April 24, 2022 - The first edition of the sun-kissed and stunning Selected Festival will take place at the oldest club on Croatia's world-famous Zrće beach this June, featuring crossover dance music acts such as Flashmob, Endor, and many more. 

Namely, Club Euphoria has recently had a complete renovation and will open its doors for the first time from June 16th - 19th 2022, when Flashmob, Endor, Reblok, Dea Tosh, Groove Masters, Yakka, Full Ferry, Mony, and more will all play. 

Euphoria has been completely overhauled and will open its all-new doors in the summer of 2022. It will offer the most modern open-air dance floor on Zrće beach and will allow you to dance without stopping for three full days with internationally known headliners, right by the Adriatic sea. Next to the world-class music, you can enjoy plenty of local culture and cuisines and enjoy relaxing days on the beach, exploring water sports, jet skiing or all-day partying at one of the most famous party destinations in Croatia. 

The warm-up for the evening program is set every day from 4 pm - 10 pm at the official after beach location of Burra Beach House. Mingle with a cocktail in hand at a place that has become synonymous with good times while the finest house music is played to you by international DJs in a gorgeous setting. Selected Croatia comes to you from a young group of music lovers and promoters who have been creating unforgettable and unique experiences for some time, including the legendary Zadar Sunset Festival 2021. 

They host in beautiful locations along the Adriatic coast, and Selected Festival is the latest event waiting for you on the stunning island of Pag. Sun, sea, and good vibes are all included, so move fast to lock down one of the limited tickets from: https://www.entrio.com/event/selected-festival-2022-10827

For more, check out our lifestyle section.

April 24, 2022 - The group draw for the European Water Polo Championship was held in a spectacular way at Peristyle, inside Diocletian's Palace. The Croatia women's team will face Germany, Hungary, Greece, the Netherlands, and Romania, while the men will face Greece, Malta, and France in the main water polo tournament on the continent, which will be held in Split in August.

Peristyle and water polo. At first, it sounds like a weird date, but if you found yourself nearby last night, you definitely made sure it was a winning combination. Magical and spectacular. Epithets followed one after the other because, in the world of water polo, such an event has not been seen so far, reports Slobodna Dalmacija. This was the first touch of the seemingly incompatible.

History in the service of sports - so the organizers announced the draw of groups for the European Water Polo Championship, which is scheduled from August 27 to September 10 in Split. What they promised, they fulfilled. The special occasion took place at the historic square in front of the Cathedral of St. Duje, where a wedding ceremony ended just before the start of the event. The happy newlyweds further complemented the already glamorous atmosphere.

There were also curious tourists. Everyone wanted to see what was going on at the Peristyle... and then it started. Ana Rucner opened with a cello performance. The official mascot of the European Water Polo Championship in Split, the seagull Roko, was then presented.

The program was hosted by Mirta Šurjak and Marko Šapit, with a live television broadcast. The central part of the event, the draw itself, started with the draw of groups for the women's part of the tournament. Recall, both Russian national teams were eliminated from the tournament, so there were small changes in the strong groups.

The balls were drawn by two special guests. They were Josip Pavić, our celebrated water polo player, and today's envoy of Prime Minister Andrej Plenković. He was named the best player of the tournament 12 years ago when Croatia last hosted.

A touch of handball was brought in by Petar Metličić. Just as they should be, water polo and handball are the two most trophy-winning Croatian sports, they have delighted us countless times with their medals. Croatian water polo female players will play in a group with Germany, Hungary, Greece, the Netherlands, and Romania.

Photo: Miroslav Lelas/PIXSELL

The ladies had the advantage, followed by the group draw for the men's squads. The balls were drawn by the legendary Blanka Vlašić and no less famous water polo player Deni Lušić.

Croatia will play in Group B with Greece, Malta, and France. It could have been easier, but also harder. Slobodna Dalmacija asked the coach Ivica Tucak for a comment.

