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[1/9] Czech presidential candidate Petr Pavel and his wife Eva Pavlova react at his headquarters, after results are announced for the country's presidential election, in Prague, Czech Republic January 28, 2023. Pavel, a 61-year-old retired general running for office for the first time, won 58.3% of the vote with all voting districts reporting final results, defeating billionaire ex-premier Andrej Babis, a dominant but polarising force in Czech politics for a decade. Pavel has also fully backed continued support for Ukraine in its defence against Russia's invasion. Babis, 68, a combative business magnate who heads the biggest opposition party in parliament, had attacked Pavel as the government's candidate. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy congratulated Pavel on his election on Twitter and said he looked forward to close cooperation.

☆ Petr Pavel: who is the ex-army chief leading Czech presidential election race?
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-24 | by ( Jan Lopatka | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Polls make the bearded retired general, 61, the favourite to win a run-off vote on Friday and Saturday against billionaire ex-prime minister Andrej Babis, 68. "We got into several tense situations and he always managed them with deliberation and calm," retired Czech general Ales Opata, who served in Croatia and after with Pavel, told Reuters. He lead the Czech general staff from 2012, during Czech involvement in operations in Afghanistan, and in 2015 became NATO's military committee chair, an advisory position of the alliance's secretary-general. Jiri Sedivy, chief executive of the European Defence Agency and former Czech ambassador to NATO, said Pavel was a decision-maker who could take responsibility. After Russia's 2014 annexation of Crimea, Pavel represented NATO in a 2017 meeting with Russian Chief of General Staff Valery Gerasimov.

☆ Retired general Pavel leads in poll ahead of Czech presidential vote
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

PRAGUE, Jan 21 (Reuters) - Retired general Petr Pavel held a 15 percentage point lead over billionaire ex-premier Andrej Babis heading into a Jan. 27-28 presidential run-off vote, a Czech Television poll showed on Saturday. The poll showed Pavel leading with 53% compared to 38% for Babis with 9% undecided. The expected turnout could hit 84% in the poll next weekend, the highest ever in a Czech presidential vote, the survey found. Pavel, 61, is strongly pro-Western and supports further military aid for Ukraine as well as adoption of the euro. Pavel started his military career in the 1980s and enrolled in a military intelligence training course, which he completed after Communist rule collapsed.

☆ Serbia asks Russia to end recruitment of its people for Ukraine war
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BELGRADE, Jan 17 (Reuters) - Russia should halt its efforts to recruit Serbs to fight alongside its Wagner paramilitary group in Ukraine, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said. Vucic criticised Russia's websites and social media groups for publishing advertisements in the Serbian language in which the Wagner group calls volunteers to join its ranks. Serb volunteers took part in the fighting alongside pro-Russian forces in Ukraine in 2014 and 2015. Serbian Defence Minister Milos Vucevic also warned Serbs against joining Russian ranks in the war against Ukraine. Serbia is entirely dependent on gas imports from Russia and its NIS oil retailer is owned by Russia's Gazprom.

☆ Former NATO general, ex-prime minister seen leading Czech presidential election
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-13 | by ( Jan Lopatka | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/3] Czech presidential candidate and former Chairman of the NATO Military Committee and Czech Army General Petr Pavel casts his ballot during the country's direct presidential election in the village of Cernoucek, Czech Republic, January 13, 2023. The post does not carry executive authority but has significant powers in appointing prime ministers, central bank chiefs and nominating judges for the constitutional court. Pavel, 61, and Nerudova, 44, are strongly pro-Western and support further military aid for Ukraine as well as adoption of the euro. They would not have decision-making power in those affairs but could set the agenda in public and political consultations. Babis has also spoken against more Czech military aid for Ukraine.

☆ Retired general, ex-PM lead the field in Czech presidential election
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( Jan Lopatka | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/4] Presidential candidate and former Chairman of the NATO Military Committee and Czech Army General Petr Pavel arrives at a rock club to meet his supporters, ahead of a direct presidential election that will start on January 13, in Prague, Czech Republic, January 9, 2023. Retired General Petr Pavel, 61, running as an independent, led two out of four final polls. Former prime minister Andrej Babis, 68, a billionaire heading the biggest opposition party in parliament was ahead in the other two. While there are eight candidates, only Pavel, Babis and economics professor Danuse Nerudova, 44, have a chance of making it to the second round, polls show. There pollsters give Pavel and edge, expecting him to gather more votes from other candidates than Babis.

