, and sometimes not at all. More often than not, this leaves a bitter taste in the mouths of readers and the common assumption that nothing is ever done about the situation and that these rogue employers never face justice. This time, a waitress who had been hard done by her employer in a Karlovac cafe, made sure punishment happened.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 9th of March, 2020, the waitress asked her employer in a Karlovac cafe for payment several times, but he never actually paid her. He did enter her onto the company's payroll, but only after she reported him to the competent authorities and their menacing inspectors.

The owner of the aforementioned Karlovac cafe did not pay his waitress for fifteen days, more specifically from the 16th of August to the 31st of August 2017, a mere 1,600 kuna gross sum.

The Misdemeanor Court in Karlovac therefore fined him a massive 68,000 kuna, of which 61,000 kuna needed to be paid from his company and 7,000 kuna out of his pocket personally as the person responsible for the ridiculous situation.

He was found guilty and he had not handed over his employee's salary within the legal deadline, which was no later than September the 30th, 2017, according to KA portal.

The defendant didn't appear in court and the waitress was questioned. She said everything was fine until the last day in August, when the boss came over for a drink with some of his friends and ordered a round for everyone. He told the waitress to charge it to him, which is what she did.

After that, she says, he did the same for the next round of drinks. But when it came to billing, he said that the second round was being paid by his friends and not him, and accused her of wanting to defraud him for that amount.

It hurt her a lot, she left him the keys to the Karlovac cafe, took her belongings and left. However, she didn't pick up her salary she had earned for half that month, or half of the agreed 3,200 kuna gross. She asked him for payment several times, but as mentioned, he never paid her and only put her details into the company's payroll upon having been reported to the inspectors.

The huge fine, which is much larger than what the owner of the Karlovac cafe should have simply paid his former waitress should act as a stark warning to all other Croatian employers wanting to get out of paying their deserving staff properly and fairly.

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March 9, 2020 - The team behind the LIFE Lynx project, aiming to stabilise the population of lynx in the Alps and the Dinaric Alps, posted a video of a Croatian lynx walking near a road, which is an unusual sight as the wild cats don't really like people and are usually trying to get as far away from them as possible.

The video was taken by Alen Brkić from Gorski Kotar, and it was recorded near Sopač, a small village in Gorski Kotar, near the junction from Lujzijana towards Mrkopalj. The video is of quite high quality and quite long, so it was not difficult for the experts from the LIFE Lynx project to recognise the lynx (and they had the help from the lynx' GPS tracker which he's had on since September 2019).

They've identified the lynx as Rista, which is a punny name in Croatian, as the lynx is called ris, so the lynx in question is actually "ris Rista" in Croatian. It's not really correct to use the term "Croatian lynx", as they're free-moving animals, who don't pay any attention to international borders (and don't even seem to be bothered by the fence between Croatia and Slovenia).

The LIFE Lynx experts explain in their Facebook post that the lynx are usually solitary and territorial, but during the mating season (February - March) they become extremely active, cover large distances and enter other male's territories as they're searching for females. If you run across a lynx these days (which is not a frequent occurrence; most people will never see a live lynx even if they share the habitat) just let him or her walk away peacefully, don't try to engage them in any way, and they will usually just go confidently in the direction of their dreams.

One thing to pay attention to is to recall your dogs, as an average dog might see a lynx as a somewhat bigger cat and try and pick a fight with it, but things will probably not end well for your dog, as lynx are strong animals.

We wish Rista the best of luck in his attempts to find a female and mate, as that will be one small step in the growth of a robust population of lynx in these parts!

Find out more about the international LIFE Lynx project.

The Croatian Ericsson Nikola Tesla is the Croatian affiliate of the Swedish telecommunications equipment manufacturer, Ericsson, which has long since been known across the world for its brand and its high quality.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 9th of March, 2020, Gordana Kovacevic, President of the Croatian Ericsson Nikola Tesla, emphasised her satisfaction with the newly contracted business which is sure to put a spring in the step of the company over the next few months: ''I'm pleased that our activities on export markets are continuing to showcase a positive trend in 2020 as well,''

The Croatian Ericsson Nikola Tesla has encouragingly signed contracts worth more than 84 million kuna on the export markets of neighbouring Bosnia and Herzegovina, Belarus and Moldova, all of which are European nations outside of the European Union and the European Economic Area (EEA).

