October 11, 2020 - Croatia tops Sweden 2:1 in their 3rd-round Nations League match on Sunday at Maksimir Stadium in Zagreb.

Croatia continued their Nations League campaign on Sunday against Sweden, a team they didn't meet back in September. Croatia and Sweden met in rainy Zagreb at Maksimir Stadium at 6 pm. 

Coach Zlatko Dalic unveiled a slightly different lineup for this match, featuring Livakovic in goal, Melnjak, Caleta-Car, Lovren, and Uremovic in the back, Brozovic, Vlasic, Modric and Kovacic across the midfield, and Perisic and Brekalo up top.

Before this match, Croatia had played Sweden four times - in a friendly in 2003, in World Cup qualifiers in 2004 and 2005, and in another friendly in 2012, which is the only time they lost. 

The match began with heavy rain and a quick yellow card for Mateo Kovacic, who was cautioned in the first minute of play. While Sweden pressured Croatia's goal within the first five minutes, Croatia picked up the pace and Brekalo even scored an offside goal in the 10th minute. The wet pitch certainly made things more difficult.

Modric had a chance in the 18th minute, which was saved by Sweden goalkeeper Olsen, though it didn't stop him from shooting again moments later, albeit over the goal. 

Slobodan Kadic

Sweden had their first real opportunity when Kulusevci shot in the 24th minute, though it was no problem for Livakovic to save. Vlasic took a chance at Sweden's goal two minutes later.

However, Croatia and Nikola finally got their chance. A brilliant play by Modric at the midfield line saw Croatia attack up the pitch. Brekalo found the boot of Vlasic who scored for 1:0 in the 32nd minute!

Slobodan Kadic

Vlasic shot again off a Modric corner found him just outside the top of the box, though he hit over the goal in the 38th minute. The game ended 1:0 at the half.

Unfortunately, the weather only worsened at the start of the second half, and we could only hope that the already weak Maksimir pitch wouldn't flood. 

Croatia came out aggressively in the first few minutes, though it was Sweden to threaten Croatia's goal in the 50th minute. What was nearly an own goal by Lovren was saved by Livakovic on the goal line to keep Croatia in the lead. Sweden, however, called for a penalty as it looked as though there was a Croatia handball in the box.

Brekalo had a great chance in the 52nd minute, which went wide of the goal for a corner.  

Sweden had another excellent chance in the 56th minute from a free-kick which Livakovic tipped over the goal then caught it to ensure Croatia's lead. 

Pasalic was subbed on for Kovacic in the 60th minute.

A rocket from Perisic's right boot saw the Sweden keeper make a difficult save for a Croatia corner in the 61st minute. 

Slobodan Kadic

A quick Sweden counter-attack in the 65th minute saw Berg even the score for 1:1. The goal certainly gave Sweden momentum, as they picked up their game considerably in the minutes that followed. 

Andrej Kramaric and Domagoj Bradaric were subbed on for Brekalo and Melnjak in the 74th minute. 

Thankfully, Kramaric brought Croatia the luck they needed. In the 83rd minute, Perisic found Kramaric unmarked in the box, who scored for the Croatia lead! The game was now 2:1.

Slobodan Kadic

A dangerous play by Sweden in the 89th minute could have leveled the result again, but Livakovic was solid in goal. The referee added 4 minutes, in which Sweden was unable to score. The match ended 2:1 for Croatia!

In their 4th-round match, Croatia will meet France on Wednesday in Zagreb at 8:45 pm. 

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October 11, 2020 - A school in Baranja takes international participation on the occasion of World Mental Health Day.

Each year, on October the 10^th, World Federation for Mental Health (WFHM) celebrates World Mental Health Day with the aim of promoting and protecting mental health. This year's slogan is „Mental health for everyone, everywhere: Greater Investment-Greater Access” emphasising the importance of mental health accessibility to everyone, regardless of their material status or place of residence.

The past few months have brought many challenges and the need for mental health and psychosocial support is expected to increase considerably in the upcoming months and years.

Given the fact that numerous schools have joined the international eTwinning project „Me, Myself & I”, one of the introductory activities has been to mark World Mental Health Day. During the entire week preceding October the 10^th, around 200 teachers from 8 European countries (Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Finland, Italy, Romania, Slovakia, Serbia and Turkey) conducted different activities with their students in order to promote the importance of carrying for mental health.