☆ Tensions rise in northern Kosovo, Serbia puts army on alert
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MITROVICA, Kosovo, Dec 27 (Reuters) - Protesting Serbs in the ethnically divided city of Mitrovica in northern Kosovo erected new barricades on Tuesday, hours after Serbia said it had put its army on the highest combat alert following weeks of escalating tensions between Belgrade and Pristina. Since Dec. 10, Serbs in northern Kosovo have erected multiple roadblocks in and around Mitrovica and exchanged fire with police after the arrest of a former Serb policeman for allegedly assaulting serving police officers during a previous protest. Around 50,000 Serbs live in the northern part of Albanian-majority Kosovo and refuse to recognise the Pristina government or the state. They see Belgrade as their capital and are backed by Serbia, from which Kosovo declared independence in 2008. The local Serbs are demanding the release of the arrested officer and have other demands before they will remove the barricades.

☆ Czech president: will appoint new members of central bank board on Dec. 14
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

PRAGUE, Dec 11 (Reuters) - Czech President Milos Zeman will appoint new members to the Czech National Bank board on Dec. 14, the president said on Sunday. President Zeman did not say who would replace two board members - Vice-Governor Marek Mora and board member Oldrich Dedek - whose terms expire in mid-February. "In the case of the new members of the central bank board, whom I will appoint on Wednesday, the appointment comes some time before they take office, that is a common practice," Zeman said in an interview broadcast live on Czech Radio. Under the Czech constitution, the president has sole power to appoint central bankers. Several board members, including Governor Ales Michl, suggested that inflation might be already peaking, in line with the central bank staff macroeconomic forecast.

☆ How streetwear brand Unless Collective aims to accomplish what brands like Nike and Adidas haven't — fully sustainable sneakers and apparel
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-03 | by ( Matthew Kish | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Unless Collective T-shirts Courtesy Unless CollectiveNo "forever materials"While companies like Adidas and Nike have pledged to use more recycled polyester this decade, Liedtke said Unless Collective doesn't use any polyester in its products. At end-of-life, a tag sewn inside each Unless Collective product gives directions on how to return it. The company's working with an industrial composter in California that can make "nutrient rich soil" out of the company's old hoodies and T-shirts. Like other plant-based apparel companies, Unless Collective has had to completely rethink its supply chain. Instead of relying on factories in Asia, Unless Collective manufactures its jackets in Portugal, T-shirts in the Carolinas in the US, and hoodies in Los Angeles.

☆ Vlahovic on the bench as Kostic starts for Serbia against Cameroon
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-28 | by ( Julien Pretot | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] Soccer Football - FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 - Group G - Cameroon v Serbia - Al Janoub Stadium, Al Wakrah, Qatar - November 28, 2022 Serbia players on the pitch before the match REUTERS/Marko DjuricaAL WAKRAH, Qatar, Nov 28 (Reuters) - Dusan Vlahovic will be on the bench for Serbia for the second game in a row at the World Cup as they face Cameroon in Group G on Monday. The 22-year-old striker, who was battling a groin problem in the run-up to the tournament, came on in the second half of Serbia's 2-0 defeat by Brazil. Wing back Filip Kostic was named in the starting side after missing the opening game with a muscle problem. Cameroon coach Rigobert Song made two changes to the team who lost 1-0 to Switzerland, replacing keeper Andre Onana with Devis Epassy and midfielder Samuel Oum Gouet with Pierre Kunde. Teams:Cameroon - Devis Epassy, Collins Fai, Jean-Charles Castelletto, Nicolas Nkoulou, Nouhou Tolo, Andre-Frank Zambo-Anguissa, Pierre Kunde, Martin Hongla, Bryan Mbeumo, Eric-Maxim Choupo-Moting (c), Karl Toko EkambiSerbia - Vanja Milinkovic-Savic, Nikola Milenkovic, Milos Veljkovic, Strahinja Pavlovic, Andrija Zivkovic, Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, Sasa Lukic, Filip Kostic, Nemanja Maksimovic, Dusan Tadic (c), Aleksandar MitrovicReporting by Julien Pretot; Editing by Peter Rutherford;Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Abandoned Greek airport to be transformed into a 600-acre coastal park
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-25 | by ( Nell Lewis | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +16 min

