April 11, 2022 - The latest flight news to Croatia as 26 Ryanair Zagreb flights in May bring more than 120,000 seats to and from the Croatian capital. 

Irish low-cost airline Ryanair has defined its flight schedule for May, in which it will offer more than 120,000 available seats to and from Zagreb International Airport, reports Croatian Aviation. 

Namely, Ryanair is celebrating its first anniversary since opening the base in Zagreb, and in May it will operate 26 regular international routes and offer more than 120,000 available seats to and from the Croatian capital. 

From Zagreb to:

London Stansted - 11,160

Milan Bergamo - 8,056

Brussels Charleroi - 7,920

Rome Fiumicino - 6,480

Basel - 5,040

Dublin - 5,040

Bratislava - 4,914

Karlsruhe / Baden-Baden - 4,914

Memmingen - 4,914

Gothenburg - 4,914

Frankfurt Hahn - 4,914

Malta - 4,816

Malmo - 4,680

Dusseldorf Weeze - 4,680

Paphos - 4,680

Brindisi - 3,240

Paris Beauvais - 3,240

Dortmund - 3,240

Eindhoven - 3,240

Manchester - 3,240

Naples - 3,240

Thessaloniki - 3,240

Sofia - 3,240

Podgorica - 3,240

Malaga - 2,880

Oslo Torp - 2,880.

A320 aircraft based at Zagreb Airport with a capacity of 180 seats have been announced on all routes. The only exceptions are the line to Bratislava, where B737-800 aircraft have been announced, and the route to Malta and Begam, where B737 MAX aircraft will also operate.

The largest number of seats is available to London, which is solely due to daily flights between Zagreb and this city, while the smallest number of seats is available to Malaga and Oslo, given that these routes operate twice a week.

Still unofficially, Ryanair and Zagreb Airport are working intensively on basing the fourth aircraft of this carrier in the Croatian capital, which would increase the number of routes but also increase the number of rotations on existing ones. It is likely that this will happen as early as this summer season.

Zagreb International Airport welcomed 196,280 passengers through Croatia's main airport last month, or 152,549 more than in the same month last year. The result from March 2021 (as well as from 2020) is not comparable with the figures from the previous month, primarily because of the pandemic.

Nevertheless, with this good result, Zagreb is approaching the figures from the pre-crisis year of 2019, when 232,978 passengers were recorded in March.

For more, check out our travel section.

ZAGREB, 10 April 2022 - The Croatian War Veterans Ministry on Sunday distanced itself from its envoy Matko Raos' statement, made at an event marking the 31st anniversary of a Croatian Defence Forces (HOS) unit in Split, when he said that "today's Croatia would not exist if there had not been for 10 April 1941."

On 10 April 1941 the establishment of the Nazi-allied Independent State of Croatia (NDH) was proclaimed.

"We emphasise that Mr Raos gave the statement on his behalf and not on behalf of the Ministry and we distance ourselves from it," the ministry said, noting that Raos had not been scheduled to speak at the event.

Earlier on Sunday, during a ceremony at which wreaths were laid at a memorial to members of the HOS 9th Battalion "Rafael vitez Boban" killed in the 1991-95 Homeland War, Raos said: "You have to know, if it had not been for 10 April 1941, today's Croatia would not exist."

The War Veterans Ministry said Raos' address at the event had not been envisaged in the first place, and that he was supposed to just lay a wreath and light a candle.

The ministry's response ensued after earlier today the opposition Social Democratic Party (SDP) condemned Raos' statement and called on the government and the ministry to distance themselves from it.

For more, check out our politics section.

ZAGREB, 10 April 2022 - The Social Democratic Party on Sunday condemned a statement by the War Veterans Minister's envoy, Matko Raos, who at a commemoration for a Croatian Defence Forces (HOS) unit in Split said that "today's Croatia would not exist if it had not been for 10 April 1941."

The SDP also called on the government to distance itself from Raos' statement.

Earlier on Sunday, during a ceremony at which wreaths were laid at a memorial to members of the HOS 9th Battalion "Rafael vitez Boban" killed in the 1991-95 Homeland War, Raos said: "You have to know, if it had not been for 10 April 1941, today's Croatia would not exist."

On 10 April 1941 the establishment of the quisling Independent State of Croatia (NDH) was proclaimed.

The SDP condemns the gathering in Split and the statement made by Brigadier Matko Raos, envoy for War Veterans Minister Tomo Medved, the opposition party said in a statement signed by SDP vice-president Ranko Ostojić.