''For me, this is the most difficult group. The Greeks are Olympic runners-up, and France is certainly the strongest team from the second pot. They have recently beaten Spain, and are growing and investing heavily as they are hosting the next Olympics. Of course, the group is only the first step. It remains to be seen which group we are crossing with''.

The goals of Croatian water polo players are always the highest.

''The wish is to go as far as possible, if possible to gold. I expect it will be a pleasure to play at the Spaladium Arena. I want it to be the wind in our backs to show our best version. Summer is crowded. We must first think about the World Cup, and then we will focus on the Euro'', said Tucak.

The anthem of the European Water Polo Championship called "Until the Last Breath" was also presented, and it was performed by Lidija Bačić, Goran Karan, and the klapa Sebenico.

The groups were formed as follows:

Women

Group A:

1. Germany

2. Croatia

3. Hungary

4. Greece

5. The Netherlands

6. Romania

Group B:

1. Serbia

2. France

3. Slovakia

4. Italy

5. Israel

6. Spain

Men

Group A:

1. Italy

2. Georgia

3. Slovakia

4. Montenegro

Group B:

1. Greece

2. Malta

3. France

4. Croatia

Group C:

1. Romania

2. Germany

3. Spain

4. The Netherlands

Group D:

1. Serbia

2. Hungary

3. Israel

4. Slovenia

To read more about sport in Croatia, follow TCN’s dedicated page.

April the 24th, 2022 - Certain Croatian meat prices could soar by as much as 50 percent, with a particular favourite (dried and smoked meat) being the hardest hit.

Inflation is still posing an enormous problem across the Republic of Croatia and indded across the rest of Europe. The ongoing war in Ukraine following Russian invasion back in February is a strong contributor to this unpleasant situation which is continuing to hit pockets hard after an already horrid two years dominated by the global coronavirus pandemic.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, and as Jutarnji list reports, over the next six months to a year, the Republic of Croatia is being threatened with a rise in the price of dried meat products by up to 50 percent.

Producers claim that the price of roast meat, prosciutto and other cured meat will increase, due to changes in two production cycles.

There are three factors that have influenced this increase in Croatian meat prices, one is the increase in pork prices by 50 percent, then the subsequent growth of production costs, ie the price of raw materials and energy, and the third factor - higher inflation which is causing issues on a global scale and has been for some time now.

According to the associations involved with the Croatian meat production scene, this is a long-standing problem, where despite the offer of advances, domestic pig production could not be provided for the needs of the market, which would have ensured that the price jump remain under control, Jutarnji list added.

For more, make sure to check out our dedicated lifestyle section.

April the 24th, 2022 - The Croatian company Span appears to be spreading its wings even further following its previously announced takeover of the Ekobit software company a few weeks ago. This time, its eyes are on fintech.

As Poslovni Dnevnik/Jadranka Dozan writes, one of the leading IT companies in the whole of the Republic of Croatia, which was listed on the Zagreb Stock Exchange seven months ago after an IPO, recently informed the investment community about the establishment of Fintech Digital Services.

According to a stock exchange announcement, the Commercial Court in Zagreb issued a decision last week on the registration of the establishment of that company.

It is a joint project that the Croatian company Span entered into with two other co-founding partners. These are two companies from Varazdin - the technology startup Identity Consortium which was launched in 2018, and the company Karfijam.

Along with Span and Identity Consortium, which hold 35 percent of the share capital each, Karfijam has the remaining 30 percent of the business share. According to the data from the Court Register, the founder of the Identity Consortium, Robert Ilijas, is also the director of this brand new company.

As a global IT group, the Croatian company Span currently provides a wide range of cloud services to its clients, as well as cyber security and support services, and more details on the profile of the newly formed fintech company and the digital transformation niches it plans to position are announced for early May.

Until more information comes out early next month, it remains to be noted that the Varazdin-based Identity Consortium boasted that it had launched the Identyum NOW web portal. Further development plans, they say, include FinCheck for electronic and automated verification of the other party's financial parameters and even the development of a mobile application (app).

For more, make sure to check out our dedicated business section.

