Ceiling crashes in Osijek primary school

A ceiling has collapsed in the corridor of a Vijenac primary school in Osijek just after 9pm last (Wed) night, trapping students inside the gymnasium.Some 20 nine and ten-year-olds were having their karate lessons when the ceiling in the hallway leading to the gym collapsed.  No one was hurt, but the students had to wait for half an hour for firemen to remove the concrete.This is the second time that a ceiling has fallen in at an Osijek school this year.  Most of the city's schools are in a devastating conditions and the government has taken out a 1.38 million

Man who shot his grandmother back in jail for threatening his uncle

A 28-year-old man from Kastel Stari near Split is back in jail for threatening his uncle after being released from custody for shooting his grandmother.

Ante Tesija Kukic wounded his 75-year-old grandmother Ana on March 20th with a bullet that was allegedly intended for his uncle.

Ten days after his release from custody, he has again threatened his uncle Ivan, 40, because of a dispute over property.  Kukic has claimed that he is the sole owner of the family's property and cattle, the Croatian daily Vecernji List reports.

The magistrate has now ordered Kukic held until further notice.    

Source: Croatian Times Online News

Twelve headstones destroyed at Jewish cemetery in Osijek

The police are investigating the destruction of twelve headstones at a Jewish cemetery in Osijek in eastern Croatia.The secretary of the Jewish community Drago Kohn said that this is the first time that something like this has happened in Osijek, but that they are doubtful that the destruction is the result of vandalism."On Saturday one of our members visited the graveyard and seven headstones in the same row were destroyed. We think it is impossible that age or weather has done this."Most of the graves at the cemetery date back to the 19th or the first part of 20th century. 

New political party presented in Zagreb

A new political party Obiteljska Stranka (Family Party) was presented on Saturday to Zagreb's residents at the city's main square Trg Bana Jelacica.Although in existence for a year, this is only its second public appearance after an event held ten days ago in Split.The president Ivica Relkovic said: "Our party is different from the others because we are neither on the left nor on the right.  We are advocating for a new generation of politicians who will not be burdened by history."He added that Obiteljksa Stranka will take care of the county's citizens every day and not only at election

Man survives train crash in Koprivnica

A speeding train ploughed into a car at a railway crossing in Koprivnica (northern Croatia) yesterday (Sun), sending the vehicle spinning 10 metres off the tracks.The car driver, Branko Kresonja, 54, who had been trying to drive across the level crossing despite flashing warning lights, escaped with a broken clavicle bone.He was immediately taken to hospital where police officers tested him for drunk driving while nurses bandaged him up.The train was undamaged in the incident and traffic resumed shortly after.

Source: Croatian Times Online News

Croatian tramp died a millionaire, almost

A Croatian tramp who was thought to have died penniless in a ramshackle old house had a secret stash of close to 1 million kuna.Branko Dundovic - nicknamed Dundy by locals in the northern town of Bjelozar - died over a year ago in a house he shared with rats and rubbish.But when local council workers turned up to clear the place out they found bundles of cash amounting to 800,000 kuna hidden away with airplane tickets from the man's foreign travels.Locals are now speculating where the money could have come from and wondering how Dundy was able to speak

Awarded US wine producer keen to launch business in Sucuraj at the island of Hvar

California based Sunce Winery owner Frane Franicevic has revealed plans of a possible business launch on the island of Hvar, Croatia after his company achieved success at the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition.In what has long been considered the premier wine competition in all of North America Frane Franicevic established Sunce as one of the most decorated wineries this past year, collecting 15 medals."My wife and I have talked numerous times about launching production in Croatia. We even visited Grgich's winery on the Peljesac Peninsula. We would prefer to launch in my home village of Sucuraj on the island of

Pessimism strong amongs Croatia´s business leaders

Croatian company directors are the most pessimistic in the region, a study by Deloitte accounting and consulting group finds.Out of six countries surveyed for the "Indicator of attitudes in the business sector" research, Croatia seems to have the most business leaders who do not believe in better days on the horizon.  Almost two thirds of them think that general economic conditions will worsen in the next six months while a fifth has a negative view of their company's near future.A slightly higher optimism is recorded when it comes to investment in capital goods (IT, equipment, new infrastructure). Almost half of

Croatia marks 150th anniversary of first railway

Croatian Railways start activities to mark 150 years since the first train arrived at the first station in Croatia.On 24 April 1860 the train line from Nagykaniza in Hungary to Kotoriba - Zagreb was opened ushering in the beginning of Croatia's railway network.The celebration for the 150th anniversary will be held on Saturday, 24 April, at the railway station in Kotoriba in northern Croatia, Croatian Railways have announced.The programme in Kotoriba will include the arrival of a special train from Zagreb and Hungary, and numerous musical and cultural programmes.

Source: Croatian Times Online News

Human bones found behind kindergarten

Human bones have been found behind a kindergarten in Zagreb.The grim discovery at the Sumska Jagoda (Wild Strawberry) kindergarten was made on Sunday afternoon by a passerby.The bones were transferred to the Institute for Forensic Medicine and Criminology where a coroner determined they were at least 20 years old.Police are investigating.