Tegel Projekt GmbH/Atelier Loidl Kai Tak International Airport, Hong Kong -- With a runway that protruded into the sea, Kai Tak International Airport in Hong Kong once had one of the most arresting approaches in the world. PHILIPPE LOPEZ/AFP/AFP via Getty Images Hellinikon International Airport, Athens, Greece -- Hellinikon was once the only international airport in Athens, Greece, before Hellinikon was once the only international airport in Athens, Greece, before closing down in 2001 . Developer LAMDA is looking to complete the first phase of construction in 2025 courtesy LAMDA Development Stapleton International Airport, Denver, Colorado -- A photo of Stapleton International Airport from 1963. The grounds of the old airport became the 125-hectare (309-acre) Quito replaced its main airport with another bearing the same name. RODRIGO BUENDIA/AFP/AFP via Getty Images Downsview Airport, Toronto -- Downsview Airport in north Toronto was once a Canadian Air Force base.

Persons: Sasaki, ”, Michael Grove, Eero Saarinen, Kai, Kok, FREDERIC J . BROWN, Kai Tak, PHILIPPE LOPEZ, Hellinikon, Milos Bicanski, Ken Tillis, Lisa Martine, Sean Gallup, Maja Hitij, RODRIGO BUENDIA, Eleni Myrivilli, …, Aleksandra Kazmierczak, it’s, we’re Organizations: CNN, Ellinikon International, Games, Charleston Waterfront Park, Newcastle University, Tegel Airport, Tegel Projekt, Kai Tak International Airport, Kai Tak International, Getty, Foster + Partners, AFP, Stapleton International Airport, Denver International Airport, Denver, Getty Images, Airport, CNN Galeville Army, Galeville, United States Military Academy, West, Wildlife Refuge, Fish and Wildlife, Wildlife, Nazi, Maja, Mariscal Sucre International Airport, Old Mariscal Sucre International, Downsview, Canadian Air Force, Downsview Airport, City, Resilience, European Environment Agency, Development, Ellinikon Locations: Athens, Greece, Ellinikon, Boston, Charleston, Beijing, American, Grove, Berlin, Hong Kong, AFP, Europe, Hellinikon, Denver , Colorado, Central, New York, Ulster County , New York, Germany, Quito, Ecuador, Toronto, Downsview Park, Canada, Downsview, City of Athens, ”

☆ Vinicius Jr. to start for Brazil against Serbia
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

LUSAIL, Qatar, Nov 24 (Reuters) - Brazil coach Tite opted to start Vinicius Jr. in a four-man attack for their World Cup Group G opener against Serbia on Thursday. Tite will unleash Vinicius alongside Neymar, Richarlison and Raphinha, with only two genuine midfielders in Lucas Paqueta and Casemiro as Brazil begin their quest for a record-extending sixth World Cup trophy. Serbia, who were sweating on Aleksandar Mitrovic's availability due to an ankle injury, named their leading striker in the starting line-up. Brazil:Alisson; Danilo, Thiago Silva (c), Marquinhos, Alex Sandro; Casemiro, Lucas Paqueta, Neymar; Vinicius Jr., Raphinha, Richarlison. Serbia:Vanja Milinkovic-Savic, Milos Veljkovic, Filip Mladenovic, Strahinja Pavlovic, Nikola Milenkovic, Andrija Zivkovic, Nemanja Gudelj, Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, Sasa Lukic, Dusan Tadic (c), Aleksandar Mitrovic.

☆ No advantage for Australia from Qatar experience, says Degenek
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Nov 14 (Reuters) - Central defender Milos Degenek does not believe Australia will gain an advantage at the World Cup from having played regularly in host nation Qatar's air-conditioned stadiums during the qualifying rounds for this month's tournament. The only advantage there's going to be is we've been here the last year, year-and-a-half four or five times to play different qualifying games." All eight of the venues being used for the World Cup are cooled to mitigate the high temperatures that affect the Gulf region. Australia played preliminaries against China and Oman at the Khalifa Stadium, which will host eight World Cup games, before facing the United Arab Emirates and Peru in playoffs at the Ahmad bin Ali Stadium. Arnold's team will take on defending champions France in their opening game of the World Cup on Nov. 22 before facing Tunisia and Denmark.