April the 24th, 2022 - Istrian kids have been busy learning about environmental protection and why plastic and other waste shouldn't be discarded in the world's seas and oceans.

As Morski writes, the Istrian Regional Energy Agency (IRENA) has been holding a series of workshops intended for primary school students on marine litter this month. The training sessions were conducted in primary schools which have the status of eco-schools and which last year applied for the Call/Invitation for participation in project activities.

The programme was attended by six primary schools and 300 Istrian kids of different ages from the wider county who learned through these training sessions about what marine waste actually is, what microplastic pollution is and just how this harmful and over-produced form of pollution affects the environment, marine animals and humans.

Marine litter is defined as any persistent, manufactured or processed solid material that isn't of natural origin but is produced, used or discarded by humans directly into the sea or entered into the sea from land sources via rivers, wastewater or winds. It's estimated that about 80% of marine litter comes from land and 20% is generated somewhere else at sea.

Plastic waste, as the most commonly found form of waste littering nature, doesn't decompose over time, but is divided into smaller fragments. Pieces of plastic smaller than 5 mm are called microplastics. In addition to the disintegration of larger fragments, microplastics are formed in other ways, for example, it is often an ingredient in cosmetics, a product of synthetic clothing and the like. Microplastics pose an exceptional and far-reaching threat to the environment and ecosystems, and bulky waste can be a source of the transmission of invasive species. The negative impact of marine litter on the environment is also manifested through pollution with hazardous substances and heavy metals.

It was especially emphasised during these sessions for Istrian kids that every single person, through responsible behaviour, can at least partially influence the reduction of marine litter. Istrian kids were shown how to do their bit by properly separating waste, reducing the use of disposable plastics, participating in cleaning actions and disseminating knowledge.

As part of the wider project, Istrian kids will also take part in beach clean up actions and awareness-raising campaigns. At the end of this month and at the beginning of May, four beach cleaning actions are planned in Istria, during which students will be presented with ways to recycle and monitor marine litter.

For more, check out our lifestyle section.

April the 24th, 2022 - The Croatian coral centre in Zlarin close to Sibenik should finally be completed by the end of this year, sources claim.

As Morski writes, a contract on the public procurement of a permanent exhibition for the Croatian Coral Centre in Zlarin has now been signed. The value of the contract stands at 2.9 million kuna without VAT, and the deadline for the execution of the contract is seven months.

The process of purchasing a permanent exhibition was launched back in August last year, and it included the designing of the said permanent exhibition, preparing all of the necessary documentation required for the implementation of the exhibition, as well as the supply, transport and installation of all of the designed content and educating users to work with the system.

In addition to representatives of the City of Sibenik, experts in the field of architecture, coral protection and museology participated in the review and evaluation of all of the bids.

The selection criterion for the upcoming Croatian coral centre in Zlarin was the most economically advantageous bid, with the bid price being assessed as the financial criterion (40%) and the non-financial quality criterion as the non-financial criterion (60%).

''The procurement took a relatively long time because, as is most often the case with and in Sibenik, we decided to take a more difficult path in order to get the best possible solution. We hope that this exhibition will fulfill its purpose, because the revival of the Croatian coral centre depends on the visitor dimension and the impressions of guests.

It's an exhibition for visitors in which the protection of nature is generally emphasised, without ignoring, but rather respecting and valorising the rich history of Zlarin, its cultural heritage and numerous artists from Zlarin, such as Vesna Parun, or those who are connected with this island,'' said Petar Misura, the head of the Administrative Department for Economy, Entrepreneurship and Development of the City of Sibenik.

According to Ivana Katuric, the director of the selected Split company (Urbanex), the innovative permanent exhibition of the Croatian Coral Centre in Zlarin will be at a high European level.

For more, check out our lifestyle section.

April 23, 2022 - In the derby of the 32nd round of the Croatian First League, the football players of NK Rijeka defeated Osijek 3-1 at home in Rujevica. NK Osijek missed out on a great opportunity to clinch the top of the table and would move into third place if Hajduk wins on Sunday.

