AGREB, 8 April (2022) - Prime Minister Andrej Plenković on Friday condemned the shelling of the railway station in Kramatorsk, eastern Ukraine, earlier in the day when dozens of civilians were killed and over 100 were wounded.

Thousands of people - most of them women and children and the elderly - were at the railway station in Kramatorsk when it was hit by rockets, the city's mayor Oleksander Honcharenko was quoted by foreign media as saying.

The station, located in eastern Ukraine, was being used to evacuate civilians from the eastern Donbas region.

PM Plenković said the shelling of the train station was one more piece of evidence of Russia's brutal aggression against Ukraine.

Things getting back to normal, but caution is still advised

With almost all the COVID restrictions being lifted, life is getting back to normal, but caution is still required, said the premier at the start of his cabinet's meeting.

The Croatian COVID-19 crisis management team has established that conditions have been met for the relaxation of COVID protocols, Plenković said referring to the team's decision to lift all anti-epidemic rules as of Saturday, while the mask mandate will stay in place for hospitals and nursing homes.

 For more, check out our politics section.

April 8, 2022 - The Croatian short documentary 'Noon Shot', about Stjepan Možar, the gunner of the famous Grič cannon in Zagreb, is directed by Stanka Gjurić and has been selected at the Lift-Off festival in London.

Zagreb is a city that is characterized, among many things, by the symbols and sights that one can find in different corners of the Croatian capital. One, in particular, generates a huge sense of belonging among its inhabitants and has recently returned to its operations after a long time of silence: the Grič cannon. The first time the cannon was fired to announce noon in the city of Zagreb was in 1877, as part of an initiative promoted by the writer, publicist, and city councilor, Đuro Deželić. The cannon has been the pride and joy of the citizens of Zagreb for over a century, and according to legend, it even saved the city from an invasion by the Ottoman Empire. If you want to know more about the legend, click here.

It was originally located in the building of the Hydrometeorological Institute, and today it is located in the Lotrščak tower on Grič. It is a mountain cannon type Howitzer M116, caliber 76mm, and its range is 7929 meters, and the volume of the shot is 140 decibels.

The cannon stopped during the First World War and resumed its activity, not until 1928. Since then it has not stopped announcing noon in Zagreb, until almost two years ago during the earthquake that hit the Croatian capital in March 2020.

It took two months for the cannon to restart, and it has been firing at noon between May 11, 2020, and December 29 of that same year. It last fired just 20 minutes before the earthquake that affected the Sisak-Moslavina region, with the epicenter in Petrinja, and which was also strongly felt in Zagreb. The cannon, which finally returned to work this year on February 14th, had been inactive since then.

Filmmaker Stanka Gjurić, director of the Croatian short documentary 'Noon Shot'

The history of the canyon is very rich in details and the interest it generates is irrefutable, and that is how the idea was born for the Croatian filmmaker Stanka Gjurić to make a short documentary. However, it is not about the cannon that the Croatian short documentary revolves. The film is about Zagreb gunner Stjepan Možar (today, unfortunately, deceased) who came to the Lotrščak tower on Grič every day to shoot from the cannon and thus mark noon (Možar fired from the Grič cannon every day for 35 years).

Stanka Gjurić's short documentary, 'Noon shot' has entered the official selection of the global network of the Lift-Off film festival in London (Great Britain). Lift-Off Global Network is based at one of the most famous film studios on the planet. Their headquarters at Pinewood Studios in the UK is at the heart of the film industry.  The Lift-Off Film Festival Global Network is the only worldwide exchange of true independent cinema. 

Congratulations to our artist on her hard work, perseverance and, of course, success in presenting her own films around the world: France, Italy, Greece, Portugal, Spain, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Switzerland, Slovenia, Egypt, Canada, Serbia, USA, South Africa, Argentina, India, Russia, Austria, Brazil, Great Britain, etc. With her short films, to date, Gjurić has won 15 international awards.

Learn more from Croatian filmmaker Stanka Gjurić HERE.

If you are looking for the most complete information to enjoy Zagreb, be sure to check out Total Croatia, Zagreb in a Page guide HERE. Available in nine languages!

For more, check out our lifestyle section.

ZAGREB, 8 April (2022) - As a sign of solidarity, Croatia will send slightly over HRK 1.5 million (€200,000) worth of emergency aid to Ukraine at Ukraine's request, the government decided on Friday.

The aid comes from the available reserves and funds of the Economy and Sustainable Development Ministry, that is, the Commodity Reserves Directorate, the Culture and Media Ministry, and the Ministry of the Interior, that is, the Civil Protection Directorate.

In light of constant danger to the moveable and immoveable cultural heritage of the city of Lviv, Ukrainian museum workers have asked for help in the form of equipment to protect and evacuate the heritage, and help has also been requested in the form of medical equipment (first aid kits).

For more, check out our politics section.

ZAGREB, 8 April (2022) - In the first two months of 2022, Croatia exported HRK 26.1 billion worth of goods, up 42.5% on the year, while imports went up 39.7% to HRK 40.4 billion, the national statistical office said on Friday.

The foreign trade deficit was HRK 14.4 billion and was HRK 3.7 billion higher than in the first two months of 2021. The export-import ratio was 64.4%, as against 63.2% at the same time last year.

Exports of goods to EU member states totalled HRK 18.9 billion, up 47.9% on the year, while imports went up 28.6% to HRK 29.8 billion.

Exports to non-EU countries increased 29.9% to HRK 7.2 billion, while HRK 10.6 billion worth of goods was imported from them, up 84.4% on the year.

Expressed in euros, Croatia exported 3.5 billion worth of goods in the first two months of 2022, up 43% on the year, while imports increased 40.2% to 5.4 billion.