„The fact that mental health is so much more than the simple absence of mental illness is being emphasised through different activities. Mental health is the state of well-being by which people can meet their study potential, deal with different stressors and connect with people and community. Mental health in children and youth contributes to easier schooling, builds resilience to stress and gives self-confidence to seek help individually and is therefore an important factor in child's performance but also later in life” as has been stated by Marija Jurić, a school psychologist at Drenje primary school, which, alongside Goran Podunavac, a Computer Science teacher from Popovac primary school, has started this praiseworthy project at these times, when our everyday life has changed significantly due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

With this project, students are encouraged to recognize their own emotional states, quality communication with fellow-people, cooperation and seeking for support within their own community. Students learn about mental health through different, interesting activities and topics, applying their current experience. Project activities are being published regularly on the TwinSpace page of the project „Me, Myself & I”.

Many students continue to collaborate with peers from other schools and countries, showing each other how they care for themselves, what they do in their free time, how they relax, how and with whom do they talk about their feelings and problems.

The planned activities will be good not just for the children but also for their teachers and for the rest of the employees at schools. We must never forget that there is no health without mental health.

ZAGREB, October 11, 2020 - The Croatian National Theatre (HNK) in Zagreb has recently become a popular place for outdoor gatherings, where people gather every weekend, especially after midnight, when many bars close due to coronavirus measures.

Mass outdoor parties have been taking place in Republic of Croatia Square where the HNK building stands since May, when epidemiological measures were relaxed, and about 500 people gathered there last weekend as well.

Even after midnight when, according to epidemiological measures, all social life and entertainment in the city should stop, young people gather in groups, drink alcohol and listen to different genres of music.

Next to one of several speakers is 19-year-old Antonio, and asked why he is there, he told Hina that he currently has nowhere else to be.

HNK and social gathering

Sociologist Dino Vukusic from the Ivo Pilar Institute of Social Sciences commented on the diversity of young people gathering in front of the HNK building.

According to him, the HNK is not a new place of gathering, but this particular HNK was created during the pandemic. He thinks it is interesting that these spontaneous gatherings still persist.

There are many different people there now -- some belong to subcultures that have gathered outside the HNK before, and there also those who will, once night clubs reopen, go to night clubs, Vukusic said, adding that they are a very heterogeneous group of people.

The music and the style of the HNK gatherings are driven by the hedonism of young people and they are a cry for spending free time in a hedonistic way at a time like this, he said.

Residents request protection

The noise, mess and urinating that take place on green areas around the HNK have been disturbing the residents of Republic of Croatia Square, and they are calling for some protection despite the fact that there are only about ten of them.

One of the residents, Melita Kovacevic, who often cannot fall asleep because of the noise, told Hina that in the last few months, she and her neighbours had been reporting everything to the police.

Zagreb police told Hina that from May 1 to September 30, they intervened about 50 times around the HNK following reports of possible disturbing of the peace. However, they have filed misdemeanor charges against only six people.

The Cistoca city sanitation company told Hina that their employees had been intensively cleaning the HNK location and they had asked those gathering there to use bins to dispose of their litter, although there are just a few smaller bins around the square.

ZAGREB, October 11, 2020 - "Dislocation", a film by Veljko and Milivoj Popovic, has been awarded Best Virtual Reality project at the Ottawa International Animation Festival, one of the most important in the world, the Croatian Audiovisual Centre has said.

"Dislocation" problematizes fear stemming from the forced removal of people from their homes due to cataclysmic events, offering a visual experience of the emotions that take hold when people find themselves in extremely dire circumstances. The film follows the protagonist around various locations, from a beach on the coast of Greece, a desert on the Mexico-US border, to a forest in the Balkans.   

"This powerful and timely narrative captures the fear and desperation experienced by many refugees. Having the narrative be driven by the physical act of stepping into this person’s experience and fragmenting memories of home, made the experience feel that much more potent, especially at a time where many countries are becoming increasingly hostile and antipathetic towards refugees and immigrants," the jury said in a statement.

Veljko and Milivoj Popovic’s project was created using 2D and 3D animation and motion capture technology, in collaboration with dancer Alen Celic and choreographer Nikolina Dolfic.

"Dislocation" was produced by the Croatian Prime Render studio in co-production with the French company Bagan Films.

The Ottawa International Animation Festival was held from September 23 to October 4.

In addition to "Dislocation", the Croatian animated short "Cockpera", directed by Kata Gugic, was screened in the student film competition.