The contracts this impressive figure regards cover mobile network extensions, which will mostly be realised throughout 2020, and network maintenance in the forthcoming period.

Network maintenance with Bosnia and Herzegovina's HT Eronet has been contracted for two years, and the other companies with which the Croatian Ericsson Nikola Tesla has contracted jobs with are the Moldovan operator IDC for the virtualisation of their IP multimedia subsystem (IMS), and with BeCloud from Belarus for the extension of the LTE network.

As previously mentioned, Gordana Kovacevic, President of Ericsson Nikola Tesla, made sure to let her satisfaction with the concluded contracts with these three foreign companies be known.

''This further encourages us because it strengthens our position as a major Croatian exporter, and especially in terms of being the largest Croatian exporter of knowledge. In this way, we're making the best contribution to the Croatian economy and to our sustainable development,'' stated a rightfully proud Kovacevic.

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One Croat in Ireland has detailed how he often finds himself on the verge of purchasing a ticket back to Croatia, more specifically to Dubrovnik, from what is often marketed as the promised land - the Emerald Isle.

Ireland has become a favourite destination alongside the likes of Germany for Croatian citizens seeking a better life and more economic stability abroad. Since the country joined the EU back in July 2013, the barriers to foreign labour markets within the EU dropped and allowed for the ease of entry of Croats hungry for a fatter wage packet and the chance to get jobs based on skill rather than connections.

While many are glad to have left, others are greeted with quite the shock after the novelty of life in Ireland has worn off, and it isn't just this Croat in Ireland dreaming nostalgically of home in Croatia.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 9th of March, 2020, the beginnings of almost anything are always difficult, and for this Croat in Ireland and for many others like him, one has to get used to the different customs, the very different Irish climate, they need to find an apartment... but Mario thinks that he's doing well, and his desire for learning and new experiences hasn't left him.

Mario Miletic changed his address at the end of January this year. A Dubrovnik man who founded the Croatian Parking Services Association and very often and very openly criticised various social anomalies online, but also warned others about the bad situation in Croatia, decided to seek his happiness in Ireland, which, as stated, has become a new home for thousands of Croats over the last few years.

He told Dubrovacki dnevnik a little more about his experiences, as well as a decision he had long thought about. After landing in Dublin in January, he had to return after a week for personal reasons, but did not give up on the move to Ireland. He said that staying here in Croatia was simply not an option.

“I've been thinking about leaving for years, since the first legal process was initiated (a precedent for an administrative lawsuit against the University of Dubrovnik was obtained). Before leaving, I decided to do everything in my power to try to change things and try to make a positive impact on society, so I set up a civil society association with my colleagues. The idea of ​​leaving was, de facto, realised by itself. When you decide to do something, everything comes together for you to be able to accomplish it. Although, the internet has helped a little bit,'' says this Croat in Ireland who is currently working as a bartender in an Irish pub, but doesn't intend to stay there.

Therefore, he applies daily for job advertisements, aiming to get a job in the IT industry. He has even contacted Google and is aiming to continue his education, perhaps to graduate from college in Ireland. The decision to leave was not an easy one.

This Croat in Ireland often finds himself on the verge of buying a ticket back to Dubrovnik.

"The departure was extremely difficult, it still is, and I'm on the verge of buying a plane ticket to Dubrovnik every day. The people close to him in his life, right up until his last day in Croatia, didn't believe he was really leaving. And now it's hard for them, at least that's what they say,'' Mario said.

"My first experience was a bit negative, it was a clash of customs. But after things were explained, the positives prevailed and I returned again. As the Irish explained to me, the weather in February 2020 was the worst in recent years, after our January sunshine, this was a huge change for the worse. For now, I think I've done well, the language isn't a problem, the fact the system is all online is a great thing for me, and I'm learning a little more. The biggest challenge is finding a reasonably priced apartment because they're astronomical when compared to what we're used to,'' said Mario.

The biggest Croatian problem is the reluctance of institutions to change anything, according to Mario.

