News

ZAGREB, 21 Oct 2021 - Croatia ran a consolidated general government deficit of HRK 27.85 billion in 2020, which was 7.4% of GDP, while the public debt to GDP ratio increased to 87.3%, the National Bureau of Statistics (DZS) reported on Thursday.  By comparison, the general government budget ran a surplus of HRK 1.2 billion or 0.3% of GDP in 2019, of HRK 864 million or 0.2% of GDP in 2018, and of HRK 2.8 billion or 0.8% of GDP in 2017. Last year's deficit was mainly due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on economic activity and because…

ZAGREB, 21 Oct 2021 - The furniture, interior design, and related industries fair Ambienta, featuring 125 exhibitors from nine countries, opened at the Zagreb Trade Fair Centre on Thursday. The event, to last until Sunday, is the first one to be held at the Zagreb Trade Fair Centre after an 18-month ban on fairs, introduced due to the coronavirus pandemic. Ambienta will be followed by the Interliber book fair. Admission is free but visitors have to show an EU COVID-19 certificate or a negative test. Opening the event, Agriculture Minister Marija Vučković said that the value of the wood-processing sector and…

ZAGREB, 21 Oct 2021 - Health Minister Vili Beroš on Thursday criticized comments by a member of the government's Scientific Council, Gordan Lauc, related to vaccination, saying that Council members should send a clear message and be aware that their opinions could be harmful. Beroš added, however, that Lauc has the right to his own opinion. "It is bad when everyone has the same opinion. That would show that we made a mistake somewhere. But I am critical of what is made public. I appeal for that to not be the case and that everyone who participates in the Scientific Council be aware that by…

October 21, 2021 - Croatian Pro MMA fighter Filip Pejic will face Daniel Rutkowski in Poland this Saturday as part of KSW 64.   Croatia's Filip 'Nitro' Pejic (15-5-2) returns to action this Saturday at KSW 64. The popular Zagreb fighter faces Daniel Rutkowski (12-2), a multi-promotional champion in Poland making his highly anticipated KSW debut.  The event is available for Croatian fans on www.KSWTV.com and the KSW App! View the trailer for this exciting fight below.   In the main event of KSW 64, Poland's Sebastian Przybysz (8-2) will put his KSW bantamweight championship on the line for the first time as he faces top Brazilian prospect Bruno…

October 21, 2021 - Rapid Wien tops Dinamo 2:1 in Vienna on Thursday in the 3rd round of Europa League's Group H.  In the 3rd round match of the Europa League's Group H, Dinamo lost to Rapid Wien in front of 22,300 spectators in Vienna, recording their second defeat in the group. After opening the competition in the group stage by losing at home to West Ham (0:2), and then recording a convincing victory against Genk (3:0) in the second round, Dinamo was again disappointed on the road in Vienna, recording a defeat that threatened their fight for one of…

October 21, 2021 - The Jadran Split water polo club has managed to qualify for the LEN Champions League this season!  In the return match of the last round of Champions League qualifications, Jadran Split defeated Zagreb's Mladost (7:3). Already after the first game in Split and winning 14:7 in the first match, everything was clear for Jadran. In the return match, Mladost took a 1:0 lead in the fifth minute and did not find their way to the net for the next 25 minutes. During that time, Jadran scored seven goals and took the 7:1 lead. Finally, in the…

October 21, 2021 -  The Boranka reforestation campaign encourages children to color trees and volunteers to plant them, it’s part of an ongoing effort to bring the green back to the burnt area of Dalmatia. Ever since my Girl Scout days, the Scouts hold a special place in my heart. Americans love the cookies (I sold plenty of ‘em), but I’m talking about the program. I filled my sash with badges earned for all sorts of activities, including a badge my mother made for our troop when we came up with a new sewing project. When I heard about the Boranka…

October 31, 2021 - We are 3 weeks into Croatian Tourism Month, a shiny promotion to extend the season in the Kingdom of Accidental Tourism. Anyone hungry? We have 35% off popcorn at the cinema in Central Dalmatia, Slavonia, Zadar County. And nothing else. There was a typically upbeat press release from the Croatian National Tourist Board on September 30, announcing something called Croatian Tourism Month. This is how it began: The “Croatian Tourism Month” campaign starts tomorrow, a project of the Ministry of Tourism and Sports and the Croatian National Tourist Board, within which numerous tourist services and experiences will be available at 35 percent…

October 21, 2021 - Small events all over the country are building community, as digital nomads discover the magic of Croatia while connecting with new contacts from a similar mindset.  One of the things I have never understood about living in Croatia is why everything shuts down over winter on the coast. As we learned in this very revealing interview with a UK tour rep based in former Yugoslavia in 1990, Croatia was very much Full of Life before the Kingdom of Accidental Tourism took over.  And it can be again.  These are very early days in the digital nomad…

October 21, 2021 - In celebration of its 61st anniversary, a Mljet birthday photo contest has been announced and everyone is invited to submit their photographs in the categories of natural heritage, cultural and traditional heritage, and recreational activities in the National Park. On the occasion of the celebration of the 61st birthday, the Mljet National Park announced a photo competition, reports Turističke Priče. The categories by which the best photographs will be judged are natural heritage, such as photographs of forests, sea, lakes, animal and plant species, landscapes, then the category of cultural and traditional heritage where photographs of monuments, buildings,…