ZAGREB, 22 August, 2022 - Croatia has registered 46 new cases of coronavirus infection in the past 24 hours and eight related deaths, the national COVID response team reported on Monday.

There are 5,537 active cases in the country, including 603 hospitalised patients, 22 of whom are on ventilators.

Since the outbreak of COVID in Croatia on 25 February 2020 to date, a total of 1,206,633 cases of the novel coronavirus have been registered, and 16,579 people have died as a consequence, while 1,184,517 people have recovered., including 1,030 recoveries in the last 24 hours.

There are currently 3,454 people in self-isolation.

To date, 59.59% of the total population, or 70.86% of the adult population, have been vaccinated.

August the 22nd, 2022 - Russian warships recently entered Croatian waters, and despite the dire situation for which Russia is wholly responsible in Ukraine, the Croatian Ministry of Defense claims it ''didn't have a reason to react.''

As Index Vijesti writes, just three weeks ago, warships belonging to no less than the Russian Navy tried to block the exit of the American aircraft carrier Harry Truman from the Adriatic Sea, Admiral Giuseppe Cavo Dragone, Chief of the Italian Supreme Defense Staff, revealed in an interview with Rome's La Repubblica. He said that Russian warships had arrived along the Italian coast and had arrived as far as Ancona.

According to the Italian publication, on July the 22nd, 2022, Russian ships blocked the entry-exit route from the Adriatic Sea to try to prevent the movement of the American aircraft carrier. This led to a huge rise in tensions and a series of maneuvers by NATO and Russian ships in the area.

In its reconstruction of events, La Repubblica writes that the NATO commanders immediately reacted to the Russian moves in the Adriatic Sea, who wanted to show that they would not give up control over the passage from the Ionian to the Adriatic Sea. At the end of July, the Russian cruiser Varyag was less than 100 kilometres away from the American cruiser Forrest Sherman, they write.

These ships were located on the sides of Cape Santa Maria di Leuca, with the Russian ship on the Adriatic side and the American ship on the Ionian side. A little further to the south was the Harry Truman aircraft carrier with an American escort.

Truman was joined by NATO ships from Turkey, Greece, Italy, Spain and the USA and formed a square around the aircraft carrier on July the 25th, writes the Italian daily. They add that on July the 31st, the Global Hawk, one of the largest American spy planes, patrolled over the Ionian Sea for hours.

Croatian MOD: We're familiar with the situation

Index sent an inquiry to the Croatian Ministry of Defense about whether or not it was made aware of the activities of Russian and NATO ships in the Adriatic Sea. Here's what they had to say:

"Croatia is continuously monitoring the situation and is in contact with allies and partners. Through the Naval Operations Centre, the Croatian Navy monitors the situation in the Adriatic Sea, mainly in its area of ​​responsibility. This primarily refers to the navigation of ships of foreign navies. On the basis of the above, the HRM Command is aware of the presence, that is, the sailing of warships belonging to the Russian Federation into the Adriatic Sea. Given that no ships were observed entering the territorial waters of ​​the Republic of Croatia, there was no reason to react," the Ministry of Defense told Index.

Ivica Mandic: There was no threat from the ships

"Nobody has ever managed to block an aircraft carrier, so I think that our colleagues from Italy are exaggerating," military analyst Ivica Mandic told Dnevnik Nova TV.

"It's nothing particularly unusual for warships to come and watch the exercises of the other side, this is in one way provocative in the sense that it comes so close, but it is not a threat, especially to the carrier strike group," said Mandic.

"I think this is a distraction from something important that is happening on the ground in Ukraine," he noted, calling the move of the Russian warships in the Adriatic Sea a stupid operation.

"If they'd fired a rocket, they would have been sunk instantly"

"Those ships, if they fired a missile of any kind, they would all be sunk at that moment. You're in a narrow sea called the Adriatic and you are under attack from NATO member countries, you'd be toast,'' said Mandic.

He assured the public that the Croatian Armed Forces have a clear picture of both the Adriatic Sea and Russian warships, as well as the possibility of defense in the event of a threat, noting that Truman's presence on the Adriatic Sea is not accidental.

Akrap: These are common activities

Security expert Gordan Akrap told HRT that this action by the Russian warships should not be taken too seriously.

"This is the usual activity of the armed forces of the Russian Federation, regardless of whether they're air or naval forces, which are trying to come into contact with NATO forces in order to test the organisation, effectiveness, mobility and system of command, control and leadership of the NATO alliance and member countries of the NATO alliance in crises," said Akrap.

He added that we often see such cases in the Baltic Sea, the North Sea, and in Norwegian waters, and now we're seeing it here in the Adriatic as well. He pointed out that this sea is very well protected - it is protected by Croatia, partly by Albania and also by Italy. He said that, in addition to four ships, several submarines also entered the Adriatic, but they were tracked from beginning to end and immediately sent back.

For more, check out our news section.