"Putting the Homeland War and the establishment of today's Croatia in the same context with the criminal Independent State of Croatia, a quisling entity, is unacceptable. Croatia, just like the whole of free Europe, was founded on values of antifascism, as defined by our constitution, and we should be proud of that," Ostojić said.

"That people who represent the minister and the government have such a view is unacceptable. We call on the minister and the government to distance themselves from the event and their envoy's statement," the SDP said.

For more, check out our politics section.

ZAGREB, 10 April 2022 - Members of the Croatian Defence Forces (HOS) 9th Battalion "Rafael vitez Boban" on Sunday laid wreaths and lit candles at a memorial in Split for the battalion's members killed in the 1991-95 Homeland War, on the 31st anniversary of the unit.

"We are standing here before this wounded memorial, proud of them and their courage. Shame on cowards, deserters, lovers of the red star who spit on HOS. All defenders were 'for the homeland ready' in the Homeland War, that salute is not an expression of hate but of love for one's home and Croat people," said the battalion's wartime commander, Marko Skejo.

Split-Dalmatia County Assembly president Mate Šimundić said HOS members "were ready for the homeland back then, as they are today", and that he, as a representative of the state authorities, paid tribute to them.

A state that questions such a thing questions its own survival, he said.

A former HOS general and member of parliament from the Homeland Movement, Ante Prkačin, recalled that 10 April was yet another anniversary, the 81st anniversary of the establishment of the Independent State of Croatia (NDH), wondering if they were not allowed to talk about it.

HOS was the armed wing of the Croatian Party of Rights (HSP) fighting in Croatia's 1991-95 war of independence and "For the homeland ready" was the salute used by the pro-Nazi Ustasha regime of WWII Independent State of Croatia.

According to Wikipedia, the HOS 9th Battalion "Rafael vitez Boban" was named after the Ustasha colonel and general of the World War II Croatian Armed Forces (HOS).

The battalion was active in Dalmatia and other parts of Croatia as well as in Herzegovina and it lost 46 members in the Homeland War.

For more, check out our politics section.

ZAGREB, 10 April 2022 - The Croatian Rail (HŽ) company will introduce an express train between Osijek and Zagreb via Bjelovar as of this December, and will soon introduce low-floor trains on the Zagreb-Bjelovar-Virovitica route.

This is the outcome of a recent meeting between Bjelovar-Bilogora County Prefect Marko Marušić and HŽ Putnički Prijevoz (HŽPP) executives.

In 2021, 120,398 passengers boarded trains at railway stations in this county, a 5% rise from 2020, it was said during the meeting, held in Bjelovar, at which Marušić also requested more favourable train ticket prices for locals.

For more, check out our lifestyle section.

ZAGREB, 10 April 2022 - In 2021, 14 women were killed, which is fewer victims than in 2020, however, 80% of them were killed by persons close to them, which is an increase and women continue to be the most frequent victims of domestic violence, Gender Equality Ombudswoman Višnja Ljubičić said in her annual report.

"Femicide, sexual harassment, period poverty and political participation of women are topics that dominated the public sphere in 2021, however, the rights of gender minorities were insufficiently discussed", Ombudswoman Višnja Ljubičić says.

Still without response to violence among persons close to one another 

"Over the past seven years there has been an increase in cases of domestic violence reported as crimes and a drop in the number of such cases reported as misdemeanors, both before and during the coronavirus pandemic, with 2020 seeing a 27% rise in the number of cases of domestic violence reported as crimes", Ljubičić said.

"This was certainly also due to the pandemic, and such trends were recorded across the EU", she said.

2021 saw a slowing down in the growth of criminal acts, which is still not insignificant and stands at 12%. The number of femicide cases dropped as well, but the share of women killed by persons close to them rose.

State institutions still lack a response with which to address the causes of gender-based domestic and general violence, including violence against women, she warned.

The increase in the number of crimes and the decline in the number of femicide cases is definitely owing to increased efforts police have been investing in recent years in raising awareness and educating staff about the problem.

Stricter legislative and practical definition of domestic and gender-based violence has possibly helped reduce the number of murder cases but that will be possible to determine with certainty in the future, she said.

Civic initiatives encourage victims to testify 

Ljubičić warned that in 2021 there were 100 complaints of sexual harassment, a four-fold increase from the year before, which, she said, is owing to civic initiatives that provided the victims with a public platform to present their testimonies.

