ZAGREB, 12 Dec 2021 - Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandroković on Sunday participated in a ceremony of the delivery of Bethlehem Light of Peace to the Cathedral of Zagreb, and on that occasion said that the times were not easy and that the pandemic's darkness affected the society, including a part of the political scene.

Let this Light enlighten many souls, Jandroković said.

The Bethlehem Light of Peace is a symbol of Christmas and in the Bible, it symbolizes the coming of Jesus, whose birth promised peace to all people of goodwill.

In his address to the press, the Sabor Speaker called for vaccination and for compliance with all anti-epidemic rules and for responsible and rational behavior.

"One should take care of the lives and health of other people."

Asked by the press whether the Constitutional Court will be asked to test the constitutionality of the questions of the Bridge party's ongoing referendum initiative against COVID certificates before the necessary signatures were collected or after that, Jandroković said: "We live in a democracy, everybody can do everything that is allowed by law. However, I appeal to common sense, conscience, and to the awareness that not every topic promoted in that way could be beneficial to people. Quite contrary."

We have many people who have got sick and many who have died of the disease, and it should not have happened. Inoculation, adhering to epidemiological measures and prudence are the way to reduce coronavirus numbers, he said, underscoring that it is crucial to encourage people to get vaccinated.

Asked by the press about the indictment against former minister Lovro Kuščević and reports on a preliminary investigation against former minister Tomislav Tolušić over alleged white-collar crimes, the parliament speaker said that it was inappropriate for politicians to comment on prosecutions, although it seemed that there was a widespread belief that politicians must take stand on each topic.

In a democracy there is the separation of powers, everybody is responsible for their job and prosecutorial authorities are expected to explain to the public things unclear from their remit, said Jandroković, adding that keeping making comments on investigations can amount to pressure on the judiciary.

 For more, check out our dedicated politics section.

December 12, 2021 - Croatian skier Filip Zubčić achieved the best slalom result of his carer, placing third today in Val d'Isere!

Croatian skier Filip Zubčić was excellent in the World Cup in Val d'Isere on Sunday and achieved the best slalom result of his career in that discipline.

After placing 6th in the first run, the Croatian skier further improved his ranking at the French winter resort, finishing on the podium in third place. He was especially impeccable in the lower part of the track and entered the finish line as the first-place finisher.

Although he was unlucky on Saturday, a day later, Zubčić was brilliant in the first slalom of the season. Zubčić's best slalom ranking in the World Cup before this was fifth place.

"This is crazy. This is something I secretly hoped could happen this year, and here it is - now in the first race. I knew that I had progressed in slalom and that I could achieve the best results and I proved that today on one of the most difficult slalom tracks," said Zubčić after placing third in Val d'Isere.

Zubčić achieved this result after giving up on the giant slalom yesterday.

"The first run was great yesterday; the three of us separated, and I stumbled in the second run. I knew I had to take a risk from the start, I failed, but I stayed strong in my head. It didn’t depress me. I maintained a positive mentality, I rested and I knew that today was a new chance and race," said Zubčić.

Finally, the best Croatian skier reached the podium in slalom.

"Last year I always had a good first run, would screw up in the second, and would go into the third, fourth, fifth. But I wanted that to change. Today I was sixth in the first run, but I said to myself, yes, if I come in first, it could be the podium and in the end, it happened. Two people stumbled behind me, it's slalom, sometimes it's roulette," Zubčić concluded.

Matej Vidović also won slalom points and finished 19th in Val d'Isere.

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

December 12, 2021 - The third Split Gastroadvent at Cornaro Hotel honored TV journalists and Romanian cuisine, attended by representatives of the city and tourism, along with project partners.

Gastroadvent is a unique event that has promoted the Mediterranean diet for decades through a fusion of nutrition, gastronomy, and tourism. Thanks to the engagement and participation of dedicated journalists, who continue to bring light to Split, the event persistently shares scientific knowledge woven into gastronomic skills, the numerous health benefits of the Mediterranean diet, and the preparation of dishes from unique ingredients.

