ZAGREB, 21 July 2022 - Croatia has registered 1,793 new coronavirus cases and seven COVID-related deaths in the last 24 hours, the national coronavirus response team reported on Thursday.

The number of active cases currently stands at 10,965, of whom 578 infected persons are being treated in hospital, including 15 placed on ventilators, while 5,196 persons are self-isolating.

Since 25 February 2020, when the first case was confirmed in Croatia, 1,173,374 people have been registered as having contracted the novel SARS-CoV-2 virus, of whom 16,188 have died, and 1,146,221 have recovered, including 1,197 in the last 24 hours.

A total of 59.56 per cent of the total population, or 70.84 per cent of adults, have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, and 68.80 per cent of the adult population have been vaccinated twice.

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.

JULY 22 UPDATE

July 21, 2022 - The fire in Slovenia is the worst in the country's history. A look at the latest updates and the impact it is having on Istria. 

Overnight, 800 firefighters brought the biggest fire in Slovenian history under control. However, the situation is still difficult. Due to the wind, the fire is moving from Italy towards Slovenia.

Latest updates from Index.hr: 

Minister of Defense: The situation has worsened in the last few hours
"In the last few hours, the situation has worsened; extinguishing fires from the air is greatly hampered by poor visibility. The headquarters determines measures depending on the development of the fire. Three settlements have been evacuated: Novelo, Temnica, and Vojščica. At the moment, our main task is protecting buildings," the Minister of Defense Marjan Šarec announced on Twitter. 

According to the locals, the fire has already approached Vojščica - about 300 meters, which can be seen from the increasingly thick smoke, soot, and ash, reports a 24ur journalist.

Helicopters from Austria, Croatia, and Slovakia arrive to help
It is expected that around 1,000 firefighters and several helicopters, including four Slovenian army and two police helicopters, will fight the fire. A helicopter from Austria is already putting out the fire, and Croatian and Slovak helicopters are also on the way.

The fire also threatens settlements in Italy
The fire is threatening the Slovenian Kras region and spreading to the Italian side. It threatens the inhabitants of the villages of Sablici, Jamiano, Medeazza, and Doberdo. Slovenian and Italian firefighters are trying to protect the mentioned locations.

At Medeazza, according to the head of Duino-Aurisina, Igor Gabrovec, the fire is only a kilometer away from the settlement. The highway in the direction of Trieste has reopened today, while the section in the direction of Venice is still closed.

Numerous explosions in the area of the fire, exploding devices from the First World War
A fire in the Kars area caused numerous explosions of devices that remained in that region from the First World War. Commander Darko Zonjič said they no longer count explosions but only mark them along roads so they can be recorded later.

"Even during the night, there were a lot of explosions due to high temperatures in the area affected by the fire. Yesterday, 18 different explosive devices were removed from the villages of Sela na Krasu and Korita," said Zonjič.

Civil protection headquarters: Three fires are currently active
The Slovenian Civil Protection Headquarters announced that three fires are currently active. Firefighters are most concerned about the fire in Klarići, a hamlet near the Italian border. More than 1,000 firefighters are on the ground.

Sirens sounded for the evacuation of residents
Evacuation sirens sounded in three villages in the Kras region; Temnica, Vojščica, and Novelo. The place for gathering citizens from those areas is the gymnasium in Komno, the Civil Protection HQ announced.

Civil Protection Commander: This is the biggest fire in the history of Slovenia
Civil Protection Commander Srečko Šestan said they had never had so many firefighters on the ground at night. Almost 1,300 people, including 1,000 firefighters, fought the fire during the day. When the fire began to threaten the houses, additional forces were called in. Šestan assessed that it was the biggest fire in Slovenia so far.

"At the moment, the situation is under control; there is no strong wind, which makes it easier to put out the fire because the fire does not spread. Of course, the situation can change quickly because a storm has been announced," wrote Defense Minister Marjan Šarec this morning, adding that he is participating in firefighting with the Slovenian army.

"Since yesterday, the army has been helping with water supply and accommodation, the military ambulance service has been called, and they will also inspect with a thermal camera to detect hidden hotspots. They will also provide meals for the troops on the ground. If necessary, we will also send soldiers," Šarec said. 

A lot of smoke in Istria
"A good part of western Istria is still in smoke; the situation has even worsened. A lot of reports are coming from Poreč," writes Istramet.

After Canadairs, the Ministry of Defense sent a helicopter to the fire scene in Slovenia
During the day yesterday, the water cannon dumped 48 tons of water on the burned area in nine bursts.