An increase in reports of sexual harassment was also recorded by the Ministry of the Interior, having registered 98 such reports, with 85 of the victims being women and 13 men, she said, noting that women were more frequently victims of gender-based violence, notably sexual.

Pay gap smaller, however, not owing to policies but pandemic 

According to statistics on gross pay by gender, in 2020 and 2021 the pay gap between men and women decreased.

Standing at 13% in 2019, the pay gap almost halved in 2020, to 6.9% and went up mildly to 7% in 2021.

An analysis leads to the conclusion that the reduction of the pay gap cannot be attributed to an affirmative and planned economic policy but rather to the consequences of the pandemic on the labour market, with an increase in the share of work from home and a decrease in the number of days spent on sick leave to care for a family member, Ljubičić said.

Still no election gender quotas

Last year was marked by local elections and even though the share of women in local and regional government bodies grew by 2.9%, there is still no true implementation of gender quotas, with the 27% share of women in those bodies being still far below the legally prescribed 40%, the ombudswoman warned, noting that last year's local elections were the second local elections at which fines were applied for proposers of slates not complying with the gender quota.

Ljubičić called on political parties to encourage equal participation of women in party structures and at all levels, and on prosecutorial authorities to consistently file misdemeanor charges against those not complying with the principle of equality. She urged local authorities to sign the European charter on gender equality at the local level and adopt an action plan.

Significant increase in hate crimes against LGBT community

In 2021 a significant increase in hate crimes based on sexual orientation and gender identity was registered, and for the first time in ten years the Pride parade in Zagreb was marked by a number of verbal and physical assaults on its participants.

Of a total of 101 crimes motivated by hate, 13 were motivated by the victim's sexual orientation and one by their gender identity, an increase of 75% from 2020 and of 133% from 2019.

The number of misdemeanors motivated by prejudice or hate based on sexual orientation was 315.

Asked if the significant increase could be also due to intolerant statements by politicians that could be heard often in the election campaign, Ljubičić said that inappropriate statements by politicians and other public figures can contribute to a rise in homophobia and intolerance.

Combined with the lack of systematic civic education at all levels of the education system, this can result in the demonstration of open aggression towards members of gender and sexual minorities, she said.

The ombudswoman also noted that one of the problems that was not being given adequate attention was the complex procedure of acquiring the right and access to medical services for gender minorities.

For more, check out our lifestyle section.

ZAGREB, 10 April 2022 - Croatia has one of the best waste tire recycling systems in Europe, with more than 90% of used tires being used for materials recovery, which is above the national target of 80%, the Environmental Protection and Energy Efficiency Fund has said.

Using tires for materials recovery results in the production of rubber granulate, textile, steel and rubber chips. They are also used to make products such as rubber flooring for playgrounds, paths, walkways and running tracks.

Rubber granulate is used in bitumen mixtures for asphalt and in making artificial turf for soccer fields, floor coverings, wheels for dumpsters and garbage cans.

The steel obtained from tires is a raw material used in steelworks and the textile is used by cement factories for energy recovery. Waste tires are also an excellent source of energy and can be used to make fuel with excellent properties.

The business and research sectors have taken a step further with the aim of using recycled rubber floor coverings for a cleaner environment.

The Varaždin-based Faculty of Geotechnical Engineering and Gumiimpex, the only Croatian company that uses waste tires for materials recovery, have been implementing a research project called "Recycled rubber and solar photocatalysis: Ecological innovation for passive air and health protection".

The project, funded by the EU, is aimed at designing a product that will use natural processes - solar energy and photocatalysts - to eliminate organic air pollutants in urban areas.

A professor at the Faculty of Geotechnical Engineering, Aleksandra Anić Vučinić, notes that using recycled rubber floor coverings in the future would make the environment cleaner.

There are three tire recycling companies in Croatia - Gumiimpex - GRP, which uses waste tires for materials recovery, and the cement factories Holcim Croatia from Koromačno and Nexe from Našice, which use tires for energy recovery.

The system of waste tire recycling in Croatia was established in 2006, and it has been organised by the Environmental Protection and Energy Efficiency Fund.

In 2020, 28,480 tonnes of tires were put on the Croatian market. As much as 88% (25,066 tonnes) of waste tires were collected, and of that amount, 83% was processed, with 96% of the processed tires having been used for materials recovery and only 4% for energy recovery.

For more, check out our lifestyle section.

April 10, 2022 - The 9th edition of the Istria 100 by UTMB® races exceeded all expectations!

