Private Photo of Beyonce and Jay-Z from Vrnik Island in Croatia Leaked
September 10, 2020 - Three days ago, the news that Beyonce and Jay-Z were in Croatia resonated with the public, and although they left our country two days ago, photos of their stay on the island of Vrnik have only now started leaking.
As Tportal reports, yesterday the owners of a restaurant on the island of Vrnik boasted on Instagram about a photo with one of the most famous and influential couples in the world. They are, of course, Beyonce and Jay-Z, and they enjoyed the delicacies of their restaurant and posed with the owners in front of the church on the island.
Beyonce was reportedly delighted with the church located on the islet, and the picture shows that the couple was in a good mood. The owners of the restaurant wrote in the description of the photo that they were "BEYond excited to share this epic memory". And who wouldn’t be?
Fans who stumbled upon them by chance on Vrnik were also excited to see them, and some of them described their experiences in the comments below the photo on Instagram.
One fan wrote:
“It was a bit of a shock to walk around the corner from the beach with 4 tourists on the island and turn the corner to‘ try ’to get another drink and seeing them sat down,” adding the hashtag “thecarters”.
Another fan wrote:
“I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw them! Made my holiday even more exciting. Can’t wait to return next year! Oh and the rose wine was lovely. I’ll have the Beyonce please.”
A desirable destination for celebrities
The restaurant has been very professional with the response about the visit of the Carter family, noting that they want to respect their right to privacy, which is the reason why stars, when it comes to keeping their privacy, often choose Croatia. All the other guests who were there at the time did the same, which is why Beyonce and Jay-Z will surely come back.
While the two enjoyed lunch together, their children, three-year-old twins Rumi and Sir and eight-year-old Blue Ivy, returned to the superyacht Lana with the nannies.
Beyonce, Jay-Z and their daugther Blue Ivy on holiday in Croatia / Screenshot Total Croatia News
The famous couple arrived in Croatia on September 1, when they landed at Dubrovnik Airport, after which they went on a yacht and enjoyed first the Dubrovnik and then the Korčula archipelago.
It was heard that Beyonce was staying in Croatia a day later, on September 2, when TCN journalist Iva Tatić heard rumors and managed to photograph the yacht Lana, which, as it turned out, Beyonce and Jay-Z rented to sail the Adriatic.
Yach Lana at the Korčula archipelago / Screenshot Total Croatia News
Four days later, on September 5, it was revealed that Beyonce celebrated her 39th birthday on the Croatian island of love Galešnjak, known for its heart-shaped shape.
Even though their entire stay in Croatia was shrouded in secrecy, they were seen on the Kornati islands too, where they ate in a restaurant on the island of Žut. As Zadarski reports, they were alone on the terrace surrounded by numerous bodyguards who were vigilant to ensure that no one approached them or tried to record them with a mobile phone, and thus disturbed their stay in the restaurant.
Regardless of that, a few fans still managed to photograph them, which was, after the photo of a yacht Lana, a proof that they were indeed staying in Croatia.
After an eight-day stay on the Adriatic, the family ended their vacation on Tuesday, September 8, when they disembarked on the mainland and headed to Dubrovnik Airport, from where they went to America.
For some local caterers, such as restaurant owners on the islands of Vrnik and Žut, but also for the happy fans who saw them, their visit certainly marked this very different 2020 season and they will remember it with a smile, for sure.
Diana Rigg Star of Game Of Thrones Has Died Aged 82
Thursday, 10 September 2020 - Diana Rigg star of Game Of Thrones has died aged 82 “I loved that location,” she said of filming the series in Dubrovnik and Gradac Park, “it was absolutely beautiful.”
Dame Diana Rigg, famous to younger generations for playing Olenna Tyrell in Game Of Thrones, has died aged 82. The star spent time in Croatia, filming the Purple Wedding in Gradac Park, Dubrovnik. “I loved that location,” she said of Dubrovnik and Gradac, “it was absolutely beautiful.”
“I love locations, I love traveling,” Rigg told one journalist after the filming had ended. “Locations, for the most part, have always been interesting. To begin with, it was Croatia, and that was wonderful because I’d never been to Croatia, and on my days off I’d do some exploring.”
