March the 6th, 2022 - With the Russian invasion of Ukraine sending shockwaves throughout the rest of Europe and indeed the world, buying trends are altering. What exactly are Croats purchasing as Putin's forces continue their disgraceful attack on neighbouring Ukraine and the threat of nuclear war looms?

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, a well known Croatian portal for comparative shopping, Jeftinije.hr/Cheaper.hr has quickly noticed the demand for certain products over more recent weeks, which was significantly marked by the aforementioned Russian invasion of Ukraine, and with it the threats of nuclear war, has shot up.

Comparing the demand of online customers in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) on the comparison platforms of the Heureka Group, the portal noticed significant matches in the interest of online customers. A sharp increase in demand can be seen in the categories of portable chargers, generators, sleeping bags, solid fuel stoves, and canisters.

When it comes to Croats purchasing items, this match in searches is visible in the category of portable chargers, which recorded an increase in demand of almost 70 percent when compared to just one week before, for neighbouring Slovenian consumers, a general trend of matching with consumers in the rest of the wider CEE region is visible in categories such as sleeping bags (which has recorded a 100 percent increase in demand for the Slovenes).

Of the six countries analysed, a significant diversification of demand for products which can be used for humanitarian and preventive purposes was observed in the Czech Republic. The greatest interest was recorded for solid fuel stoves (+112 percent), sleeping bags (+147 percent), walkie-talkie transmitters (+300 percent), solar chargers (+349 percent) and canisters (+536 percent). Similar demand was observed for online customers in nearby Slovakia and Romania, while customers in neighbouring Hungary included electric generators (+144 percent) in their increased demand.

For more, check out our dedicated lifestyle section.

March the 6th, 2022 - STEM Academy has gained wild popularity since its introduction in the country, and now the Croatian STEM Festival is, as the logical next step, set to follow.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, applied computing, robotics, multimedia computing and geological engineering are some of the areas from which workshops were held last week in the City of Zagreb for 80 high school students from all over the Republic of Croatia as part of the well known STEM Academy. The workshops, which were free for students and included paid travel and accommodation costs, aroused a lot of interest and there were as many as 919 applications for the aforementioned 80 places.

On the premises of the Sports Gymnasium and the Faculty of Mining, Geology and Petroleum Engineering, 15 lecturers held workshops lasting for a period of 5 days, according to a programme developed by the Algebra University and the Faculty of Mining, Geology and Petroleum Engineering in Zagreb in cooperation with the Croatian Office for Creativity and Innovation (HUKI) and the Institute for the Development of Education (IRO).

The topics of the workshops were Unity - making video games; Android - development of mobile applications; Earth, Man and Geotechnology and Robotics.

The benefits of the STEM workshop

"The advantage of programmes such as these is not only getting people better acquainted with STEM through popular forms of teaching, but also getting to know students from different parts of Croatia who share the same interests and sense of separation from the usual environment, which contributes to their independence. Such programmes, in addition to popularising STEM, help students in choosing a future profession,'' said prof. dr. sc. Marta Mileusnic from the Faculty of Mining, Geology and Petroleum Engineering.

Lecturer Dino Kurelovic emphasised the importance of understanding the technological environment:

"Such programmes certainly encourage young people to develop their critical thinking skills and come up with creative ways of solving problems, and it certainly gives them a different perspective on technology that is ubiquitous in their lives. During the workshop, they could see what goes on ''behind the scenes'' of the computer games or apps they use every day and what needs to happen to make them available to the end user. I believe that most of them are interested in the areas we dealt with, and a workshop like this has certainly helped them gain a better insight and consider whether they want to continue their education in this direction or to do so sometime in the future. Even if they don't end up choosing the STEM area as their path, such workshops certainly change the perception of what's happening behind the finished products so readily available to us, they allow us to see the problem in different ways and provide us with a broader picture of what is a very rapidly evolving industry," stated Kurelovic.

Maja Puhovski from the Algebra University totally agrees with him, and she also believes that such projects are important in order to raise awareness of the importance of investing in knowledge and creative problem solving.

"The STEM Academy will certainly embody a significant step towards the promotion of STEM skills and we're therefore glad to be part of this project and its sustainability," said Puhovski.

The impressions of both participants and lecturers

This was the first experience related to the STEM workshop for one of the participants in the video game making workshop, Inka Vukovic from the 1st grade of the Ogulin Vocational and Technical High School:

“The opportunity to participate in this meant a lot to me. The field of education I'm going for (Computer Technician) is what fulfills and I love it, and this academy has provided me with an opening to a wider spectrum when it comes to programming. Over these five days, we learned to work in Unity and in the C# programming language, which allows us to create video games. The STEM Academy left a great impression on me and the other participants and opened up vistas towards further education. The togetherness and mutual cooperation of us students and lecturers is something that will stay in our memory for a long time. The lecturers unconditionally shared their knowledge and experiences with us,'' said Inka.