In Croatia, he said, he was extremely disturbed by the lack of functioning of institutions, which isn't the case in Ireland, which, Miletic points out, respects the rights of workers. General inertia, nepotism, an atmosphere of less value, lies that came from representatives of political power and, as he says, an artificially created negative atmosphere, are just some of the reasons for his departure from Croatia, despite the pangs of his heart that often lead to him wanting to buy a return ticket home to Dubrovnik.

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March 9, 2020 - Croatia national team coach Zlatko Dalic has announced the list of players to compete in the Doha tournament against Portugal and Switzerland.

Three months before the upcoming Euro 2020, Croatia coach Zlatko Dalic has announced the first player list this year. There are two strong friendly matches ahead of Croatia this month, against Switzerland (March 26) and Portugal (March 30) at the tournament in  Doha, Qatar.

The tournament plans to go ahead, even though the spread of coronavirus around the world has already delayed many sporting events. While everything is going to plan, Croatian footballers playing in Italy may not be able to play in Qatar. Qatar, in fact, has introduced a two-week quarantine for all those coming from the countries most affected by the coronavirus alongside China.

Marcelo Brozovic, Mario Pasalic and Ante Rebic play in Lombardy, which has become a major quarantine, as well as Milan Badelj. Cristiano Ronaldo would not be allowed to play in Qatar either, and the real question is what the organizer will decide in the end.

"They are on the list, so they are going, but the situation is being monitored," HNS spokesman Tomislav Pacak said. 

Dalic put the strongest forces on the roster and said that they were acting as if everyone would be able to play and that the tournament would go according to plan.

"I sincerely hope that this will happen, that there will be no cancellation, but we will follow the course of the situation and act accordingly. We put a lot of players on the callup list if something that we can't influence happens."

Dalic said he is not bothered by the coronavirus at the moment. 

“I am not bothered and am acting like it's going to be OK. If it isn’t, then we'll react."

What does Dalic expect to see in these two games?

"I plan to give everyone a chance to play, to get minutes and to reunite, to see the players and in what condition they are. The agreement with Kalinic is that if he does not defend, we will replace him with Grbic. We'll try some systems and see what we can do. We don't have much time later and we have to make the most of it."

Croatian footballers have much better minutes this spring than in the fall.

"We have a better situation, and we cannot change it. The most important thing is that everyone is ready for the Euros.”

If the tournament in Qatar is delayed, does Dalic have a plan B?

"As far as I know, there is no decision. I cannot take a stand on this because I do not know and I am not competent. I repeat, we are working as if everything will be fine."

Lineup 

?? #Croatia squad for Qatar Airways International Tournament in Doha! ??

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??? (30/03)#BeProud #Family #Vatreni? pic.twitter.com/LFE27uTLS9

— HNS (@HNS_CFF) March 9, 2020

Goalkeepers: Dominik Livaković (Dinamo), Lovre Kalinić (Toulouse), Simon Sluga (Luton Town)

Defenders: Domagoj Vida (Bešiktaš), Dejan Lovren (Liverpool), Tin Jedvaj (Augsburg), Mile Škorić (Osijek), Duje Ćaleta-Car (Marseille), Borna Barišić (Rangers), Šime Vrsaljko (Atletico Madrid), Dario Melnjak (Rizespor)

Midfielders: Luka Modrić (Real Madrid), Ivan Rakitić (Barcelona), Mateo Kovačić (Chelsea), Marcelo Brozović (Inter), Milan Badelj (Fiorentina), Nikola Vlašić (CSKA Moskva), Mario Pašalić (Atalanta)

Attackers: Ivan Perišić (Bayern), Ante Rebić (Milan), Josip Brekalo (Wolfsburg), Andrej Kramarić (Hoffenheim), Bruno Petković (Dinamo)

Callups: Marko Rog (Cagliari), Filip Bradarić (Celta), Ivo Grbić (Lokomotiva), Josip Juranović (Hajduk), Domagoj Bradarić (Lille), Filip Benković (Bristol City), Mislav Oršić (Dinamo), Mirko Marić (Osijek) and Antonio Mirko Čolak (Rijeka)

Source: Gol.hr

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ZAGREB, March 9, 2020 - A public electric bicycle system - RiCikleta, which allows citizens to rent 28 bicycles located at four terminals in the city, has been recently presented in Jadranski Trg Square in Rijeka.