Diana Rigg star of Game Of Thrones, pictured in 1973
Born in 1938, to older generations Rigg was well known for playing Emma Peel in the hit TV series The Avengers between 1965 and 1968. In 1969 she played Countess Teresa di Vicenzo, wife of James Bond, in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service.
Rigg joined the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1959, just after the start of her career. She made her Broadway debut in 1971, won the BAFTA TV Award for Best Actress for the BBC miniseries Mother Love in 1989, and an Emmy Award for her role as Mrs. Danvers in an adaptation of Rebecca in 1997. For her title role in Medea, she won the 1994 Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play. She was made a CBE in 1988 and a Dame in 1994 for services to drama.
Despite achieving much in her career, she is said to have been pleasantly surprised to have become known as Diana Rigg star of Game Of Thrones, so late in life. She played the role of Olenna Tyrell in the series for four years, between 2013 and 2017.
For the latest travel info, bookmark our main travel info article, which is updated daily.
Read the Croatian Travel Update in your language - now available in 24 languages
The Count of Signatures to Revoke the Istanbul Convention was Public and Transparent
ZAGREB, Sept 10, 2020 - Justice and Public Administration Minister Ivan Malenica said on Thursday that the count of signatures to revoke the Istanbul Convention was public and transparent and that the procedure had been over.
Recalling that representatives of the Administration Ministry, Interior Affairs Ministry, Agency for the Protection of Personal Data, and the Apis IT company participated in the signature count, Malenica denied any doubts expressed by the civil initiative "The Truth about the Istanbul Convention," regarding the signature count for a referendum on revoking the Istanbul convention.
"The report is public and transparent and representatives of those referendum initiatives were invited for a follow-up check of invalid signatures," Malenica told reporters when asked by reporters about a demand by the initiative for the signatures to be recounted.
He said that the signature counting procedure was conducted transparently and that a conclusion has been adopted in that regard. "Hence that procedure is considered to be finished," he said.
Apart from the referendum initiative groups' activists, also opposition politician Miroslav Skoro on Thursday demanded the recounting of the signatures which had been collected in a bid to call the referendum against the Istanbul Convention.
Skoro accused the authorities of deviations and political maneuvers in that process.
Minister and county prefects to discuss decentralization next week
Asked whether a recent statement by President Zoran Milanovic that abolishing counties would not bring anything good and whether that was actually conducive to the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) policy, Malenica said this certainly supported HDZ's policy in empowering counties. "Counties that have a certain tradition are in this government's interest," said Malenica.
He announced a meeting with all county heads next week in Gospic to talk about active recovery plans, regional development, and the further process of decentralization.
Malenica did not wish to comment on whether the government was considering allowing homosexual couples to adopt children now that they have been approved as foster carers. "I would not like to comment on that for the time being," he said.
For the latest travel info, bookmark our main travel info article, which is updated daily.
Read the Croatian Travel Update in your language - now available in 24 languages
Sisak Gets State-of-the-Art Kindergarten Co-financed by US
ZAGREB, Sept 10, 2020 - A state-of-the-art kindergarten built in Croatian-US partnership was inaugurated in Sisak on Thursday by Ambassador Robert Kohorst and Mayor Kristina Ikic Banicek.
The Sunce kindergarten is worth HRK 8.5 million and the US government co-financed it with HRK 4. million, which was used to build the structure, while the town paid for its equipment and a playground.
Eighty-five preschool children are attending kindergarten.
Present at the inauguration, among others, were high US army envoys in Croatia and representatives of Croatia's Defence Ministry and Armed Forces General Staff.
Ambassador Kohorst said he was glad to be in Sisak today to witness such a beautiful event.
He said the US was proud that its military recognized the need to build a kindergarten in Sisak and that the US government concluded the deal with local contractors, who built the structure.
Kohorst said he was glad the US military had a humanitarian aid program within its portfolio and that it initiated the construction of the kindergarten with $710,000.
He added that the kindergarten was a symbol of Croatian-US friendship which was and would be very important for both countries.
The mayor thanked him for the donation and underlined the importance of the new building, saying the previous premises were inadequate.