Galla Uroic from the Faculty of Mining, Geology and Petroleum Engineering pointed out her satisfaction with interactivity and communication in the form of dialogue with the students who were present:

"The experience was extremely pleasant and positive, as the participants were interested, willing to actively participate in the workshop, communicate, ask questions without restraint and generally show initiative in the workshop," said Uroic.

Ana Uglesic, an educational advisor from the Institute for the Development of Education, believes that such programmes for young people are very necessary, especially if we take into account the fact that almost every county lacks experts in the field of STEM:

"I'm glad that the participants were active during the lecture and that they showed great interest in information on how to continue education in the STEM area, either in Croatia or abroad," concluded Uglesic.

In autumn, the Croatian STEM Festival will be born

After these highly successful workshops, the continuation of the project will follow in the second half of the year when the Croatian STEM Festival is set to take place. The project aims to provide children and young people with the opportunity to develop STEM-related skills, learn about new innovative learning methods and ways to achieve discoveries and results in STEM.

The implementation of the STEM Academy project began on September the 29th, 2021 and has a total duration of two years. The project was co-financed by the European Union from the European Social Fund, it was also co-financed by the Office for Non-Governmental Organisations of the Croatian Government. The total value of the project stands at 1,224,392.86 kuna.

For more on the Croatian STEM Festival and other festivals up and down the country, check out our lifestyle section.

March the 6th, 2022 - All Croatian property owned by entities close to the Russian Federation's regime have been frozen in response to the recent Russian invasion of neighbouring Ukraine.

As Morski/Stipe Majic writes, at a working lunch held with the ambassadors of the European Union (EU), Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic clearly condemned the continued Russian aggression against Ukraine, and announced the sanctioning of all persons and real entities related to the Russian regime who own Croatian property, as reported by the Anadolu Agency (AA).

In Zagreb, Plenkovic participated in a working lunch with the Ambassadors of the European Union member states to the Republic of Croatia, hosted by the Ambassador of the French Republic Gael Francois Veyssiere on the occasion of the French Presidency of the Council of the European Union.

After the working lunch, Frano Matosic, State Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs (MVEP), said that Croatian Prime Minister Plenkovic had informed the gathered ambassadors of EU member states about Croatia's views on the current situation in Ukraine.

Matosic pointed out that the condemnation of the aggression against Ukraine is unquestionable by all EU member states, including Croatia, and that support was expressed for the state leadership of Ukraine and the Ukrainian people, while condemning the policy of the Russian Federation.

Matosic said that just before lunch, the Croatian prime minister visited the Plitvice Motel, where Ukrainian refugees are currently being housed, to welcome them and told them that Croatia was open to accepting them, providing adequate education for their children and employment opportunities for adults.

Matosic said that Croatia's sanctions would be directed at the very top of the Russian Federation, especially at oligarchs close to Vladimir Putin's regime and all "those who raised their hand for the independence of self-proclaimed republics in eastern Ukraine."

''Croatia has a clear list compiled within the EU. These are 702 entities, of which about 650 are natural persons, and the rest are legal entities located on the MVEP website. We will sanction them in such a way that these assets (Croatian property owned by them) cannot be sold or provide any benefit. Their Croatian property will not be confiscated, but frozen in accordance with all rights,'' Matosic said.

He emphasised that there are intensive efforts underwat to identify the Croatian property owned by persons and legal entities close to the Russian regime, which are subject to a joint agreement on sanctions.

For more, check out our politics section.

March 6th, 2022 - Jadran Crikvenica investments which have been being pumped into this hotel company will now finally result in pay rises for employees.

As Poslovni Dnevnik/Marija Crnjak writes, the company Jadran Crikvenica will increase its staff salaries by 12 percent from April the 1st this year, as was agreed between the social partners of the Trade Unions of Istria, Kvarner and Dalmatia and STUH with that company's administration.

In addition, workers in hotel operations for the most intensive period of the season, ie from June the 1st to September the 30th, will have their net salaries increased by six percent, and all workers for the months of June, July and August will be paid an additional bonus of 1,000 kuna per month, or, depending on how well the season goes, payment is possible for September as well. The move follows intensive Jadran Crikvenica investments.

Recognising the concerning continuous increase in fuel prices, it was agreed to increase the transport fees, and in addition to workers with a contract of indefinite duration, the right to additional health insurance, which includes an annual preventive systematic examination (with any needed treatment), will now be exercised by permanent seasonal workers. as well as workers with an employment contract lasting one year or more.