Polluted air throughout Slovenia
The fire caused air pollution in the area of Koper, Postojna, and Nova Gorica.

Stronger winds are not expected
"We can look at wind as optimists or as pessimists," says Brane Gregorčič from the Environmental Protection Agency. He said that there really wouldn't be any stronger wind. He pointed out that the problems on Wednesday were caused by the western wind, which spread the fire from Italy towards Slovenia. "We expect similar winds today, but in between, there were about 18 hours of calm as far as the wind is concerned," he said.

Smoke in Istria
A large amount of smoke from the fire raging in the Slovenian Kars region covered Istria with thick smoke, bringing a significant deterioration in air quality, reports Istramet.

The station for measuring air quality in Žužići near Tinjan at 5:15 am recorded a significant increase in floating particles. During most of the night, PM 2.5 particles were below 10 micrograms per cubic meter of air, and after 5 hours, it increased more than three times and reached 40 μg/m3.

This morning, smoke in the form of haze is particularly visible in northern Istria, where there is a strong burning smell 

For more breaking news in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page. 

July 21, 2022 - Eric Tolic has had quite a year so far. The young entrepreneur from Toronto, Ontario, was not only named one of the top in Canada, but also admitted to the prestigious Columbia University for graduate studies this fall.

As the world recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic, Eric Tolic already has his next goal in mind — an Ivy League degree.

Founded in 1754, Columbia University boasts impressive alumni and is notoriously selective among its international applicants. With an acceptance rate of just 3.73% for undergraduate students in 2022, getting in is no easy feat. “It’s incredible”, said Eric. “I’ve always considered my education very important. Attending Columbia is a privilege, and I hope to explore as much of the university as I can over the next year.”

Born in Osijek, his father immigrated to Canada at the age of 9. With family still in Zagreb, Eric continues to stay in touch. “My European background has in many ways shaped who I’ve become. Croatia has a lot of great qualities, as well as Italy, where my mother is from”, he adds. Needless to say, relatives on both sides are proud of his journey to date.

Prior to Columbia, Eric completed his undergrad at the University of Toronto. Studying commerce, he credits much of the early success in his career to the program. “Without the opportunity to strengthen my knowledge across various disciplines, I would not have had the confidence to launch multiple startups that early”, said Eric. “University teaches you to think critically, which is one of your biggest assets as an entrepreneur.”

While admission to the Ivy League is a major accomplishment in and of itself, he was also selected for the NEXT 36 in April.

Every year, NEXT Canada recognizes the top young entrepreneurs to watch and aims to accelerate their growth with access to mentorship and capital. Serving as a founder-incubator, NEXT is committed to building a more prosperous and competitive nation. “I’m fortunate to be surrounded by many bright minds. It pushes you to be better”, said Eric.

Currently, he is working on his latest company, Learnify, whose app is designed to help post-secondary students eliminate manual tasks and obtain high grades. Given the lengthy development process involved with AI solutions, going to market takes time. “We will fundamentally change the way students learn and progress through their education”, Eric adds. "I wish that I had a resource like this throughout my undergrad.”

Hoping to pursue the business full-time eventually, he is now employed by HyperLinq. The YC-backed cryptocurrency startup offers superior technology to traders around the world. With top investors, including Fenbushi Capital, Rebel Fund, Side Door Ventures, and more, things are going well. Leading the growth team, Eric is responsible for user acquisition.

Showing no signs of slowing down, he plans to continue to have an impact. “I’ve never been afraid of change”, said Eric. “Change is what drives society forward, and I always aspire to make the world a little better.”

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

July 21, 2022 - After a successful performance at the club 'Diamond' on Krk, Shaquille O'Neal (aka DJ Diesel) arrived in Dubrovnik, where on Friday night, he set the atmosphere at Culture Club Revelin to a fever pitch with mixed sets of trap, hip-hop, and dubstep.

Shaq does not hide his enthusiasm for Croatia. He confirmed this in numerous interviews, especially after his performance at Zrće 2019 as DJ Diesel. It is interesting that Shaq, unlike many fellow athletes, does not "run away" from the media, but is happy to give interviews and statements. He is also enthusiastic about his fellow basketball players, and dedicated one verse, 'I want to shoot like Petro', to Dražen Petrović! Shaq has been in music since 1993, when he released the rap album 'Shaq Diesel', and two years later he started performing at festivals and clubs.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by DR. SHAQUILLE O'NEAL Ed.D. (@shaq)

"Culture Club Revelin is proudly entering a new season, which will be visited by the world's biggest stars of electronic music. This summer season of Culture Club Revelin, along with the stars of electronic music, every night will be marked by an attractive, unique, and interesting program, which will introduce the spirit of fun in this part of Europe. In this way, Dubrovnik will be on the map of young people from all over the world who will be able to enjoy one of the world's most attractive cities and most beautiful summer destinations in a completely different way - they have already stood out and raised the bar high for themselves.​

You can see more photos on the Culture Club Revelin Facebook page. 