Source: Croatian Times Online News

Murder of a 20-year-old in Zagreb an accident

The shooting of a man during a suspected drunken brawl has been ruled an accident, police said.Ivan Galic, 20, was shot dead by Roko Kotlar, 20, after the two men and a friend went out for beers at a local bar.Kotlar had taken the pistol with him and towards the end of the evening had begun playing with it. At one point he emptied the bullet chamber but accidently left one inside. He then cocked the gun pointed it at Galic and pulled the trigger.Initial reports of the incident had led police to belive the two had ben fighting and

Crisis tax ends in November

Croatian Prime Minister Jadranka Kosor has said the country's crisis tax will end in November this year.Speaking at a press conference today (Mon) the PM said the two percent tax on pensions and other incomes higher than 3,000 kunas or 409 Euros a month would be abolished from 1 July, while all incomes higher than 6,000 kunas or 819 Euros will continue to be taxed at four percent until November.She also proposed a plan to reduce the number of public administration workers by five percent by hiring only one employee for every two that leave, the Croatian daily Jutarnji List

Smoking-law hits cafe business

Owners of cafes in Zagreb have already started complaining that the smoking ban that took effect on April 9th is reducing customers and affecting their business.The bad weather is not helping and some imaginative entrepreneurs are putting out heaters and blankets for their more daring customers who may want to sit outside.Many of these establishments could not afford to install the required ventilation systems in time, so it appears that Zagreb, at least in theory, is becoming a non-smoking oasis.Out of 14 cafes that are on the way from the main Ban Jelacic square to the British square down the

Replica of Austro-Hungarian royal train rolls into Opatija

A luxurious train fashioned along the lines of its Austro-Hungarian royal counterparts rolled into Opatija yesterday (Thu) for the fourth year in a row.The Majestic Imperator Train de Luxe with its richly decorated interiors, brought scores of tourists as well as Austrian and German journalists for a three-day vacation in Istria.But although mirroring the trains once used by the royal family, today's version is up-to-date, gizmo-driven and much safer, the Croatian daily Jutarnji List reports.The guests - some 150 tourists and around 15 journalists - will spend three days in Opatija's hotel Miramar. Their itinerary will include several concerts, a

Adriatic gets fewer tourists but they stay longer

Croatia's Adriatic coast saw a drop in holiday makers in the first three months of 2010 with only 252,000 tourists, a four percent decrease from the same period last year, the preliminary statistics of the Croatian National Tourist Board show.But 778,000 overnight stays saw a one percent increase over last year, of visitors staying longer.Adriatic destinations received 11 percent more tourists this March than the same month last year, or 135,300 visitors. They also registered a 16 percent increase in overnight stays, with 401,000.Foreign tourists get the credit for this growth, with more than half of the visitors coming from

Tractor runs over owner

A Croatian OAP was killed when his defunct tractor ran him over.The 66-year-old peasant from the northern village of Vrhovljani had crawled under the tractor to fix the engine but wasn't able to get out quickly enough after getting it to work.He died from severe internal injuries.

Source: Croatian Times Online News

Barcelona comes to Split

The mayor of Split Zeljko Kerum is in talks with Spanish marketing agency "Mediapro" to discuss the possible guest visit of Barcelona's soccer team.Also present at the meeting were the president of Split's soccer team Hajduk, Josko Svagusa and Pere Guardiola, the brother of Barcelona's coach Pep Guardiola."Barcelona will come so everything must be done right. The project is demanding and there are many questions to be addressed, but we are on the right path," Guardiola said.According to Mediapro agency, the Spanish club has received invitations for a visit from over 50 cities, out of which Split and one other

Croatian Railways prepared benefits for Zagreb´s Tourism Fair

Croatian Railways have prepared benefits for passengers travelling to the Tourism Fair in Zagreb.Croatian Railways announced on Monday they will give discounts of 40%  for 1st and 2 class travel on all regular trains.The discounts can be claimed from 13 April at 0:01 pm to 18 April at 24.00 hours from any Croatian Railways (Hrvatske zeljeznice) station going to Zagreb's main station and back.The discount can also be claimed by Slovenian nationals for return trips on Slovenian Railways to Zagreb's main station and back.The fair, devoted not only to tourism, but to construction, crafts and related industries takes place from

Possible delay for Croatia´s EU negotiations

Croatia may not finish European Union membership negotiations by the end of 2010 as hoped. The country could instead be looking at the beginning of 2011.The number of those sceptical of Croatia's ability to finish the negotiations will likely increase next week when it becomes clear that Croatia cannot open all the membership chapters that remain.A prerequisite for EU memberships is a demonstration of a country's ability to translate all of the 35 chapters of the EU law into the national law.The chapters on Competition Policy, Judiciary and Fundamental Rights, and Foreign Security and Defence Policy remain closed and instead