Depending on the course of the season and the results achieved, by the end of the year, Jadran Crikvenica investments will result in additional sums of cash being paid out, such as Christmas bonuses, holiday pay, kids' bonuses and so on.

As was pointed out in a recent announcement from the Trade Union, with such an increase in salaries and other agreed material rights of workers, Jadran d.d. Crikvenica has approached the salary amount of workers in major tourism companies across the Republic of Croatia, after years of stagnation due to bankruptcy and a period of recovery after bankruptcy, when the greater focus was primarily placed on investment in facilities and less in staff.

"If it weren't for the coronavirus pandemic, we're convinced that workers' salaries and working conditions would be even better. At SIKD, we're satisfied with the agreement reached, especially due to the new circumstances which have arisen in Europe. We expect that the tourist season will be good, and we believe that this is just the beginning of a step forward in a significant increase in wages and other material rights, and that the Jadran Crikvenica has finally become a recognisable and desirable company, not only for tourists but also for workers,'' they said from the union.

For more, check out our business section.

March 6, 2022 - The world's tallest skyscraper displayed the Croatian flag on Saturday night during Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković's visit to Dubai. A look at the Croatian-colored Burj Khalifa!

Croatia should "pay great attention" to Gulf countries that are significant investors, said Prime Minister Andrej Plenković on Saturday, who is in Dubai at the world exhibition EXPO 2020, reports Vecernji List.

"This part of the world, UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, are all countries we need to pay great attention to," the Prime Minister added about the countries that invest significantly "thanks to their oil fields."

During his trip, the Prime Minister met with Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Prime Minister of the Emirates, with whom he visited the Croatian pavilion at the EXPO. He will also meet with the Minister of Trade of the United States Gina Raimondo.

Better yet, Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world, was decked out in Croatian colors on Saturday. 

"After the meeting with the Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai Sheikh Mohammed and the Crown Prince of the UAE and the Ruler of Abu Dhabi Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan - a nice gesture of the host. Burj Khalifa is in the colors of Croatia," Prime Minister Plenković said on Twitter.

Croatia will try to attract Arab investments at the Dubai-Croatia Business Forum, held in the city on Sunday, organized by two chambers of commerce.

"Tomorrow, together with about eighty Croatian business people, I will participate in the opening of the Dubai-Croatia Business Forum, organized by the Croatian Chamber of Commerce and the Dubai Chamber of Commerce," the Prime Minister added on Twitter.

Apart from the Prime Minister, Croatia is also represented in the Emirates by the Minister of Finance Zdravko Marić, the Head of Diplomacy Gordan Grlić Radman, and the Minister of Tourism and Sports Nikolina Brnjac.

To read more about lifestyle in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

March 6, 2022 - Croatian snowboarder Bruno Bošnjak (38) finished ninth in the Snowboard Cross qualifiers at the Winter Paralympic Games in Beijing and will compete in the quarterfinals on Monday!

Fifteen snowboarders participated in the qualifications of the LL1 category and all of them won a place in the quarterfinals where there was room for the top 16, but in the first round of the competition, it was important to get the best position before tomorrow's competition.

In the quarterfinals, the competitors will be divided into four groups, from which the two best will continue to compete in the semifinals. The snowboarders had two runs each, and the best result was taken.

Bošnjak, who was born in Zagreb but has been living in Linz for almost 30 years, made a mistake in his first run and ended with a time of 1:12:73. He was three seconds faster in the second run but kept the ninth position.

The fastest was Canada's Tyler Turner (1:04.24), second place went to China's Zhongwei Wu (1:05:03), while team USA's Mike Schultz was third (1:05.73).

"I started the first run well, but I made a mistake and almost fell off the track - I barely escaped. The second run was much better, I flew in the jumps, I was much faster, but I stayed in ninth place," said Bošnjak, who won bronze in the banked slalom discipline in Pyeongchang four years ago. It was the first medal for Croatia in history at the Winter Paralympic Games.

"Tomorrow is a new day, the cards are shuffled again. This result is a solid base and we will see what will happen tomorrow," added Bošnjak, who will compete in the quarterfinals in a group with the winner of the qualifications, Canada's Turner, and Holland's Chris Vos, who was eighth.

The competition was held in Zhangjiakou Genting Snow Park with a limited number of spectators.

"The track is good, they made it nice, there are a lot of jumps, it is diverse, but it is also wide and safe. So you can go without fear. It's good to have spectators, the atmosphere was great," he said.

His coach Stipe Tomljanović also commented on Bošnjak's performance.