ZAGREB, October 11, 2020 - Electronic Media Agency president Josip Popovac says the majority of Croatian media have been covering the coronavirus pandemic excellently, without a proliferation of fake news.

"I thank the media for their professionalism, the feeling for the community and the way in which they became involved in the fight against the pandemic," he has said recently.

At the start of the coronavirus crisis in mid-March, the Agency and the Electronic Media Council issued a warning to all electronic media in the country aimed at protecting the public interest, banning all audiovisual services which released or spread disinformation about public health.

Publishing or spreading disinformation causes concern, spreads fear and panic in the population and leads to even more difficult consequences than the ones we are faced with, they said.

The warning underlined that the Council, in line with its powers, would severely punish the releasing or spreading of disinformation.

In early April, following a query by Hina, the Electronic Media Agency reported on the first results of a stepped up oversight of electronic and other media which showed, despite fears by many media experts, that there had been no "infodemic" of fake news.

Popovac: The media have done a great job during the pandemic

By then, only 13 complaints about reporting on coronavirus had been received, including nine referring to disinformation and fake news.

Popovac says the complaints were not just about fake news but also about interpretations which were in line with freedom of speech and democratic standards. "We haven't had any attack, deliberate causing of panic and fake news, and we are very proud of that. The media have done a great job."

He says there have been incidents on social media, which is out of the Agency's control, but that the media have done and are doing their job professionally.

Popovac says not every piece of disinformation can be treated equally as it depends on who it harms and how much, adding that one needs to be very flexible, notably when there are no consequences, major societal divisions or harm to individuals or society. "I think minor disinformation is prevalent in Croatia, a consequence of speed and non-deliberate mistakes which can be corrected with a retraction." 

Popovac says it is difficult to legally punish fake news by a general regulation, adding that there exists legal protection from disinformation and that a decision on that is made by a court.

Experts warn that many things are vague regarding regulations and decisions which punish disinformation, notably in Croatia.

Levak: Legal and media regulations still inadequate

The European Union and some other countries have tried in recent years to create effective regulations to crack down on the production and spreading of fake news. However, legal and media regulations are still inadequate, says Tomislav Levak, a candidate for a doctorate in communicology at the Osijek Academy of Art and Culture.

He says these regulations lag behind the problem at least as much the spreading of true and verified information lags behind the much faster and more effective spreading of fake content.

The situation in Croatia is quite problematic as the Media Act and the Electronic Media Act barely address new media and communication platforms, Levak says, adding that their regulation should be the basis for attempting to solve this problem.

Croatia has not come even close to adequately regulating the prosecution of persons and institutions that release disinformation, he says, adding that the law on misdemeanors against the public order and peace that is in force was adopted in 1977 and last amended in 1994.

Current punishment for fake news is DEM 50-200 or 30 days' imprisonment

That law stipulates that anyone making up or spreading fake news which disturb the peace and tranquility of citizens will be fined the national currency equivalent of 50 to 200 German marks or placed in prison for up to 30 days, Levak says.

The situation, according to the government, should be improved by a bill on unacceptable behaviour on the Internet which should regulate and define accountability for content published online, Levak says. "Although its adoption was announced in September 2019, it hasn't been adopted nor is there, as far as I know, a draft."

Renowned attorney and media law expert Vesna Alaburic calls for caution in amending legislation which regulates freedom of expression only due to a rise in fake news.

She says the spreading of fake news in itself must not be subject to any restrictions in a democracy if it does not cause serious harm which would justify restricting freedom of expression and punishment.

The fact that spreading fake news which disturb the peace and tranquility of citizens is punishable as a misdemeanor in Croatia is enough, Alaburic adds.

For decades, penal codes included disturbing the public and spreading fake news as offences which were used for score-settling with political opponents or those criticising the authorities, she says, adding that those provisions were removed after strong criticism.

Alaburic says the current legislation is good in principle and she has reservations about the possibility of adopting a law on unacceptable behaviour on the Internet.

Alaburic: Only courts should rule on violations

She says she is not familiar with that initiative and that only courts should rule on violations. "Self-regulation can be used to establish certain rules of conduct but in that case it's important to ensure judicial oversight."

Popovac warns about problems if that law is adopted, notably the possible establishment of a kind of Internet police which would oversee "unacceptable behaviour."