The theme of this year's Gastroadvent is "Mediterranean nutrition is sustainable, achievable, and responsible."  In its original form, the stated principle is the basis of action and, as such, should remain the foundation of behavior. The Mediterranean Sea connects all the countries founded on the Mediterranean diet. For the Mediterranean diet to be sustainable, we must responsibly dispose of our waste and use resources rationally.

The holiday season is a time to imbibe and socialize with family and friends, which is why both Dalmatian and Romanian holiday delicacies were in the spotlight at the lighting of the third Advent candle. Romania was honored at today's Gastroadvent thanks to Stjepan Roglić, Honorary Consul of Romania in Split.

The most delicious prosciutto is produced in the Mediterranean region. Resources are used rationally, especially the sea and the bura wind, to obtain a dried ham product. The first recorded mention of prosciutto dates back to 100 BC and is preserved in the Italian city of Parma. And they, just like us, have kept the tradition of producing prosciutto all these years. 

But this is more than just a 2,000-year-long tradition. In addition to gastronomic quality, it is essential to know the nutritional facts of prosciutto.

The tradition of Croatian production has been preserved in Hrvace for decades. The Lovrić family researched and produced traditional meat products in the 1980s when every MEL product was created thanks to hard work. The company's wide range includes products made from fresh meat (beef, pork, veal, lamb) and products that bear the "Originally Croatian" and "Croatian Quality" labels. The company MEL-JAKOV LOVRIĆ distributes its products to stores and also supplies restaurants and hotels. MEL products represent the tradition of excellence and the best Dalmatian taste. Alkar salami is their jewel among the products.

The sumptuous culinary table was designed and prepared by chef Duje Terze (Hotel Cornaro) and his team, paired with Nikolica winery's top-quality 2019 Dingač and Postup, made by the Radović family, Cornaro Hotel owners. 

Today's menu included Dalmatian prosciutto with sweet and savory tapenade and skuta, a selection of quality Dalmatian cheeses, chickpea and prosciutto spread, tapenade with olives and prosciutto, puff pastry and prosciutto, bruschetta with onion jam, skuta, and prosciutto, bruschetta with tuna pate, bruschetta with pear, gorgonzola and prosciutto, salty baskets with prosciutto, melon and prosciutto, cold cuts, a selection of quality Dalmatian cheeses, goat cheese and prosciutto tart, Vis pie, foccacia with olives, tomatoes, herbs, bakalar, monkfish fillet wrapped in prosciutto, octopus with prosciutto and chickpeas, homemade gnocchi with prosciutto and sage, tagliatelle with shrimp and prosciutto, veal breast stuffed with prosciutto and leeks, prosciutto,cold salad, French salad, caprese salad, octopus salad, and rožada, Split cake, and fritters for dessert. 

The Romanian food table was presented by Frane Ivan from the Community of Croats in Romania and included mature sheep cheese, cold plates of dried meat products with pickled vegetables, fish caviar spread, traditional vegetable spread, mushroom spread, Christmas cake, sweet quince dessert, salty pretzels, and ROM chocolates and Puffs as gifts for guests to take home!

Split-Dalmatia County and the Split-Dalmatia County Tourist Board are avid supporters of Gastroadvent in Split, thus promoting the Mediterranean diet and local producers, entrepreneurs, and tourism workers.

The Split Tourist Board has worked hard to position the destination, harnessing a natural combination of history, gastronomy, and modernity, all to protect the components of the Mediterranean diet. The City of Split is determined to support projects that benefit its residents and demands guests after authentic experiences and new technological opportunities.

The Croatian Chamber of Commerce has advocated for years to encourage the representation of domestic products, and since 1997 has implemented the national project "Let's Buy Croatian." The project aims to increase the consumption of local products and thus support the economy. This project is of particular importance, emphasized by the director Joze Tomaš, and confirmed by the cooperation with Gastroadvent.

JU RERA S.D., as part of the MD.net project to establish innovative food products, has cooperated with primary and secondary schools in Split-Dalmatia County and stakeholders involved in producing or marketing Mediterranean food products and promoting the Mediterranean way of life. The MD.net project focuses on development opportunities and problem-solving related to popularizing the Mediterranean diet. The Mediterranean diet is a part of the Mediterranean identity inscribed in the UNESCO list of intangible cultural heritage. The project aims to strengthen research in this area following the UNESCO Convention on Mediterranean Nutrition, raise the quality of nutrition and life in 9 project partner countries, and promote the Mediterranean diet, which is recognized as the gold standard of proper nutrition with far-reaching health benefits.