More than 1,000 runners from all over the world gathered in Umag this weekend. This year's special feature included the largest number of Elite Runners so far, which resulted in an incredible increase in ambition and competitiveness in all races from 168km to 40km.

"We were expecting a race full of excitement, but we were also surprised by how heartily all the runners set out to break the announced records. The winners of gold medals in almost all lengths stood out after less than half of the race, but the fight for 2nd and 3rd places until the very end of the race was incredibly uncertain," said Alen Paliska, director of the Istra 100 by UTMB® race.

Robert Hajnal, an elite runner originally from Romania, started the 168km RED race from Labin with some hesitation. He allowed fellow runners to keep at a pace that suited them until Plomin Harbor. He wisely completed the section to Mošćenička Draga. After leaving the control zone, he took the lead, which he only increased until the end of the race, finishing in 18 hours, 26 minutes, and 47 seconds and achieving the announced record of the new route. The difference between him and second-placed Italian Roberto Mastrotto was more than an hour! Third-placed Czech Aleš Sedlak was also 40 minutes behind Mastrotto. A minute later, Nepalese runner Sange Sherpa entered the finish line, who slowed down on Trstenik and lost the advantage over the others.

Petar Lupic

"Experienced runners will understand well what it means that Hajnal ran the race at an average speed of 9.13km / h and when we say that the race was extremely dynamic!" added Marko Gregurić, CEO, Istria 100 by UTMB®.

“Additionally, we are especially proud of the female runners who joined us in the race. Spaniard Ragna Debats, Swiss Luzia Buehler, and Slovenian Barbara Jolič are at the very top of the ultra trail racing scene. Spain's Ragna won 1st place in the women's category and 5th place overall. Switzerland's Luiza won 2nd place in the women's category and 6th place overall. These amazing results further confirm a great future for women in this sport!”

The shorter BLUE race of 128km was dictated by the Dutchman Peter Van Der Zon, who flew the track in 13 hours, 34 minutes, and 54 seconds. Behind him was Canadian Galen Reynolds and in third Slovak Tomas Borcin. Hungarian Ildiko Wermescher finished the race ahead of all other women in 18 hours, 49 minutes, and 48 seconds. Although this was their first visit to Istria, everyone is already announcing their return for sports and tourism.

Famous Slovak runners Martin Halasz and Portuguese Helio Fumo took part in the 68km GREEN race. Martin finished the race in 5 hours, 33 minutes, and 21 seconds, and Fumo in 6 minutes longer. Until the very end, Halasz and Fumo spent the race outsmarting and strategizing to win first place, while the Dutchman Huub Van Noorden used the opportunity to increase the pace. The cheerful and smiling Latvian Anete Švilpe finished the race in 6 hours, 34 minutes, and 26 seconds. She was followed by Latvian compatriot Irita Pukite in second place and Swiss Corina Sommer in third place.

Marko Kadija

In the YELLOW 40 km race, Swiss Kevin Vermeulen ran to the finish line in 2 hours, 50 minutes, and 25 seconds. He was followed by the Italians, Gianluca Ghiano in 2nd place and Michele Meridio in 3rd place. Croatian Irena Smojver won the women's race in 3 hours, 58 minutes, and 28 seconds. Second place went to Macedonian Elena Rtoska and third place to Romanian Cristina Cecan.

In the 20 km WHITE race powered by HEP, Frenchman Demien Humbert ran in 1 hour, 15 minutes, and 49 seconds. Second place went to Croat Marko Horvat, and third place went to Slovenian Miha Romic. In the women's category, in first was Italian Alessia Menel, in second German Sandra Bannernberg, and in third was Croatian Martina Kordić.

Depending on the length of the trail they had chosen, the runners started their selected races from Labin (168 km), Lovran (128 km), Buzet (68 km), and Motovun (40 km). All runners passed through the finish line in Umag.

Sunday was reserved for the shortest but most dynamic race powered by HEP, which started from Grožnjan and ran a distance of 20 km.

The City of Umag, Umag Tourist Board, HEP, Ina Croatia, global sponsors UTMB® World Series Hoka, Dacia and Wahoo, and other partners and sponsors recognized the potential and impact of Istria 100 by UTMB® in the development of sports, tourism, and related services in Istria and Croatia.

The traditionally strongest international ultra trail race in Istria was part of the UTMB® World Series trail platform. The goal of the World Series trail platform is to provide runners with exclusive access to the top trail sport but also the final of the world series of races, UTMB® Mont-Blanc. UTMB® World Series consists of 30 international trail races. Istria 100 by UTMB® is now part of this selected society.

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