"Two years passed since the first contact with the Embassy, i.e. the US government, and the opening of the kindergarten. I believe this isn't the only one, that there will be more projects like this. Now we have a modern building and happy children, parents, and teachers."
Headmistress Sandra Kramaric also thanked the Americans. "We had been waiting for a new kindergarten for 20 years. Today we are proud of the new building."
For the latest travel info, bookmark our main travel info article, which is updated daily.
Read the Croatian Travel Update in your language - now available in 24 languages
Croatia Will Get a New University, It Will Be Named After Tudjman
September 10, 2020 - As reported by Index.hr, in the first parliamentary reading, the Government said that Croatia would get a new university, the University of Defense and Security 'Dr. Franjo Tudjman', to perform activities of higher education, scientific, professional, and other activities for the needs of the defense system and the homeland security system.
According to the bill, which was sent to the Parliament from the Government session on Thursday, the Croatian Military Academy 'Dr. Franjo Tudjman' becomes a University to which already established study programs and accredited university studies in Zagreb and Split will be transferred, will conduct a postgraduate university specialist study of homeland security, and the Ministry of Defense will perform the rights and duties of the founders.
Minister of Defense Mario Banožić pointed out that the transformation to a university 'Dr. Franjo Tudjman' is of special state interest, and the law provides key conditions for the development of the Croatian Army's capabilities and military skills as a science.
'The University will enable the development of scientific and teaching staff for the interdisciplinary field of science in the field of military-defense and security-intelligence sciences and skills, and will be able to apply for EU funds, which has not been possible so far' he stressed.
We must strive for the highest quality education system and thus contribute to the development of the Croatian Army by creating a staff that will gain all the necessary breadth for quality leadership and management to execute tasks, the minister added.
'The university will enable a stronger affirmation of the Croatian Army on the international scene,' he pointed out.
The university will be organized like other public universities in Croatia. It will also have certain specifics, and the law in the field of defense will be applied to it while respecting the constitutional provision on university autonomy.
Poor placement of Croatian universities in the world
Croatian universities are not doing well in the world rankings.
Times Higher Education published a ranking of the best universities for 2021, according to which the University of Oxford is again the best in the world, while the University of Split is in the 801-1000 position and the University of Zagreb in the 1001+ position.
The ranking includes more than 1,500 universities from 93 countries, the highest so far. The list is based on 13 performance indicators in four areas: teaching, research, knowledge transfer, and an international perspective.
Compared to the list for 2020, the University of Split has fallen on the list. At that time, it had a position of 601–800, and now it is in the position of 801–1000. Nevertheless, the University of Split is the best positioned Croatian university. The University of Zagreb remained in the same position, below the top 1,000.
For the latest travel info, bookmark our main travel info article, which is updated daily.
Read the Croatian Travel Update in your language - now available in 24 languages
291 New Coronavirus Cases in Croatia, 2 Persons Have Died
ZAGREB, Sept 10, 2020 - Over the past 24 hours 291 new coronavirus cases have been registered in Croatia and two persons have died, the national COVID response team said on Thursday.
The number of active cases is 2,567, including 320 hospitalized patients, 27 of whom are on ventilators, the team said in a press release.
Since February 25, when the first case was recorded in Croatia, 12,917 persons have been infected with the virus, 208 have died, and 10,142 have recovered.
Currently, 8,711 persons are self-isolating.
A total of 205,256 persons have been tested to date, including 4,118 over the past 24 hours.
For the latest travel info, bookmark our main travel info article, which is updated daily.
Read the Croatian Travel Update in your language - now available in 24 languages
German Red List: Two More Croatian Counties Added to Red List
September 10, 2020 - According to Večernji, the German red list became 'richer' for another two counties. Last night Germany declared the Dubrovnik-Neretva and Požega-Slavonia counties as risk regions due to the increase in the number of cases of coronavirus infection.
As previously reported, Germany had already considered adding these two Croatian counties to the red list, along with the City of Zagreb, for which the Germans also point out that there are a large number of cases of coronavirus infection. But for now, Zagreb has not been put on the red list.