ZAGREB, 22 August, 2022 - Retired Air Force pilot Danijel Borović said on Sunday that after Serbia's media outlets reported that an indictment against four wartime Croatian pilots had been upheld by a Belgrade-based court, one should now wait for Croatia to take the next move.

Borović told the N1 commercial broadcaster that he had learnt from the media about the indictment which allegedly charged him and three more pilots with war crimes in during the liberating Operation Storm.

"I have no other information. I can see that Justice Minister (Ivan) Malenica has also stated that they have not been given any first-hand information, and that no official contact has been made," Borović told N1.

He said that he is now waiting for Croatia's authorities to take necessary steps concerning this situation after Prime Minister Andrej Plenkoić recently stated that Croatia will know how to protect its wartime pilots.

The four pilots of Croatia's Armed Forces whom Serbia accuses of issuing the order for shelling a refugee column on 7 and 8 August 1995 are Vladimir Mikec (67), Zdenko Radulj (69), Željko Jelenić (69) and Borović (64).

The Croatian Justice Ministry said on Saturday it had not been officially informed by Serbian authorities about the filing or upholding of an indictment against Croatian Air Force pilots allegedly accused by Serbia of war crimes committed in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Serbia has not requested international legal aid in this case, and Croatian authorities know about it only based on speculation and reports in Serbian media, the ministry said.

Serbia is again trying to take over the role of the former International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) by claiming jurisdiction on territories of sovereign, internationally recognised states without any restrictions, which are part of international law, the Croatian justice ministry said, adding that such a stance is contrary to the rule of law, international law and international criminal law.

It recalled that final ICTY verdicts established that Croatia's 1995 Operation Storm was not a joint criminal enterprise but a legitimate military operation aimed at returning occupied territory under the state's sovereignty.

Serbia has issued the indictment against Croatia's wartime pilots in a bid to divert the attention from its own problems, Croatian Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandroković said on Sunday.

Jandroković added that Croatia dismissed this indictment which had a political nature and was without any legal foundation, and that Croatia protects its citizens.

ZAGREB, 22 August, 2022 - Croatia's tennis player Borna Ćorić on Sunday beat World No. 7, Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas, (7-6, 6-2), to win the ATP Masters 1000 Cincinnati.

The 25-year-old Ćorić, who currently ranks 152nd, has thus become the lowest ranking tennis player to win a Masters 1000 tournament.

This has been the second final in a Masters 1000 tournament for this Croatian player born in Zagreb.

Four years ago he reached the final of the ATP Masters 1000 Shanghai, where he was defeated by Serbia's Novak Đoković.

Ćorić's career high was the 12th place on the ATP rankings in 2018.

August the 22nd, 2022 - The summer is still very much in full swing on the gorgeous Makarska Riviera, with hotels still full and the overall Makarska tourism picture still booming.

As Morski writes, Makarska's coast in Central Dalmatia is still full of foreign visitors, and the third weekend of August is usually marked by a large shift of tourists, with more departures than arrivals, but the hotels are still fully booked, and there are crowds on the main roads and along access roads to tourist destinations.

This weekend, more than 10,000 guests will travel from tourist destinations along the Makarska Riviera, and fewer will arrive for their holidays in summer resorts from Brela to Gradac, according to local tourist offices. However, they pointed out that after this weekend, about 50 thousand tourists will continue their vacation on the Makarska coast, making the Makarska tourism picture full despite the gradual change of the times.

Hotels operating along the Makarska Riviera are continuing to do business without any free beds to speak of, hosting more than 14,000 guests in total, the same is the case in holiday homes and other forms of family/private accommodation, and the advance reservation of accommodation facilities is also recommended for people staying in rooms and apartments rented out from private home owners.

The change of guests is also being accompanied by significant traffic jams this weekend. On the D8 state road, people are continuing to drive in long queues, going very slowly and with rare stops, and traffic is also congested on the access roads to various destinations along that part of the coastline.

Along the road from Basko Polje through the Sveti Ilija tunnel to the highway and vice versa, the traffic has increased significantly, there is also traffic congestion on the access road to the toll booths near Zagvozd, yet the waiting times have decreased at the toll booths themselves.

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

August the 22nd, 2022 - Hrvatska kuca (Croatian house) will certainly make a mark in Qatar as we head towards the World Cup, set to take place in that Arab peninsula country.

As Morski writes, the Croatian national football team will go to the World Cup in Qatar to defend the silver from Russia, and will have an even stronger presence owing to the sensational and spectacular Hrvatska kuca (Croatian house) located down by the sea.

All of the necessary contracts have been signed and all of the permits for the future Hrvatska kuca have been secured, meaning that during the World Cup in Qatar, the world's longest sailing ship with cross sails, the 162-metre long "Golden Horizon" made at the Croatian shipyard Brodosplit, will be docked in Doha.