Apart from the desire to involve as many people as possible and bring them closer to the importance of the Mediterranean diet in everyday life, as well as its impact on their health, the other goal of the project is to establish a standard in the Med Diet Declaration logo to classify Mediterranean areas. The ultimate goal of awarding the Declaration is to position Split-Dalmatia County as a desirable Mediterranean culinary region.

This Sunday's Gastroadvent was enhanced by Dance Studio "Dimache" under the direction and choreography of Remus Dimache, ballet soloist of the Croatian National Theater in Split. For this occasion, Remus Dimache added elements of Romanian folklore to the choreography of modern dance. 

The designer of this year's Gastroadvent wreath is artist Tonka Alujević, who depicted the Advent wreath from a lifebuoy as "a maritime object that serves to save a man who, for various reasons, is helpless in the sea and is in mortal danger." And that is precisely the health and political position we are in at the moment. 

Split Gastroadvent is held every Advent Sunday at a new location, honoring a different group of journalists with new culinary creations at each event. 

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

ZAGREB, 12 Dec 2021 - The HRK 4.4 billion (€586 million) project of the Lepoglava Rail Junction aimed at improving the railway connectivity of three northern counties -- Međimurje, Varaždin, and Krapina-Zagorje -- with the City of Zagreb has recently been presented in the city of Varaždin.

The purpose of the project is to boost the railway connections between key railway stations in central Europe and Zagreb, provide passengers with the shortest railway routes in the region, and offer fast and eco-friendly travel by rail.

Marko Car, an engineer of the Croatian Railways' HŽ Infrastruktura, said that the project envisaged the upgrade of 70 kilometers of the existing rail lines and the construction of an additional 20 kilometers of lines for the junction.

The implementation of the EU-funded project can take 20 years.

The selected 92-kilometer-long route, which includes nine railway stations and 17 train stops, and two tunnels, will make it possible for trains to develop a speed up to 120 kilometers per hour. 

The preparation of the necessary documentation will cost HRK 6.7 million (€890,000).

As much as 85% of the total project is being financed from the 2014-2020 Operational Program Competitiveness and Cohesion.

The study documentation has been drawn up by the consortium comprising ŽPD, Granova, Institut IGH, and Rijekaprojekt.

 For more, check out our dedicated politics section.

ZAGREB, 12 Dec 2021 - In the last  24 hours, there have been 2,339 new cases of the infection with coronavirus, and another 45 COVID patients have died, raising the COVID-related death toll to 11,619, Croatia's authorities said on Sunday. 

There are currently 25,101 active cases, and of the 2,293 are hospitalized patients, including 330 placed on ventilators.

Since the first registration of the infection with the novel virus on 25 February 2020, 654,202 persons have caught the virus, and of the 617,482 have recovered from the disease, including 3,676 recoveries in the last 24 hours.

Croatia has to date conducted roughly 3.58 million tests, including 7,810 in the last 24 hours when the positivity rate was 30%.

Since the start of the implementation of the vaccine rollout plan, 54.87% of the total population has got vaccinated. As many as 60.07% of adults have fully been vaccinated.

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, 12 Dec 2021 - More and more frequently, fishermen on the Croatian island of Vis find in their nets smaller and smaller local fish species and new invasive species, which prompted the local "Pomalo" nongovernmental association to launch a project of raising awareness of the importance of environment protection.

The association, environmentalists, and experts warn that the higher temperature of the Adriatic Sea, the fewer indigenous species. Thus, stocks of small pelagic fish -- sardines, anchovies, or picare -- are dwindling in the eastern Adriatic part, and those fish are important not only for the diet of local inhabitants but also as the fodder of larger fish. 

In addition, local fishermen who have first-hand insight into fishing stocks say that for instance, the average size of sardines turns out to be smaller than before. For instance, a kilo of this fish used to encompass about 24 pieces of sardine, while now 40-50 sardines weigh a kilo.

The Komiža-based Pomalo NGO has launched the project called "Neptune's Children" to help local inhabitants, particularly fishermen, to be more successful in dealing with the challenges stemming from climate change.