Germany has been closely monitoring the epidemiological situation in these regions and there was already a possibility that one or more of these counties would be declared risk areas and added to the German red list.
The German Foreign Ministry has announced that the two counties will join the Split-Dalmatia, Zadar, and Šibenik-Knin counties, which have already been put on the red list. Germany is the only country that has taken into account Croatian counties and, according to epidemiological situations in each county, decided to put them the red list, unlike other countries that simply put the whole of Croatia on the red list.
Germany considers high-risk areas to be countries or regions where 50 or more cases of the new coronavirus infection per 100,000 people have been reported throughout seven days. Declaring a region risky does not mean banning travel, but it is recommended to avoid all travel that is not necessary. Upon return, a free COVID-19 test is mandatory, and, if necessary, self-isolation.
The number of infected people varies by county in Croatia, so, for example, Istria County has a better epidemiological situation than other counties that have been put on the red list. Germany is the only country in the region that has not put Istria County on the red list. That is why mostly German tourists are staying there at the moment, making up 40,000 out of 67,000 guests in total.
For more on travel during the coronavirus era, follow our dedicated section.
For the latest travel info, bookmark our main travel info article, which is updated daily.
Read the Croatian Travel Update in your language - now available in 24 languages
Anniversary of Croatia's Worst Airplane Crash over Vrbovec in 1976
Thursday, 10 September 2020 – On this day in 1976, the explosion above Vrbovec was not just Croatia's worst airplane crash, it was the deadliest mid-air collision the world had ever seen
That summer there had been a heatwave. Although European holidays were not as standard as they are now, some of the 54 passengers on board the British Airways Hawker Siddeley Trident from London were no doubt looking forward to extending their good summer on this trip south to Istanbul. For the passengers of the other plane, 108 mostly-German tourists en route from Split to Bonn Cologne on a Douglas DC-9, this was the end of their vacation. They were headed home after rest on the Dalmatian coast. But, neither set of passengers would that day reach their destination.
The explosion above Vrbovec, just north-east of Zagreb on Thursday 10 September 1976 was not just Croatia's worst airplane crash, at the time it was the deadliest mid-air collision the world had ever seen. All 176 people aboard both aircraft were killed.
English language news footage taken in the aftermath of Croatia's worst airplane crash
The fault of the collision was a severely overworked, ill-equipped and understaffed Zagreb air traffic control. The ineffectiveness of their procedures that day had harrowing consequences.
In 1976, Vrbovec was known for its industry, its surroundings rich in agriculture. At the time of the crash – around 11.15am in Croatia - those working in the fields would have been thinking about coming inside to escape the glare of the sun and take lunch. The skies above them exploded before they could take that journey. Debris rained down over an area of 10 square kilometres.
Plane wreckage, photographed by the Croatian media shortly after Croatia's worst airplane crash
Over 1000 locals were engaged in the fruitless search for the victims. All were dead. Small comfort could later be taken from learning that most had died instantly, at the moment the planes depressurized. The last five metres of the DC-9's left wing had cut through the Trident's cockpit and the front of the passenger compartment.
The British Airways plane involved in Croatia's worst airplane crash © Mike McBey
Vrbovec was soon the destination for hundreds of journalists from around the world, not least Britain and Germany. News of Croatia's worst airplane crash had been reported within an hour of the incident. German families waited nervously at Bonn Cologne airport for relatives who would never come. The story had reached Germany. Their plane had not arrived. It took airport authorities another four hours to confirm that, sadly, it never would.
Near the town of Vrbovac today, in a countryside that remains very similar to that searched for survivors 44 years ago, a lasting memorial stands surrounded by trees, a permanent reminder of Croatia's worst airplane crash.
A memorial to some of the victims, at Zagreb's Mirogoj © SpeedyGonsales
For the latest travel info, bookmark our main travel info article, which is updated daily.
Read the Croatian Travel Update in your language - now available in 24 languages
VIDEO: Zagreb and Zagreb County Developing Tourism with Destination Campaign
September 10, 2020 - Zagreb and Zagreb County are developing tourism with a new destination campaign and promotional video titled "Around Zagreb."
