Early Bird: Britain and the EU cannot come to an agreement. Game of Thrones star on Netflix. The Czechs are buying cosmetics for Christmas

Britain unable to reach agreement with the European Union

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Today, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and European Commission President Ursula Von Der Leyen will try to break the stalemate over the trade agreement between the United Kingdom and the European Union after Brexit. Although the issue has been discussed for weeks, significant differences remain in the views of both parties. At the same time, the time to make a deal is running out, as Britain will leave the EU's trade rules as early as 31 December 2020. Both sides have already agreed on most conditions, yet they got stuck on several points.

One of them is fishing. European Union fishing vessels should have access to UK waters until 2031, which the UK isn't excited about in the slightest. They have thus swept off the table all questions regarding fishing regulating state subsidies for business and the ways in which they are controlled. While Germany and Ireland are pushing for a trade agreement to be signed soon, in France some voices saying it would be good to veto any agreement on the part of the Gallic rooster country.

Czechs most often buy cosmetics for Christmas

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This year, cosmetics are the most popular Christmas gift among the Czechs. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, shopping for gifts mainly happens online in 2020, and cosmetic products are ideal for that. A survey by the agency Perfect Crowd for Home Credit also found that people are more cautious about spending money. They're buying gifts from their wages or savings and taking loans for them is less frequent than in previous years. Next to cosmetics, fashion (clothing and footwear), electronics, books and toys also placed high in the imaginary ranking.

"People realize that they need to monitor their financial situation more carefully. Many people have lost income and have to live off their savings. We do not recommend our clients to go into debt because of Christmas presents. They should follow a simple rule, namely to take credit for something they'll be using longer than the repayment period of the loan,"

says Miroslav Zborovský, Ombudsman for Home Credit clients. He adds that the most popular Christmas gifts include electronics, which is also easy to buy in e-shops. In this case, he is more lenient to financing the gifts with a loan, because they will last a long time.

Paramedics in the US are getting ready for a dark winter

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For weeks already, experts in the United States have been warning fthat the situation regarding the COVID-19 pandemic is not developing well at all. According to them, this winter will be one of the darkest in the history of the USA. Doctors, nurses, funeral homes or organizers of food banks are preparing for a very exhausting, even devastating period. After many months of fighting the disease, the level of exhaustion in these area is huge, but most agree that the worst is yet to come.

Dr Adolphe Edward, CEO of El Centro Regional Medical Center in Southern California, whose parking lot was home to a 50-bed field hospital, said:

"I think we're past the breaking point. The staff is here, but they're broken. I might really be back in a war zone. We're at war against COVID-19.""

Byt na prodej na Praze 2 - 29 m², Praha 2

Show property

A monastery turned into luxury offices

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Sir David Alan Chipperfield and his associates have rebuilt an original monastery in West Germany into luxury offices. David Chipperfield's Berlin studio focused on the former St. Vincenz hospital in Paderborn, which had originally been built as a monastery. They created a new headquarters there for the company Tap Holding, which owns several craft businesses. The team supplemented the original building with three new office wings and revealed the historic quarry stone masonry. And they focused their attention on the most historical parts of the structure from the 17th century. The original facade of the chapel with a steep gable profile thus became the central point of the building. The 12,500 square meters of office space leave plenty of room for a dining room for employees, a photo studio and a showroom.

Peter Dinklage in a new movie on Netflix

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American actor Peter Dinklage is best known for his role as Tyrion Lannister in the series the Game of Thrones, for which he won numerous awards and, stealing the hearts of millions of movie enthusiasts. The 51-year-old actor has recently jumped the boat. The Game of Thrones was an HBO show, while Peter's new film will be streamed on the competitive streaming platform Netflix. The two-hour thriller I Care and Lot will tell the story of scam artist Marly Grayson, played by Hollywood star Rosamund Pike. Marly focuses on finding ways to become a legal guardians of seniors, even if they are able to take care of themselves. She then gets a court order to send them to a home for the elderly, confiscates their mobile phone and steals their property. She's doing pretty well until she meets one Roman Lunyov. This character is portrayed by Peter Dinklage and he makes a living exactly in the same way as Marly. Soon, we will be able to see how their duel turns out on Netflix.

A camera and a video camera for Apple Watch

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After four years of development, a wrist camera (CMRA) for Apple Watch has finally seen the light of the world thanks to a crowdfunding campaign. We can look forward to a design strap, equipped with front and rear cameras. The more powerful camera has 8 megapixels and can capture 1080p videos and 4K photos. The selfie camera has 2 megapixels. According to plan, it should be possible to use it as a video recorder for real-time live broadcasts. The CMRA will offer 8 GB of memory and it will be possible to connect it to Apple Watch via Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE). The connection to the iPhone will be via Bluetooth 4.2, 5.0, or Wi-Fi. The good news is that the camera strap will weigh only 23 grams. The device can already be pre-ordered on the manufacturer's website for $ 299 (approximately CZK 6,500). The first pieces should reach their owners in March next year.

That's all for this morning. We hope you'll get to spend this weekend with your loved ones. Even Audrey Hepburn knew that:

"Nobody provides as much entertainment in a company as the people who aren't present."