He says it is necessary to be cautious in formulating provisions because freedom of speech, press, publishing and expression is the foundation of a democracy. Once something is banned, when censorship takes hold, there is no going back, he adds.

We should focus more on media literacy and educating new as well as older generations for "driving on the Internet," and we are doing that, he says, underlining the exceptional importance of journalists and professional media during the coronavirus pandemic as well as the fake news infodemic.

"The commitment of all media employees who constantly reported and are reporting is fantastic. They have always been on the scene, consciously risking infection. Together with the medical staff, whose contribution has been the largest, the contribution of journalists and other media employees was and remains crucial," says Popovac.

October 11, 2020 - Continuing TCN's look at the video tools available to explore Croatia's tourism destinations, it is time to Discover Karlovac. 

Way back on March 14 - several lifetimes ago - I published an article called Tourism in the Corona Age: 10 Virtual Ways to Discover Zagreb. The way I saw things, now was an OUTSTANDING opportunity for tourism promotion. People have time, they yearn for their freedom and former lives, so give them the tools to thoroughly research and enjoy your destinations, and you will have then longing to be there. And when they do come, they will have a deeper understanding of the destination due to their research. 

South Africa and Portugal were the first to do their post-corona tourism promotion videos several weeks ago (Post-Corona Tourism Planning: Lessons from South Africa and Portugal), a trick which has been followed by other tourism countries, the latest being Croatia with the national tourist board campaign, #CroatiaLongDistanceLove, going live yesterday.

But while these campaigns create longing and market presence, they don't really educate. People now have time to really get into destinations. And dreams of escape to somewhere more exotic are high on the list of priorities of many. 

So TCN decided to help with that education with a new series called Virtual Croatia, where we will be helping you discover many of Croatia's destinations with all the best virtual tools available on your self-isolating sofa at home. 

We started with Tourism in the Corona Age: 10 Virtual Tools to Discover Hvar.

After this, we put our a press release (which you can read here in English and Croatian) offering a free article to any local tourist board in Croatia who would like the free promotion in our Virtual Croatia series. 

The Sinj Tourist Board was the first to respond, and now you can see just how rich the tourism offer is in this proud Alka town - your virtual tools to Discover Sinj. This was followed by Discover Opatija, Discover Brela, Discover Rogoznica, Discover Stari Grad, Discover Klis, Discover Trogir, Discover Omiš, Discover Lumbarda, Discover Jezera, Discover Šolta, Discover Cavtat and Konavle, Discover Koprivnica, Discover Pašman, Discover Gradac, Discover Virovitica, Discover Bibinje, Discover Crikvenica, Discover Rovinj and Discover Brac.

We have had several more emails from local tourist boards, who we invited to participate in the series by sending in video material about their destination. As with everywhere else, corona dominated the agenda at TCN during the summer, and we now finally have time to continue with the series with a visit to one of Croatia's most underrated cities - Karlovac. Many thanks to the Karlovac Tourist Board for sending material. 

Welcome to Karlovac

Let's start with a general introduction to this beautiful town on four rivers.

Visit Karlovac 2019 - official promotion video.

A 4K tour of Karlovac from the air.

Dan Grada - the Day of the Town.

A video tour of Karlovac.

Active Karlovac

Karlovac and surrounding area are part of the Green Heart of Croatia, a paradise for active tourism in pristine nature.

An enticing introduction.

Karlovac is one of the most bike-friendly cities in Croatia. Combine it with the routes and landscapes on offer in the surrounding hills, and your cycling itinerary is taken care of. 

Runners head to the city in July for the annual Karlovaci Cener, a 10 km race that even COVID-19 could not stop.

For a city which boasts four rivers, it is perhaps not surprising that the kayaking options are excellent. 

Or if you are feeling a little more adventurous, there are some great rafting options. 

Discover Karlovac Museums

Karlovac got a fantastic new family attraction back in 2016 with the opening of Aquatica, a state of the art freshwater aquarium, which presents the flora and fauna of the Croatian rivers, lakes and ponds, its geological past, traditional culture, as well as the history of the four Karlovac rivers area – the basins of the Korana, Kupa, Mrežnica, and Dobra.

One museum not to be missed is the Homeland War Museum in Turanj, 4 km from the centre. Karlovac and surrounding area suffered terribly in the Homeland War, which only finished 25 years ago. This painful but important part of recent history has been well preserved at the Homeland War Museum. 