Goals for Rijeka were scored by Robert Murić ('19, PEN), Haris Vučkić ('36), and Josip Drmić ('48), while Antonio Mance ('65) reduced the score difference to 3-1, reports Slobodna Dalmacija.

Both teams started attacking intensely at the beginning of the game, as several of Osijek's introductory attempts were defended by Rijeka's goalkeeper Labrović. In Rijeka's first dangerous attempt, Drmić's shot in the 9th minute was stopped by Osijek's goalkeeper Ivušić. NK Rijeka took the lead 10 minutes later. Čeberko recklessly played the ball with his hand in his own area, so referee Zebec pointed to the white dot, and Murić scored the penalty kick. By the end of the first half, Rijeka was a much better opponent and in the 30th minute Selahi shook the crossbar with a powerful shot, but six minutes later there was no save for Ivušić's goal. Drmić calmed down the ball very well in the visiting area and assisted Vučkić, who hit it under the crossbar with a powerful shot from eight meters.

At the beginning of the second half, Rijeka scored its third goal. Murić ran through the right wing, sending a sharp ground ball for Drmić, in an attempt that was not difficult to increase the advantage of his team. After that, Osijek went on a full offensive and seemed that in the 57th minute they should have been awarded a penalty kick. Solano was caught napping as Kleinheisler lifted a ball over him following a free-kick, but the ball hit the bar, rebounding into the keeper's arms. The situation was also reviewed through the VAR and the decision surprisingly remained in force, although the footage clearly shows a blow to the Hungarian's foot. However, the guests reduced the score difference to 3-1 in the 65th minute when Mance received the ball 25 meters from the goal, took two steps forward, and shot, and the ball hit Smočić's block on the way to the net and deceived Labrović.

With this defeat, Osijek missed the opportunity to take the top of the table, remaining second with 64 points, two less with a game more than leaders Dinamo, who are visiting Gorica on Sunday, and two more with a game more than third-placed Hajduk, who are visiting Slaven Belupo on Sunday. Rijeka is fourth with 58 points.

To read more about sport in Croatia, follow TCN’s dedicated page.

ZAGREB, 23 April 2022 - The Extinction Rebellion Zagreb initiative staged a Climate March in the centre of the capital on Saturday in response to the climate crisis, with the participants demanding the government turn to renewables.

The march was organised on the occasion of Earth Day.

The participants shouted they wanted climate justice, that it was the only hope, and that revolution was the only solution.

They carried banners which said "Systematic change - No to climate change", "For global peace, for climate justice, for social justice", "Green capitalism does not exist", and "Less work at work, more work on the environment, let's shorten the work week".

"We wish to encourage citizens to get involved in dealing with the climate crisis, given that at the last march we had demands which the government has not fulfilled," said Magdalena Škoda of Extinction Rebellion Zagreb.

Those demands were that Croatia declare a climate crisis and that the climate crisis be highlighted in schools, she said, adding that Croatian scientists have published an appeal which Croatian politicians probably have not read.

Green Action and Greenpeace activists also took part in the march.

Green Action president Luka Tomac told Hina the march showed how concerned citizens were about climate change and how willing they were to take action.

However, citizens can only do so much and it is up to the government to create ambitious climate and energy policies that would lead to a low-carbon society much sooner than the government plans, he said.

Those policies put sun and wind energy first instead of investing in fossil projects such as the continued use of coal, new LNG projects and a new block of the Krško Nuclear Power Plant, he added.

"We need a swift energy transition because it's the only way to achieve energy independence and avoid existing and future crises," said Tomac.

The director of Greenpeace's Croatian and Slovenian office, Zoran Tomić, told Hina two major fossil fuel-related crises had marked this year, the "unfortunate war in Ukraine" and the "galloping climate change."

"We need radical change, we must turn to renewable energy sources, notably sun energy, and not gas, oil and coal," he added.

For more, make sure to check out our dedicated lifestyle section.