Breaking news

Devastating Hollywood Fires Cause Delay In Oscar Nominations

The ongoing wildfires in California, which have ravaged much of Hollywood, have forced the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to delay the announcement of the 2024 Oscar nominations. The nominations, originally scheduled for January 16, will now be announced on Thursday, January 23.

Key Facts

  • The Oscar nominations voting period has been extended to Friday, January 17, moving from the original deadline of Sunday, January 12.
  • The 97th Academy Awards ceremony will still take place on March 2 at the Dolby Theatre.
  • The nominations will be announced live on YouTube.
  • Academy CEO Bill Kramer and President Janet Young explained in a joint statement that the extension and change in schedule were necessary due to the ongoing fires and their impact on the Los Angeles community. They expressed solidarity with those affected and emphasized the need to accommodate the region’s infrastructure and housing challenges.

Accent

The fires, including the massive Palisades Fire, which has burned over 23,000 acres, continue to ravage the Los Angeles area. The fires have claimed at least 24 lives, and 23 people are still missing. Authorities have evacuated over 90,000 residents.

Tactical Impact

The devastating fires have also led to the postponement of other major industry events. The Writers Guild of America delayed the announcement of its nominations, which were originally set for January 9. The Critics’ Choice Awards, originally scheduled for January 12, have been rescheduled to January 26.

Despite the devastation, the Academy remains committed to supporting the industry and its members during this challenging time.

Only 1% Of Cyprus Farms Use Precision Farming Technologies

Cyprus remains one of the European Union’s least digitised agricultural economies, with just 1% of farms using precision farming technologies in 2023, according to Eurostat.

The findings come as the EU continues to encourage the adoption of digital tools aimed at improving agricultural productivity, efficiency and sustainability.

Internet Access Expands, But Digital Uptake Lags

Internet access has improved across the bloc, although adoption remains uneven. Eurostat found that 43% of EU farms had internet access in 2023, with northern and central European countries leading the way.

Denmark, Germany, Slovakia, Latvia, the Czech Republic and Austria all reported internet access rates above 90%.

Greater connectivity, however, has not translated into widespread digital adoption. Farm management information systems, which help farmers manage day-to-day operations, were used by only about 11% of EU farms. France was a notable exception, with around 60% of farms using the technology.

Precision Farming Concentrated In Larger Operations

Robotics adoption also remained relatively limited, with only about 7% of EU farms using robotic technologies. Overall, around 18% of farms with utilised agricultural area employed at least one precision farming technology or practice in 2023.

These included robotics for plant protection, band spraying, variable-rate application, precision crop monitoring and soil analysis. Despite representing fewer than one in five farms, these holdings accounted for around 44% of the EU’s utilised agricultural area.

The figures suggest that precision farming remains concentrated among larger agricultural businesses, where investment in digital technologies is typically easier to support.

Cyprus Lags Behind EU Leaders

Luxembourg, Finland and Estonia recorded the highest shares of utilised agricultural area managed by farms using precision farming technologies, each exceeding 75%.

At the other end of the ranking, Cyprus recorded just 1%, while Greece and Romania reported between 10% and 15%. The results indicate that Cyprus remains at an early stage of digital adoption in agriculture, even as precision farming becomes more widespread across parts of the European Union.

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