April 18, 2021 – Apart from the news about TCN's CEO Paul Bradbury being sued by the Croatian National Tourist Board, this week has been full of many other exciting yet inspiring news stories. Here are TCN's five biggest events in Croatia from April 12 to 18, 2021.

With the worsening epidemiological situation and tightening measures in four Croatian counties on Monday, the week didn't start very promising nor positive. However, a lot can happen in seven days, and we list five top news stories from Croatia.

Highlights of the week: Croatian National Tourist Board sues Paul Bradbury

Croatian media have been flooded this week with the news about the two lawsuits against TCN's CEO Paul Bradbury, submitted by the Croatian National Tourist Board because of Bradbury's criticisms of their work.

Source: Telegram.hr

Namely, CNTB filed two lawsuits against Bradbury, one for a Facebook joke he posted and the other for statements he said in an article on the Croatian portal Index. There was simply no stopping talking about these controversial lawsuits that appalled and disappointed the public this week. Read all the details about the first and second lawsuits in our articles.

Highlights of the week: Rimac Automobili presented a new incredible campus

On the list of people who promote Croatia in the best possible way, Mate Rimac takes one of the leading spots. His company Rimac Automobili never ceases to surprise with the novelties, such as the latest news about constructing the impressive new campus with numerous facilities.

Source: Rimac Automobili

See the impressive video and photos of the forthcoming Rimac campus that stunned the whole of Croatia this week.

Highlights of the week: Many fantastic flight news for Croatia

Although all travel is currently questionable due to the epidemiological situation, hope is still restored by numerous information about flights to and from Croatia published this week.

Thus, for example, Israeli El Al and Arkia flights to Croatia continue, as well as Austrian flights, Polish LOT, Finnair, and Eurowings.

Split airport by Romulić and Stojčić

And even though Croatia will have to wait a bit longer for introducing direct flights from the USA, from this week, the travelers can get from Sarajevo to Chicago by Eastern Airlines.

Highlights of the week: Croatia women's handball national team won HEP Croatia Cup

Croatian athletes do not stop surprising us positively from week to week!

After defeating the current world champions, the Netherlands, the Croatia women's senior national team also defeated the former world champions Brazil and won the HEP Croatia Cup in Poreč.

Source: Hrvatski rukometni savez

Highlights of the week: Klepetan returned to Malena again!

And to sweeten this week, the most famous Croatian love story got its happy follow-up. For the 19th consecutive year, the white stork Klepetan has returned from the south to the nest of his beloved Malena, continuing one of the most beautiful animal love stories in the world!

Spring may not have returned in the form we know, given that this week's temperatures in Croatia are more like autumn's, but it seems like the natural world is very much following its course.

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April 14, 2021 - In what may be considered the animal version of Romeo and Juliet, a new chapter has been added as Klepetan returns to Malena to share a nest for one more year.

As Index.hr reports, Stjepan Vokić, who has been taking care of the baby storks and its mother in Brodski Varoš for years, confirms that Klepetan returns to Malena for 19th year in a row, thus adding one more chapter in what may be considered the best animal love story in the world, even for international media.

Exhausted and dirty from the journey of over 14,000 kilometers, he landed in the nest of Malena, who was patiently waiting for him this year as well.

Credit: Pixsell

Although Klepetan was late, the retired janitor, who has been caring for Malena for 28 years, after he found her with a broken wing, knew he would return.

"I will do my best to provide them with conditions for laying eggs because they have already started working on the offspring. However, the problem is winter and the fact that Malena cannot cover the eggs properly due to the wing that was broken. But Klepetan jumps in even after another egg, he sits on them", says Vokić and adds that it takes Malena 10-15 days to lay eggs.

Stipe feeds them with fish that he procures in ponds about 20 kilometers away.

"This year, due to the winter, there are no worms that they normally feed on," he explains.

Credit: Pixsell

It is worth reminding that in the spring of 2019, everyone, including Stjepan, thought that Klepetan had died, but he returned a year later. 

"It was very shocking to me, 2019 came on March 18, when it was too cold for them, their eggs literally froze so he left on April 18. I then thought he went to die, he didn't come back the whole time. That is the only thing I could doubt, but now he came again’’, Vokić said at the time.

To date, Klepetan and Malena have given birth to 66 small birds, and the story of this loving couple from Brodski Varoš has traveled the world. In fact, the French media shared the love story between Klepetan and Malena, highlighting the loyalty and commitment between the two storks.

Total Croatia included the story of Klepetan and Malena among the 10 Things Croatia Does Best dedicated article. To learn more about it, click HERE.

''Trembling with the cold, he isn't yet used to these low temperatures. He arrived yesterday at 15:00 and immediately devoured two kilos of meat,'' Stjepan Vokić stated when talking about Croatia's most famous lovebirds (or storks, to be more precise), Klepetan and Malena.

As Vecernji list/Ivan Halar writes on the 19th of March, 2019, the love story between the two most famous storks in Croatia, Klepetan and Malena, is still very much in bloom. For the seventeenth time, after leaving to head for the warmer regions, Croatia's beloved stork Klepetan returned to his beloved Malena in the Slavonski Brod area of Brodski Varoš. However, his return this year has occurred earlier than usual because he usually comes back right at the end of March.

Stjepan Vokić, who observed Klepetan trying to re-adjust to the much colder climes is a now retired janitor of a school in Brodski Varoš, he has been taking care of the storks since 1993.

Vokić added that he was surprised by Klepetan's early return, but says that ''nature knows its own''.

"I saw seven storks flying over the playground and then landing. I went up to them to find out if Klepetan was among them. When I approached them with the meat, Klepetan recognised me and immediately came up to me. After he had eaten, he flew into his nest where Malena was waiting for him,'' said Vokić, adding that the pair had already made up for Klepetan's absence with some ''fun'', and in just a few weeks, Malena will likely lay eggs, meaning that maybe some baby storks might appear on the scene.

''It's plain to see that the long journey has worn Klepetan out. So, as they're accustomed to it, I'm bringing them some food,'' says Vokić, noting that he took a video of Klepetan's return, and the footage will soon be released on the Facebook page dedicated to the feathered pair, which his son usually edits.

Have a look at Klepetan and Malena's unique relationship with their carer here:

"I'm not exactly all about these phones, my years are here..." Vokić concluded with a smirk and a sense of joy in his voice as his birds were safely reunited once again for the seventeenth year in a row.

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Click here for the original article by Ivan Halar for Vecernji list

ZAGREB, August 24, 2018 - Croatia observed Stork Day on Friday, 24 August, and on that occasion, institutions dealing with this bird species report that that in Europe there are some 220,000 couples of storks, mostly in Poland and Ukraine, whereas in Croatia there are an estimated 1,300 couples. They are mainly endangered by habitat change.

The famous Croatian stork couple has been making international headlines in recent weeks - some love from the French press on April 17, 2018

"I have three sons and ever since Klepetan landed in Malena’s nest, I have accepted him as my fourth"

He is Still Alive: Klepetan Returns to his Malena!

Proof that true love does return in spring.