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

July 21, 2022 - Rising Croatian starlet Sara Luzar-Smajić (4-1) is back in action this Saturday, July 23, at KSW 72 in Kielce, Poland. She faces Polish striker Emilia Czerwińska (1-0).

Zagreb native Smajic has emerged as one of the top female prospects in Europe since making her KSW debut last year. The 27-year-old has won back-to-back fights in the promotion, including this hard-fought victory over Natalia Baczyńska last time out, and will be aiming to make it three in a row this Saturday. 

With the KSW women's flyweight title laying vacant, a win here for either fighter could signal a potential title shot. However, Smajic faces arguably her most dangerous opponent to date in Czerwińska, a multiple time world kickboxing champion who won her MMA & KSW via knockout. 

KSW 72 will be headlined by a potential title eliminator between Tomasz Romanowski (15-8) and Andrzej Grzebyk (18-5) and the card will feature notable European stars such as Norway's Emil Meek (9-6), undefeated Frenchman Oumar Sy (6-0), Portugal's Gustavo Oliveira (8-1), Luxembourg's Yann Liasse, and the Netherlands' Brian Hooi (17-8). 

KSW 72 Fight CardMain Event
Welterweight
Tomasz Romanowski (15-8) vs. Andrzej Grzebyk (18-5)

Co-Main Event
Featherweight
Dawid Smielowski (9-0) vs. Patryk Kaczmarczyk (8-1)

Welterweight
Michal Pietrzak (10-5-1) vs. Brian Hooi (17-8)

Flyweight
Sara Luzar-Smajic (4-1) vs. Emilia Czerwinska (1-0)

Welterweight
Kacper Koziorzebski (8-4) vs. Emil Meek (9-6)

Light Heavyweight 
Oumar Sy (6-0) vs. Bartłomiej Gładkowicz (8-2)

Bantamweight
Patryk Surdyn (6-2) vs. Gustavo Oliveira (8-1) 

Lightweight
Hubert Szymajda (9-5) vs. Yann Liasse (7-1)

Welterweight
Robert Maciejowski (5-4-1) vs. Arkadiusz Kaszuba (3-1)

KSW, or Konfrontacja Sztuk Walki, is the premier mixed martial arts organization in Poland and one of the leading MMA organizations in Europe, founded back in 2004. Many KSW fighters have signed on to globally known promotions such as the UFC, making the organization an admirable stepping stone to the world's biggest stage. 

The fight is available for Croatian & Balkan fans live on www.KSWTV.com and the KSW App.

To follow the latest sports news in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

July 21, 2022 - Croatia's best female athlete, Sandra Perković, won the silver medal in the discus throw at the World Athletics Championships in Eugene, USA, while Croatia's second representative, Marija Tolj, finished eighth. 

Perković was second with a score of 68.45, which is her best throw this season. However, that was still not enough for the gold, surprisingly won by Chinese discus thrower Bin Feng with 69.12, reports HRT.

The bronze was won by the Olympic gold medalist from Tokyo, American Valarie Allman, with 68.30 meters. The defending champion from Doha, Cuban Yaime Perez, ended up seventh with 63.07, while Marija Tolj took eighth place, with 63.07.

It is Sandra's 12th medal at major competitions and the fifth at the world championships, which no other discus thrower in the world has achieved.

In her first world final in Berlin in 2009 as a teenager, she finished in ninth place, just before becoming the European junior champion. She then won gold twice, in Moscow in 2013 and London in 2017, and won two silvers (Beijing 2015, Eugene 2022) and one bronze (Doha 2019). Let's add that the 32-year-old Perković won two Olympic golds (2012, 2016) and has five European titles.

22-year-old Marija Tolj also achieved great success. In her first final at a major senior competition, she was eighth with a throw of 63.07 meters. Tolj recently won gold at the Mediterranean Games in Algeria with a personal record of 64.71 meters.

It started hot. In the first series, Allman threw 67.62 and Sandra 67.74, but Bin Feng shocked everyone with 69.12. With this result, Feng improved her personal record of 66.00 meters by more than three meters.

Perković came close to her in the second series by throwing 68.45, while Allman achieved a result of 68.30 in the third series.