"I am satisfied with his performance. He made a mistake in the first run that he corrected in the second. The competition is extremely strong, there are also Chinese athletes who we haven't seen in two years. We will see how it will be in the quarterfinals," he said, adding: "The weather conditions are quite changeable as the temperature is changing very quickly. There is a huge difference between the first and second run. The first was very fast, the second slowed down, so there are changes. We do our best for the best possible result."

Source: HRT

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

March 5th, 2022 - Beaches, dinosaurs, gigantic swings and breathtaking views: the nature reserve at the southern tip of Istria truly has it all, and then some

There’s no better time to visit a popular summer destination than on a crisp windy day in early March: Cape Kamenjak, the southernmost point of Istria, was ours to explore today. Located at the foot of Premantura peninsula not far from Pula, the area is a protected nature reserve, open for visitors all year round.

South of Premantura village, you’ll find no accommodation facilities or camping grounds. Save for a few bars scattered along the coast, the landscape is almost unspoiled by human hand. Thirty kilometres of rugged coastline full of dreamy coves and pristine beaches, accessed by a handful of gravel roads.

A nature lover’s dream, the reserve is home to 600 plant species including 30 orchids, two of which are endemic to this area. Wildlife is diverse and thriving, and it has apparently always been that way: fossilised dinosaur footprints were found at the south of the peninsula, dating back 98 million years.

Fans of active vacations will find plenty to do here, from walking and cycling to kayaking, surfing and cliff diving - there are even sunken ships to discover off the coast of Kamenjak. You’ll also find several educational trails, with one located at Upper Kamenjak accessible to the blind and visually impaired.

It’s a phenomenal destination, one that unsurprisingly draws a crowd in summer. On a day like this, however - 5 degrees Celsius, bura wind lashing at full speed - what you really want to do is use this precious opportunity to soak in the view from the southern tip of Istria with no one else around.

On our way to Cape Kamenjak, we passed through the maze that is the Safari bar, a charming ensemble of seating areas and quirky playscapes hidden away in a wooded area near the coastline. Closed for the winter, the place looks as if we stumbled upon a hideout on a desert island:

No complaints here: we were happy to sniff around, as it’s virtually impossible to score a table in peak season, let alone try out any of the other fun-looking features of the place. Such as this enormous swing set:

Or this slide:

Or any of the other structures that make Safari a playground for children and adults alike. What a treat to have all to yourself! And once you make your way through the last patch of tall grass and stumble out slightly disoriented, you’ll be greeted with this:

Sublime.

Cape Kamenjak is actually a bit further to the east, and you can bet we made our way there as well - no sense in exploring Premantura without actually stepping foot on its southernmost point.

It’s a rewarding trek: only the vast open waters, as far as the eye can see.

It's truly something else, and we wholeheartedly recommend visiting the reserve if you’re staying in Istria. Kamenjak is accessible by car and bike from the nearby Premantura, and can also be reached by boat.

Entrance is free for cyclists and hikers, but you'll have to pay for a day pass if you wish to enter with a motor vehicle in the tourist season. In winter, there’s no charge and you’re free to drive around and park in the area.

ZAGREB, 5 March 2022 - Women and men are still not equal in the EU, although considerable progress has been made in the last decade, it was said in Split on Saturday at a round table on women in business and politics organised by Croatian MEP Željana Zovko.

She said exceptional attention was being paid in the European Parliament to valuing women's work in the workplace and in the household.

Young women and girls should be made aware to raise their voices and take a more decisive role because their participation in this insecure world is more than essential, she added.

There is a war in Ukraine, insecurity on EU borders and women are expected to participate, not just to treat wounds and provide comfort, but to sit at the table when important and difficult decisions are being made, Zovko said.

"The world of today is chaotic, we don't have resolute people and we lost a lot with the departure of Angela Merkel who, in a way, provided stability in the European Union," she said, adding that she is proud that the presidents of the European Parliament and the European Commission are women, Roberta Metsola and Ursula von der Leyen, respectively.

Women earn 16% less than men

Women in the EU earn 16% less than men on average and, according to the Croatian Employment Service, they make up 56% of the jobless, said Danica Baričević, president of the Split-Dalmatia County Gender Equality Commission, which co-organised the conference.

She added that some Croatian political parties did not comply with legal requirements on women's representation in politics and election slates.

Under the Gender Equality Act, women must make up 40% of the candidates on the slates.

Only 25% of the members of the Croatian parliament are women and only two Croatian counties are headed by women, Požega-Slavonia County (Antonija Jozić) and Karlovac County (Martina Furdek Hajdin).

In February 2021, MEPs warned that gender equality had not been achieved in even one EU member state.

The participants in the round table extended support to the women of Ukraine and their families who left their homes as well as to those who stayed to defend their country. They extended their support also at a protest against the aggression on Ukraine held in Split.