Two months ago, the Zagreb Tourist Board and the Zagreb County Tourist Board launched an excellent partnership, jointly promoting the capital and Zagreb's 'Green Ring' through a unique destination campaign under the slogan "Around Zagreb".
HRTurizam writes that as part of the destination campaign "Around Zagreb", a special promotional film was released that emphasizes greenery, staying in nature, recreation, and the rich cultural and gastronomic offer of the capital and Zagreb's green ring.
The producer of the film is Martina Milicevic, whose video "Zagreb Wine Story" / "Winetasting Path Home" won third place in the international video competition of the highest-circulation wine magazine Wine Spectator. It is a great step forward that the film was made in English with subtitles in Croatian, as well as that in the completed segments, the film's actors are foreign nationals, which cleverly and indirectly emphasizes that it is a modern and urban European city with more than interesting surroundings - and it wants to attract tourists from around the world.
In the film, the narrator is again American Rob Reider, a five-time Emmy Award winner for his shows and music compositions, with whom TZGZ has already had a great collaboration in the film "Zagreb Loves You."
"In the summer period of the campaign, notable results were achieved, so most visits to www.aroundzagreb.hr came from Croatia (40%), but also from the market where the campaign was conducted - from Slovenia (35%) and Austria, Germany, and BIH (25%). It is interesting to note that we are also recording the interest of Americans, although no special promotion has been done in this market. This certainly shows that the topics of nature and outdoor activities and active tourism are obviously of interest to the US market and represent a kind of guideline for future activities," says the Zagreb Tourist Board.
The joint campaign "Close to the city, Close to the heart" was created to create a year-round platform to promote the rich offer of the capital and its surroundings. In this sense, it is planned to address important markets throughout the year, and now represents an attractive autumn offer of Zagreb and its ring.
Explore the entire tourist story of Zagreb and Zagreb County at www.aroundzagreb.hr.
This is an interesting web presentation of the tourist offer, which consists of a simple and modern web solution, with ideas for excursions, calendar of events, gastronomy, ideas for excursions, and stories about what to do for three days… and all, of course, in several languages. There is also the Around Zagreb video series, which brings various stories about tourist facilities in Zagreb and Zagreb County and gives a personal note and extra motive for experiencing Zagreb County.
This is a win-win, both for Zagreb and for Zagreb County. After all, tourists, like tourism, do not know our invisible borders of municipalities, cities, and counties.
For the latest travel info, bookmark our main travel info article, which is updated daily.
Read the Croatian Travel Update in your language - now available in 24 languages
Flights to Croatia: Condor Ends Traffic to Split Airport in September
September 10, 2020 - The latest news for flights to Croatia as Condor ends traffic to Split Airport.
Croatian Aviation reports that Condor, a German leisure airline, will finish operating in September to its only destination in Croatia this summer season - Split Airport. The Frankfurt-Split route has two flights announced in October, but the probability of their realization is quite small.
On June 12, the company launched traffic to Split with three international routes, from Frankfurt, Dusseldorf and Hanover, available with two flights a week.
Before the outbreak of the pandemic, this leisure airline regularly flew from German airports to Rijeka, Zadar, Split and Dubrovnik, but in this year's summer flight schedule, Condor flew only to Split Airport.
The company made its last flight on the Hannover - Split route on Sunday, August 30, and it is no longer on offer in this year's summer flight schedule.
The Split - Dusseldorf route operated twice a week, on Fridays and Sundays, and the last flight on this route was announced for Sunday, September 13.
In June, Condor first launched the Split-Frankfurt route, which is currently announced throughout September. The company offers direct flights on this route every Friday and Sunday, until September 27. A320 aircraft were used on all routes to Croatia, while the Frankfurt-Split route was an exception, and occasionally used larger aircraft (A321, B757).
On the route from Frankfurt, the company also has two direct flights on sale in October (October 11 and October 25), but the probability that these flights will be canceled is high.
Condor has announced its preliminary flight schedule for next summer’s season and it has announced the three mentioned routes to Split Airport. No resumption of traffic to other airports in Croatia has been announced yet.
For the latest travel info, bookmark our main travel info article, which is updated daily.
Read the Croatian Travel Update in your language - now available in 24 languages