☆ Serbia World Cup squad
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Nov 11 (Reuters) - Dragan Stojkovic named his 26-man squad for the Nov. 20-Dec. 18 World Cup in Qatar on Friday. Serbia are in Group G alongside Brazil, Switzerland and Cameroon. SquadGoalkeepers: Marko Dmitrovic, Predrag Rajkovic, Vanja Milinkovic-SavicDefenders: Stefan Mitrovic, Nikola Milenkovic, Strahinja Pavlovic, Milos Veljkovic, Filip Mladenovic, Strahinja Erakovic, Srdjan BabicMidfielders: Nemanja Gudelj, Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, Sasa Lukic, Marko Grujic, Filip Kostic, Uros Racic, Nemanja Maksimovic, Ivan Ilic, Andrija Zivkovic, Darko LazovicForwards: Dusan Tadic (captain), Aleksandar Mitrovic, Dusan Vlahovic, Filip Duricic, Luka Jovic, Nemanja RadonjicReporting by Rohith Nair in BengaluruOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Every World Cup 2022 squad announced: USMNT, Germany, Belgium and more
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-10 | by ( Ben Morse | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +13 min

CNN —‘Tis the season for wall charts and fans gathering around to pick their starting teams for the 2022 Qatar World Cup. “It’s always difficult when a guy helps you get to the World Cup, he scores three goals in World Cup qualifying and isn’t going to be a part of the program. Again, it’s more about who we did add that we felt good about.”All but one of the 26 will be making their World Cup debut at this year’s tournament and, according to the USMNT, it will be the youngest team to qualify for the World Cup. Octavio Passos/Getty Images Europe/Getty ImagesGhanaManager: Otto AddoThe final squad has not been announced yet. READ: Meet Otto Addo, the coach responsible for guiding some of Europe’s brightest young talents (2021)—–PortugalManager: Fernando SantosThe final squad has not been announced yet.

☆ Meet Donald Trump's children with Ivana Trump, Marla Maples, and Melania Trump
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-09 | by ( Business Insider | Lloyd Lee | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

Donald Trump has five children between two of his former wives and his current wife Melania Trump. Donald Trump Jr., Eric Trump, and Ivanka Trump are children with his first wife, Ivana Trump, who died on July 14. Getty Images/Joe CorriganNow a father of five, Donald Trump Jr. was 12 when Ivana Trump and Donald Trump Sr. divorced. In 2001, a year after he graduated from college, Donald Trump Jr. went to work for his dad for the second time. He told New York magazine that Donald Trump Jr. is like his mentor and Ivanka Trump is like his second mother.

☆ Factbox: List of squads for the 2022 World Cup
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Midfielders: Aaron Mooy (Celtic), Jackson Irvine (FC St. Pauli), Ajdin Hrustic (Hellas Verona), Cameron Devlin (Heart of Midlothian), Riley McGree (Middlesbrough), Keanu Baccus (St Mirren). Goalkeepers: Alisson (Liverpool), Ederson (Manchester City), Weverton (Palmeiras). Midfielders: Bruno Guimaraes (Newcastle United), Casemiro (Manchester United), Everton Ribeiro (Flamengo), Fabinho (Liverpool), Fred (Manchester United), Lucas Paqueta (West Ham United). Midfielders: Thomas Delaney (Sevilla), Mathias Jensen (Brentford), Christian Eriksen (Manchester United), Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg (Tottenham Hotspur). JAPANDefender Yuta Nakayama was called up but will miss the World Cup after suffering an Achilles injury.

☆ Ivanka Trump accepts Czech state award on behalf of late mother Ivana
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/4] Ivanka Trump accepts a state award on behalf of her late mother Ivana Trump, first wife of former U.S. President Donald Trump, from Czech President Milos Zeman, with her brother Donald Trump Jr., during an award ceremony at Prague Castle, in Prague, Czech Republic, October 28, 2022. REUTERS/Bundas EnglerPRAGUE, Oct 29 (Reuters) - Former U.S. President Donald Trump’s daughter Ivanka has accepted a Czech state award honouring her late mother Ivana who emigrated to the United States in the 1970s but kept close ties to her native country. Born Ivana Marie Zelnickova Czechoslovakia, Ivana Trump grew up in Zlin some 300 km (186 miles) from Prague. She met Donald Trump on a modelling trip to New York in 1976 and became his first wife when they married nine months later. Ivana Trump told CBS television in 2017 that Trump offered her the role of ambassador to the Czech Republic but that she turned it down.