This huge sailing ship will be a platform for the promotion of overall Croatian excellence, from the booming tourism, gastronomy and culture scene, to the Croatian economy and, of course, to Croatian sport, and what is equally important - it will also double up as an extremely impressive six-star hotel for 300 lucky people.

From the very beginning, the Croatian Football Association has been following all efforts to realise this excellent but very challenging project.

''It was with great pleasure that we received the news that this beautiful sailing ship will be part of Croatia's representation at the World Cup over in Qatar. We're in contact with the people who made it all happen, and the Croatian Football Association will logistically help with this big project for the promotion of Croatian football, as well as the entire Croatian nation,'' said Marijan Kustic, the president of the HNS.

The details of the large Hrvatska kuca project, as well as how and under what conditions it will be possible to get accommodation on that sailing ship during the World Cup itself in Qatar, will be known in ten days and will then be made publicly available. The project was realised thanks to the Croatian Business Council Qatar, which has been promoting Croatian interests in Qatar for years, according to a report from Vecernji list journalist Karlo Ledinski, as transmitted by N1.

For more on Croatian football, sport and the upcoming World Cup, make sure to check out our dedicated sport section.

August the 22nd, 2022 - Croatian Agriculture Minister Marija Vuckovic has announced a very welcome 200 million kuna package of measures for the enfeebled agriculture sector, brought to its knees with worry over the ongoing drought.

As Morski writes, due to the severe drought, the Ministry of Agriculture has announced an extraordinary measure for farmers worth around 200 million kuna, as revealed by Minister Marija Vuckovic on Sunday in Zlatar Bistrica in Krapina-Zagorje County.

Due to the severe drought and extreme temperatures, Croatian farmers from up and down the country asked the aforementioned ministry for a moratorium to be placed on exports, and according to Minister Marija Vuckovic, a decision has already been made. It refers to a deviation from the rules related to obtaining support, that is, direct payment advances at the end of October and the beginning of November this year.

''Farmers can't fulfill all the requirements related to obtaining this advance and their reasons for wanting this are justified. When a natural disaster is declared, we can see that the counties have really begun to declare justified natural disasters due to significant damage from the drought. As such, they won't have to meet the requirements that are normally projected, and they will be able to receive support,'' explained Marija Vuckovic.

Within the framework of the wider rural development programme, the ministry also announced an extraordinary measure that will be worth around 200 million kuna in total.

''Such a measure was made possible primarily because of Russia's brutal, unjustified and unprovoked aggression against Ukraine. However, all farmers who feel an increase in costs and a decrease in income, and who apply good agro-environmental practices, as this is one of the basic conditions, will be able to use this measure, which will be worth up to 15 thousand euros for them as a flat-rate support,'' Vuckovic said, adding that the ministry will consider other ways to help farmers as well.

Minister Marija Vuckovic said that the Croatian Government is trying with all possible measures to reduce the impact of the crisis on Croatian residents and is trying to help enterprises, and said that they are currently working on a new autumn package.

When asked by a journalist whether there is a possibility that due to the drought Croatia will first satisfy its needs and then turn to exporting, Minister Marija Vuckovic replied that the minister is seriously considering all the demands being made by the nation's hard-hit farmers, but emphasises that the path to restricting traffic on the single European market is not a good one to take, as reported by HRT.

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

August the 22nd, 2022 - The Croatian Public Health Institute (HZJZ) has announced some changes regarding the coronavirus booster vaccine, dropping the age at which individuals can come and get another booster dose of the vaccine.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, on Friday last week, the Croatian Public Health Institute (HZJZ) lowered the age limit for people wanting to come and get a second booster dose against COVID-19, which is now being recommended for everyone over the age of sixty and especially in the case of immunocompromised or adults with other sorts of health issues.

In the amended Croatian Public Health Institute recommendations, the age limit for the second booster dose has been significantly lowered. In the previous recommendations from back in April, a second booster vaccination was advised only for those over 80 years old and those over 65 years old who are living in care homes. It's worth noting that the Croatian Public Health Institute says that the second booster dose is recommended at least four months after a person receives their first booster dose.

The Croatian Public Health Institute has emphasised that vaccination with a fourth coronavirus booster doesn't differ in any way from any of the earlier vaccinations against the novel coronavirus. For this purpose, an mRNA vaccine (Comirnaty or Spikevax) is being used, and additional/booster vaccination can be carried out at all locations and points where normal (first and second dose) vaccinations are being carried out.

In addition to all of the above, a second booster vaccination against COVID-19 is being recommended for people who have an increased risk of developing severe clinical pictures should they contract the virus, who were primarily vaccinated with the Janssen vaccine.

The Croatian Public Health Institute also noted that other people can also be vaccinated with a second booster dose should they so wish, especially if they have chronic diseases and an increased risk of developing severe clinical pictures, or if they need it for all sorts of administrative reasons.

For more on coronavirus in Croatia, make sure to check out our dedicated section.