RiCikleta is a smart electric bicycle with GPS tracking. The bikes are rented by scanning the QR code, that is, paying the rental through a QRPay code.

The first bicycles were ridden by Rijeka cyclist Vladimir Miholjević and Deputy Mayor Marko Filipović.

Renting a bike costs 10 kuna per hour and the maximum time of use is three hours. Bicycles will be available for use to persons over the age of 18 and the rental ends once the bike has been properly returned to the stand.

The total value of the project is HRK 1.3 million, most of which had come from the Rijeka city budget, while HRK 195,280 was provided by the Ministry of Tourism.

The project is about introducing the trend of micro and smart mobility in urban transport, which contributes to the development of alternative forms of sustainable mobility.

More Rijeka news can be found in the Lifestyle section.

ZAGREB, March 9, 2020 - Leading world experts will participate in an international conference on media literacy, which will be organised by the European Commission, the Ministry of Culture, and the Agency for Electronic Media (AEM) on 31 March and 1 April in Zagreb, the AEM announced.

One of the main topics of the Croatian Presidency of the Council of the European Union is media literacy in the digital environment, and the conference titled "Media Literacy in an Ever-Changing World: Integrate. Gather. Empower." will be held as part of the official programme of the presidency.

The AEM emphasises that the conference will be the central event of the European Week of Media Literacy, which this year coincides with the Croatian Days of Media Literacy.

One of the conference participants is American expert for media literacy Renee Hobbs, the founder of the Media Education Lab and a Professor of Communication Studies at the University of Rhode Island. A member of the same panel is Professor Brian O'Neill, the Director of Research, Enterprise & Innovation Services at the Technological University Dublin, who deals with researching the influence of new technologies on youth, online security, and digital environment policies.

One of the prominent European experts in media education and cultural diversity, Divina Frau-Meigs, a professor of media sociology at the Paris University of Sorbonne Nouvelle, will speak about the importance of national policies and media literacy strategies. Professor Frau-Meigs is also the consultant for media literacy at UNESCO, the European Council, and the European Commission.

More media news can be found in the Lifestyle section.

March 9, 2020 - Croatian heavyweight talent Filip Hrgovic will face Jerry 'Slugger' Forrest on April 17 in Oxon Hill, USA. 

ESPN reports that one of the most interesting heavyweight talents, bronze Olympic medalist Filip Hrgovic (10-0, 8 KO) will compete on April 17 in Oxon Hill against Jerry Forrest (26-3, 20 KO), an American boxer who missed fighting Murat Gassijew in February due to the Russian's injury.

The 31-year-old 'Slugger' has no significant victories on his account, but in July last year, he fought an even, losing duel against the undefeated Jermaine Franklin. It was his first defeat since 2014, when he lost against Michael Hunter. Forrest's third defeat took place in August 2013, when Gerald Washington knocked him out. It is worth noting that Forrest is small for a heavyweight (185 cm tall), but with a nearly two-meter reach. 

Forrest has 26 wins and three losses and has registered 20 victories with a knockout. Boxrec ranks him as the 93rd heavyweight in the world and the 23rd best American boxer in the royal category, which is nowhere near the references Filip had hoped for his next rival. Forrest began his career in 2012, and in the next two fights, he met his most famous opponents - Gerald Washington and Michael Hunter, against both of whom he suffered defeat.

The last fight for the 27-year-old Hrgovic was in Saudi Arabia last December. ‘El Animal’ knocked out Eric Molina in the third round. It was said that in the spring, the Croatian boxer could cross gloves in Great Britain against Martin Bakole, though this has been put on hold for now. 

The reason for the not-so-challenging fight against Forrest is that Hrgovic has Olympic qualifications in May. It all depends on whether the Croatian champion Marko Milun manages to qualify for the games in March in the European tournament. If he fails, Hrgovic will most likely prepare for the May tournament. At the moment, the Zagreb heavyweight is located in Miami.

Hrgovic and Forrest will meet in Oxon Hill, a small town near Washington, next month. Besides the Hrogvic fight, the program also includes Regis Prograis vs Maurice Hooker, Luke Campbell vs Javier Fortuna, Cecilia Braekhus vs Jessica McCaskill, and Danijar Jeleussinow vs Julius Indongo.

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