Split and Sibenik to meet in Croatian Cup finals

After an emotional and tumultuous match, Split's Hajduk beat its notorious rival Zagreb's Dinamo 1-0, propelling the team to the Croatian Cup finals.The fateful goal was delivered by Senijad Ibricic.Hajduk played a home game at Poljud stadium in Split where 27,000 fans came out to watch yesterday's match. Around 1,000 guests and members of Dinamo's Bad Blue Boys fan base were in the stands; the rest was occupied by Hajduk's supporters known as Torcida.The police arrested 66 fans before and during the game because of disturbances. At one point a fire broke out in the stands and firemen had to

Former football star Davor Suker at golf charity in New York

Soccer legend Davor Suker will be the guest of honour at the 8th Annual Charity Golf Outing and Awards Dinner.The announcement was made by the Croatian American Charitable Foundation which confirmed he would be attending the event on Monday, May 17th in Long Island, New York.This is the second consecutive year that Mr Suker will be attending this event that benefits the Croatian Mine Action Centre, American Cancer Society, Cam Neely Foundation and Doctors Without Borders.In addition, Mr Suker will be hosting a special one-day only soccer clinic on Saturday, May 15th in Long Island. All proceeds from this event

Kosor will ask for NATO Membership Action Plan for Bosnia

Prime Minister Jadranka Kosor will ask for a NATO Membership Action Plan (MAP) for Bosnia and Herzegovina when she meets US President Barack Obama in Prague today (Thurs).MAP, which is a guide book and advice programme for aspiring NATO members, will serve as another set of obligations that would help trace a new reform path in that country, the Croatian government said.Kosor will meet the heads of ten other NATO member states from Central and Eastern Europe - Bulgaria, Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Hungary, Romania and Czech Republic.Albania, which became a NATO member the same year as Croatia,

Croatian food industry stable despite recession

The Croatian food industry did relatively well in nine months of 2009, making 980 million kunas (134,773,000 Euros) of gross profit despite the recession.That is an increase of 12,4 percent compared to 2008, financial agency FINA reports.In comparison to other sectors, the industry remained relatively stable, increasing employment by two percent.The effects of the economic crisis did have a negative impact on investment in fixed assets that were reduced by 25.4 percent. The average net employee salary was 4,335 kunas (596 Euros), an increase of 1.1 percent on 2008. But this is still 4.7 percent lower than the country's average,

Educated workforce answer to high unemployment?

The way out of Croatia's high unemployment predicament could be education, experts say.Croatia's workforce is professionally static and is overall unwilling to change professions and invest in new education.  Those who do not invest in new skills are especially at risk of entering long-term unemployment, or being without a job for six months or more. Thirty six percent of those affected by the long-term unemployment in Croatia today have only primary school education.Jasminka Laznjak at the Department of Sociology in Zagreb's Faculty of Philosophy said: "The crucial factor in reducing unemployment in Croatia could be a significant rise in an

Footballers almost killed under a shower

Two Croatian footballers are recovering in hospital after getting an electric shock while taking a shower after a match on Saturday.Valentin Coric and Zvonimir Camo from Neretvanac FC were taken to KB hospital in Split after the electric shock hit them in nearby Kastel Sucurac.Five players were taking a shower together after the 3rd division match between the hosting team of Jadran and Neretvanac when the accident happened.Two were seriously injured and rushed to the hospital.It is believed the electric shock was caused by a boiler failure.

Source: Croatian Times Online News

Croatia´s economy expected to grow slowly but surely

Croatia's economy picked up in the last six months, but its future will largely depend on exports and foreign investment, the World Bank (WB) reports.Croatia's GDP will grow 0,5 percent this year and 3 percent growth is expected in the next year.  This is still slower than in the countries of New Europe, which expect 1,6 percent growth this year and 3,6 percent in 2011.Kasper Richer, the main author of the WB report for EU10 and Croatia says the outlook for the region is still uncertain.  "Although there is a worldwide recovery, unemployment is growing.  The decrease is unemployment growth

Happy Easter!

Croatian Times wishes you happy Easter!

Source: Croatian Times Online News

Prime Minister Kosor losing popularity, poll shows

The Croatian Prime Minister Jadranka Kosor's popularity went down by three percent last month, the latest CRODemoskop results have shown.A monthly survey by Promocija Plus agency shows the Prime Minister in second place with 13,1 percent of the vote.  The most popular Croatian politician is the country's president Ivo Josipovic, who got 39,8 percent support. Kosor had 16,6 percent last month.In third place was Zoran Milanovic, the president of Social Democratic Party (SDP), with 3,7 percent.  This is his lowest rating since June 2007 when he took over the leadership of the strongest opposition party.  He had the biggest approval

Karlovac authorities held discriminatory job interviews

Social Democratic Party (SDP) in Karlovac, central Croatia, has reported the city's officials to European Union delegation for inappropriate and discrimanatory interviews.The interviews for the heads of the city administrative departments included questions like "What do you think about mosque construction in Karlovac?" and "What is your opinion on same-sex marriage?"Josip Bencic from SDP said his party reported the city officials to the Ministry of the Public Administration, the Obdusman and the European Union delegation in Croatia. He said such questions violated the rights and protections guaranteed under the personal data protection laws, anti-discrimination and labor laws, the Croatian daily