It was expected that to win, Sandra would have to beat the American who came to Eugene with the best result of the season (71.46). She succeeded in this, but no one expected Feng to celebrate, who had achieved her greatest success so far in 2019 by winning the Asian Championships. At the last WC in Doha, she was fifth, and at the Olympic Games in Tokyo, she was only 17th.

Unfortunately, Sara Kolak did not make it to the javelin final. The norm was 62.50 meters, but the Olympic winner from Rio de Janeiro did not make a single correct attempt in the qualifications.

It was her third appearance at the world championships. In London in 2017, she was one step away from the podium by winning fourth place, while two years later, in Doha, she was seventh.

The Ludbreg native didn't even have a single correct attempt at the Olympic Games in Tokyo last year, and this season she threw the furthest 62.60 in Leiden, the Netherlands.

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

July the 21st, 2022 - Croatia is the first in all of Europe to purchase the brand new Subaru Bell 412EPX helicopters which boast special modules for medical evacuations and search and rescue missions.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, on behalf of the Ministry of the Interior (MUP), Minister of the Interior Davor Bozinovic PhD signed a contract with the American company Bell Textron Inc., for the purchase of two multipurpose Subaru Bell 412EPX helicopters, making Croatia the first to do so.

In this way, based on normal public procurement procedures, the Croatian Ministry of Interior managed to acquire the first Subaru Bell 412EPX in the whole of Europe with a contract value totalling 36,294,975.00 euros including VAT.

The new helicopters will be part of the fleet of the Ministry of the Interior, and will be used for the needs of civil protection and HGSS (Croatian Mountain Rescue Service) rescue operations and emergency medical flights.

This helicopter is currently the most modern version of the Bell 412 platform, whose main benefits are improved durability in terms of increasing the maximum weight and amount of cargo it can carry and transport, as well as an increase in the so-called ''output torque'' by more than 10 percent at impressive speeds of 60 knots.

The aforementioned upgrades mean greater speed and efficiency when performing complex rescue operations and/or medical care, which ultimately significantly affects the timeliness and efficiency of the system's overall response in crisis situations.

Funds for the procurement were provided through the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development through European Union (EU) funds, specifically based on the Competitiveness and Cohesion Operational Pgoramme, as part of a wider project called "Helicopter support to the civil protection system".

The value of the project stands at 273,294,117.65 kuna including VAT, of which 85 percent is made up by grants, or 232,300,000.00 kuna including VAT.

The deadline for the delivery of the ordered helicopters to Croatia is fifteen months from the signing of the contract.

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

July the 21st, 2022 - Influential HDZ member Franjo Lucic, HDZ a member of parliament in the last convocation, is set to be imprisoned for one year for bribing Telegram journalist Drago Hedl, the Supreme Court has decided.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, in a session which was held back on June the 7th, 2022, the Council of the Supreme Court of the Republic of Croatia accepted the appeal of the state attorney, and the verdict of the first-instance court in the sentencing decision of HDZ member Franjo Lucic was changed in such a way that the accused was sentenced to a prison term of one year for offering a bribe to the aforementioned journalist, instead of being given community service.

With that decision, the defendant's appeal was rejected as unfounded, the Supreme Court announced.

The Supreme Court considers that the first-instance court, after correctly determining mitigating circumstances on the part of the accused (who has no criminal record otherwise), overestimated the circumstances, ignoring the fact that the accused committed a serious crime of corruption against a journalist, thereby grossly violating the provisions of Article 38 of the Constitution of the Republic of Croatia, which guarantees the freedom of thought and expression, which includes, in particular, freedom of the press and other means of communication, freedom of speech and public speaking, although as a member of the Croatian Parliament he (Franjo Lucic) was obliged to protect and promote the rights of citizens guaranteed by the Constitution of the Republic of Croatia.

For not writing and publishing a certain text, HDZ member Franjo Lucic offered the journalist three times more compensation than the media company would be paying him.

As a reminder, in the indictment from back in March 2018, USKOK accused HDZ member Franjo Lucic that on July the 26th, 2017 in Pozega, he offered Telegram journalist Drago Hedl, who was collecting information about his business and financial transactions as a representative of the Croatian Parliament and his companies, a monetary reward to not write about information that he collected because the article would harm him as a member of parliament and as an entrepreneur.

Lucic was accused of telling the journalist in a telephone conversation, which Hedl recorded, that for not writing the text he would pay him three times more than the compensation he would receive from the media company and that the payout of said money was "not in question", as long as the gathering of information about him and his companies would not be made public.

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