The association's head Igor Mataić has told Hina that fisheries are one of the rare local business activities that can provide revenues around the year.

The association in cooperation with the Institute of Political Ecology and the Zelena Akcija NGO started implementing the project which includes workshops about climate change and about sustainable fishery management.

Experts also warn that the Adriatic Sea is a semi-closed ecosystem susceptible to climate change, and changes in temperature, salinity, oxygen levels, and sea currents have repercussions for biodiversity.

Professor Branko Dragičević has told Hina that the Adriatic ecosystem can be endangered by new poisonous fish such as silver-cheeked toadfish, red lionfish, and other predatory fish that can also be dangerous for people.

Local fishermen say that when it comes to invasive species they have come across Mediterranean parrotfish, grey triggerfish, African sailfin flying fish, or yellowmouth barracuda.

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

ZAGREB, 12 Dec 2021 - The European Football Championship was this year's most searched term on Google in Croatia, and none of the top three searches are related to COVID-19 despite the pandemic not easing.

The multinational corporation which specializes in Internet-related services and products last Wednesday released a list of the most searched terms in Croatia this year, and it provides a unique insight into the most popular trends.

The most googled keyword is related to this year's European Football Championship, which took place from 11 June to 11 July in 11 host cities.

In addition to "Euro 2020", a large number of searches included the keyword 'elections', which is not surprising given the fact that local elections were held this year.

The third most searched term in Croatia was the TV series "The Ambassador's Daughter", while COVID certificates ranked fourth, followed by the Dinamo-Tottenham match, the census, Đorđe Balašević, Eurosong, the Squid Game TV series, and the Croatia-Russia match.

Another frequently googled keyword in Croatia in 2021 was ''diets''.

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

December the 12th, 2021 - Covid treatment is set to arrive in Croatia, 1,800 doses of it to be more precise. The first doses are due to come at the end of the month, reports Dnevnik Nova TV.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, this covid treatment is based on monoclonal antibodies which are are intended for people who have become unwell and have not developed a more severe clinical picture since contracting the infection, but have some indications that it could go in that direction. This was explained Tihana Slezak from the Croatian Agency for Medicinal Products and Medical Devices (HALMED).

Such drugs are effective if given within the first five days of the onset of the illness in the case of coronavirus. "It will be provided in hospital conditions in such a way that the patient will be in the hospital for about an hour or two while receiving this medicine and then they will be able to take care of themselves back at home," explained Professor Ivan Puljiz from the Fran Mihaljevic Clinic for Infectious Diseases in Zagreb.

Three drugs for covid treatment have been approved

A total of three drugs were approved for the treatment of the novel coronavirus. Two drugs used to treat other diseases have also been approved for use in patients with coronavirus. There are also two antiviral drugs in capsules that have been written about a lot - Merck and Pfizer. These two drugs are also intended for those who are at risk of developing a more severe form of the disease. "They can be used at home. They will be given on a prescription following a consultation with a doctor,'' noted Slezak of this covid treatment.

Croatia is currently negotiating the purchase of these two drugs. "Depending on the number of interested countries and the estimated total quantities of the medicine, the European Commission (EC) is negotiating at the European Union (EU) level a price that is unique for all countries participating in the joint procurement process and that has not been determined yet," they stated from the Croatian Ministry of Health.

''Merck is not something spectacular in the sense that it would be the final solution to the coronavirus pandemic,'' explained Dr. Ivo Ivic from the Clinic of Infectious Diseases at the University Hospital Centre in Split: "It will be very expensive. One therapy will cost around 500 euros. We'll be able to talk more about that part of the story later,'' he said.

''There's a possibility that some of the drugs, such as the one based on monoclonal antibodies, and such as those arriving in Croatia at the end of the month, will mean that the patient will need to sign a statement before using them,'' said Puljiz.

"It simply came to our notice then. It hasn't yet been defined, but I assume it will be the case. The drugs which are given orally will not need signatures,'' he said.

The only therapies given to try to treat a more severe clinical picture of the disease at this moment in time are oxygen, corticosteroids and some other drugs that work to reduce inflammation and drugs that prevent blood clotting.

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.