The foreign trade deficit was €1.9 billion.

Exports of goods to EU member states totalled €2.5 billion (+48.4%), while imports amounted to €3.96 billion (+29%).

Exports to non-EU countries increased 30.3% to €954.2 million, while imports jumped 85% to €1.4 billion.

For more, check out our business section.

April 8, 2022 - The City of Split announced a brand new electronic music festival this summer led by Alda Croatia and Insomniac, which will bring leading names in the electronic and international music scene to the Žnjan area of the city. 

Big music projects were announced to the public today by the largest international production company, Alda, and the organizer of major world events, Insomniac, which will take place this summer on the Adriatic, specifically in Pula and Split. According to the organizers, over 150,000 visitors from around the world are expected in the Adriatic thanks to these events, reports the City of Split. 

In addition to "Secret Project Presents Pula Music Week", another big music event has been announced that will take place this summer in Split. The organizers have remained secretive about the details, dates, and performers for now. Still, after the press conference, it could be unofficially heard that some of the most popular stars of today's music scene will perform in Split.

According to Alan Harderberg, head of Alda, and Baggi Begovic, Insomniac's director for Europe, Croatia will host some of the leading names in the electronic and international music scene in Pula and Split this summer.

"When it comes to the event in Split, we will not give details yet, but we can confirm that the domestic and international public will be pleasantly surprised. In any case, Split is expecting a spectacle that has never been seen before in our country. All details are organizationally known and contracted. The music event we are preparing will be extremely attractive, primarily because of the performers. This will surely bring Croatia into the focus of music audiences globally," said Harderberg and Begovic.

The Deputy Mayor of Split, Antonio Kuzmanić, expressed satisfaction that the citizens of Split and tourists will receive another world-famous music event.

"Thanks to investments and our popular tourist product, Split has become one of the most attractive tourist destinations. Today, Split is synonymous with a complete tourist destination that offers rich cultural, sports, and entertainment content in addition to exceptional natural benefits. Great music events like this put us on the world tourist map and are valuable marketing and economic potential that we will surely know how to use. With this event, we are reviving the area of Žnjan and announcing its new development phase, which makes me even happier," said Kuzmanić. 

For more, check out our lifestyle section. 

ZAGREB, 8 April (2022) - Split Mayor Ivica Puljak and his deputies Bojan Ivošević and Antonio Kuzmanić formally tendered their resignations on Friday, thus leaving their offices.

Puljak, Ivošević and Kuzmanić resigned after local prosecutorial authorities indicted Ivošević for threatening an editor at the Split-based Slobodna Dalmacija daily, Nikolina Lulić.

Puljak had come under harsh criticism from other politicians and media for not distancing himself from Ivošević even after he was indicted.

Instead, he took many by surprise by opting to stand by his first deputy and go with him and his second deputy, Antonio Kuzmanić, to a snap election.

"To live for Split and not off Split is our motto and I hope we will not encounter political obstructions after citizens give us their votes again," Puljak told reporters after he and his deputies tendered their resignations.

The mayor had earlier announced that Kuzmanić would continue running the city until the early election, but the Justice and Public Administration Ministry said that it would appoint a commissioner to run the city, meaning that Kuzmanić would not be able to stay in office.

Puljak has now decided to put an end to a possible legal tangle with Kuzmanić resigning together with him and Ivošević.

"With Mr Kuzmanić resigning we have shown that we are putting the city's interests first, we are not interested in legal manoeuvering," Puljak said.

 For more, check out our politics section.

ZAGREB, 8 April (2022) - Croatia has recorded 1,091 new coronavirus cases and eight COVID-related deaths in the last 24 hours, the national coronavirus response team reported on Friday.

Currently, there are 8,040 active cases in the country. Of them, 564 infected people are being treated in hospital, including 28 placed on ventilators, while 5,280 persons are self-isolating.

Since 25 February 2020, when the first COVID-19 case was confirmed in Croatia, 1,107,648 people have been registered as having been infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus, of whom 15,660 have died and 1,083,948 have recovered, including 1,684 in the last 24 hours.

A total of 4,713,967 people have tested for the new virus to date, including 4,572 in the last 24 hours.

By Thursday, 5,232,556 COVID-19 vaccine doses had been administered, with 59.45 per cent of the total population, or 70.71 per cent of adults, having been vaccinated. A total of 2,311,704 people had received at least one dose and 2,239,457 of them had been fully immunised, which is 68.62 per cent of the adult population.

For all you need to know about coronavirus specific to Croatia, make sure to bookmark our dedicated section and select your preferred language if it isn't English.

ZAGREB, 8 April (2022) - The government on Friday rejected the unions' proposal to increase base pay for public sector workers by 4 per cent as of 1 April, and the unions demanded that Prime Minister Andrej Plenković join in the negotiations by next Wednesday.

The government stood by its proposal that base pay could not be increased by more than 2 per cent, Preporod Union leader Željko Stipić told the press after the meeting.

The unions want the prime minister to join in the efforts to resolve this issue, arguing that the amount of money in question was not so large that a compromise solution could not be reached. They announced strikes after Easter unless the prime minister responded to their demands.

"All the unions agree with such a course of action," Stipić said.

All 11 public sector unions rejected the government's offer of a base pay rise of 2 per cent as of 1 April, demanding a 4 per cent increase.

Since the latest data on inflation shows that prices have increased by 6.3 per cent on an annual level, the public sector unions continue to insist on a base pay increase of 4 per cent as of 1 April and on further talks at the end of May on increasing the base in the second half of the year, depending on inflation, other pay rates in the country and the economic situation, the unions said.

For more, check out our politics section.