Looking to delve back a little deeper into the city's history? Check out the historic Karlovac City Museum.

Historic Karlovac - Dubovac Castle

Dubovac Castle overlooks the Croatian city Karlovac. Its square tower was probably built during the 13th century. In the 15th century, the castle was rebuilt in Renaissance style. The castle had various owners—from Slavonian nobleman family Sudar to famous Croatian counts and dukes Frankopan and Zrinski. From 1671 until 1809, the Dubovac was owned by the Karlovac generals. In 1837, a new owner, Count Laval Nugent, rebuilt the castle in the spirit of romanticism. Dubovac was once again renovated in 1952 in relation to graphics from the end of the 18th century. The castle was used for several years recently as a hotel, and the damage done to the interior to accommodate rooms is now being repaired. There are museum exhibits and a large model of the countryside. Guide materials indicate that the fortress was built on a hill constructed by the people in order to maximize defenses and views of the surrounding areas.

Karlovacko, the Beer Capital

There is no doubting the city's most famous product, one which is sold all over Croatia, as well as internationally. Karlovacko beer is one of the top brands in Croatia. Now owned by Heineken, it will not be long before you notice the Karlovacko presence in the town.

And there is no better time to visit and sample the beer than during the Karlovac Beer Festival 

Rivers and Beaches

We may be some way from the Adriatic, but that does not mean you have to travel far to the beach in Karlovac. Karlovac, the town on four rivers, boasts the first registered river beach in Croatia. It is situated on the Korana bank. The Foginovo beach, as the historic heritage of the citizens, has been engraved in the town's very fabric, and its future matrix, just like a genetic code. And there are plenty of other places to jump in to cool off in the hot summer months. 

Parks

Karlovac is an incredibly green city, and it will not be long before you find yourself in a park. Indeed, as this official tourist board promo video states, Discover Karlovac, a town within a park:

"The first parks in Karlovac were planned already during the construction of the fort itself. And that is how it all got started. We haven’t stopped doing this even to this very day, taking care of our parks, avenues, flowers, and lawns. Our parks grow with the town. The town is a part of the park. We have flowers at our windows. Our river beaches are covered in the lush and soft grass."

Advent in Karlovac

In recent years, Karlovac has managed to add a little winter magic in its tourism offer, with Advent in Karlovac. Check out the festive atmosphere from last year's celebrations.  

Unlikely Fact about Karlovac - Michael Jackson's 'Earth Song' Partially Filmed in Karlovac.

Everyone remembers MJ right? The video for his single; “Earth Song”, was released in 1995 and was shot in four locations around the globe. It dealt with subjects of environment and animal welfare with scenes of illegal poaching, destruction of the rainforest and war. The war scenes were shot here.

Karlovac was on the frontline in the Homeland War from 1991-95 and was severely damaged as a result. The location used in the video was the suburb of Turanj which was practically levelled over the four years of fighting.

Official Tourist Board and 25 Things to Know about Karlovac

Learn more about the city on the official Karlovac Tourist Board

Looking to get to discover Karlovac in greater detail? Check out TCN's Karlovac, 25 Things to Know about the City on 4 Rivers.

To discover more of virtual Croatia, you can follow this series in our dedicated section, Virtual Croatia. 

ZAGREB, October 11, 2020 - A three-hour rally called the Festival of Freedom was held in Rijeka on Saturday at which participants questioned coronavirus prevention measures and reiterated their demand for people's freedom.

Organisers said they were for a well-argued and comprehensive scientific debate involving experts in all fields, not just epidemiologists.

Those who think differently from the official narrative should be respected, organisers said, calling on experts to talk about the damage caused by the restrictions.

The police said about 200 people took part in the rally and that there were no incidents.

ZAGREB, October 11, 2020 - Over the past 24 hours, Croatia has registered 508 new cases of the SARS-CoV-2 virus infection, as well as seven fatalities, and the number of active cases on Sunday stands at 2,818.

According to the national COVID-19 response team, 384 COVID patients are being treated in hospitals, and 26 of them are on ventilators.

Since 25 February 2020, when Croatia registered its first case of the infection, 20,440 people have contracted the disease, and 324 of them have died, while 17,298 people have recovered, including 345 in the last 24 hours.

Currently, 14,363 people are self-isolating.

To date, 358,515 people have been tested for coronavirus, including 4,989 over the past 24 hours, the press release said.