☆ Bochum stun Bundesliga leaders Union Berlin 2-1
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BOCHUM, Germany Oct 23 (Reuters) - Relegation-threatened VfL Bochum scored once in either half to stun Union Berlin 2-1 on Sunday, leaving the Bundesliga leaders with only a slim gap at the top and bagging a second win of the season to move off the bottom of the table. Pantovic had another chance to put Union back in the game but the former Bochum player's 78th-minute penalty was parried by keeper Manuel Riemann. Bochum's second win of the season lifted them off last place and into 17th on seven points. Schalke 04, who sacked coach Frank Kramer on Wednesday, dropped to bottom place following their 2-1 defeat at Hertha Berlin courtesy of Wilfried Kanga's 88th-minute winner. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Karolos Grohmann; editing by Clare FallonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Adidas' former brand president says streetwear needs a 'Tesla-like moment' to move the industry beyond plastics. His startup now aims to accomplish what brands like Nike haven't.
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-11 | by ( Matthew Kish | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Liedtke recently cofounded Unless Collective, which makes plant-based streetwear. At end-of-life, a tag sewn inside each Unless Collective product gives directions on how to return it. The company's working with an industrial composter in California that can make "nutrient rich soil" out of the company's old hoodies and T-shirts. Instead of relying on factories in Asia, Unless Collective manufactures its jackets in Portugal, T-shirts in the Carolinas in the US, and hoodies in Los Angeles. In some cases Unless Collective is working to get a "minimum viable product" on the market in order to keep the company moving forward.

☆ 'One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest' star Louise Fletcher dies at 88
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-24 | by ( The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

Louise Fletcher, a late-blooming star whose riveting performance as the cruel and calculating Nurse Ratched in “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” set a new standard for screen villains and won her an Academy Award, has died at age 88. Fletcher died in her sleep surrounded by family at her home in Montdurausse, France, her agent David Shaul told The Associated Press on Friday. Fletcher had moved to Los Angeles to launch her acting career soon after graduating from North Carolina State University. Estelle Louise Fletcher was born the second of four children on July 22, 1934, in Birmingham. The Fletcher children were helped by their aunt, with whom they lived in Bryant, Texas, for a year.

CNN —Louise Fletcher, the actress who won an Academy Award for playing the villainous Nurse Ratched in “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest,” died Friday in France, according to her agent David Shaul. “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” starred Jack Nicholson as a new patient at a mental institution, where Mildred Ratched – played by Fletcher – reigns as an authoritarian, controlling nurse. In her Oscar speech, Fletcher sweetly thanked her “Cuckoo’s Nest” colleagues and then, using sign language, acknowledged her deaf parents watching at home. Louise Fletcher Wins Best Actress: 1976 Oscars“I want to say thank you for teaching me to have a dream. The film swept the top five Oscars for 1975 – for Best Picture, director Milos Forman, adapted screenplay, actor Nicholson and actress Fletcher.

☆ Oscar winner Louise Fletcher dies at 88- AP
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Fletcher died in her sleep surrounded by family at her home in Montdurausse, France, her agent David Shaul told the news agency, without giving a cause for her death. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReuters was not immediately able to reach Fletcher's agent or son for comment. The movie also won awards for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Leading Actor and Best Screenplay. Fletcher divorced Bick in 1977 and is survived by her sons, according to the Associated Press. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Juby Babu in Bengaluru.

☆ It's your last month to use credit card benefits that reset each calendar year — and avoid missing out on valuable statement credits and bonuses
▼ + stars: | 2021-12-27 | by ( Eric Rosen | Read More | Read Less | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +39 min

Make sure you use up credit card statement credits and meet spending thresholds for bonuses by December 31. Milos Dimic/GettySome credit card perks, such as statement credits or spending bonuses, reset each calendar year. When using a credit card, it's important to pay your balance in full each month, make payments on time, and only spend what you can afford to pay. More Information Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $6,000 on purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. The Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card,Chase Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card, and Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card all earn Tier Qualification Points (TQPs) toward elite status based on spending.

☆ Insider Life: NYC's rising star broker — Trendy Greek escape — $200,000 tiny homes
▼ + stars: | 2021-08-27 | by ( Jordan Parker Erb | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

It's the last weekend in August and we've got the perfect way to spend it: reading another edition of Insider Life. See what it's like to live a day as a rising real-estate star. The community has exploded during the pandemic, as we've spent more time at home, becoming increasingly aware of how our spaces look and feel. MicroLife InstituteA new tiny-home community outside Atlanta is aiming to change the way people live. The 500-square-foot cottages cost up to $200,000, and are built around communal areas that are designed to encourage socialization among neighbors.

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