Earthquake hits Croatia´s capital

An earthquake measuring 2.8 on Richter scale shook Zagreb residents awake this morning (Thu) around 9:24am.The epicenter of the quake was near the town of Zapresic, northwest of the capital and close to the Slovenian border.The tremors lasted several seconds and it has not yet been determined whether they caused any damages, the daily Jutarnji List writes.Another two earthquakes were registered in Serbia's Kraljevo and Kosovo's Prizren last night, measuring 1.8 and 1.5 on Richter, respectively. Just last month, the Serbian town of Kraljevo experienced a devastating quake in which several people died.A series of earthquakes took place in several

Over 200 applicants for recently created commercial attache posts

Croatian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has received over 200 application for the recently-created posts of commercial attaches in various global cities.Commercial attaches will work to help Croatian entrepreneurs do business abroad and will be assigned to locations deemed strategically important for the country's exporters.The posts in Chicago (United States) attracted most interest, while fewest candidates applied to the position in nearby Ljubljana (Slovenia). As knowing the host country's language was one of the application's criteria, this could have been the deciding factor behind the imbalance in interest.The attache working in Chicago would be receiving 3,000 Euros per month, while the

Pticek ordered month-long detention

The former director of the communal enterprise "Parkovi" in Varazdin has been ordered a month-long detention while the investigation in his case continues.Miljenko Pticek is s suspected of having committed 80 acts of abuse of power that have damaged the company and its majority owner the City of Varazdin by close to two million kunas (271,000 Euros). He is said to have pocketed around 500,000 kunas (68,000 Euros).The judge ordered Pticek detained because of fear that he could influence witnesses and the evidence, as well as that he could repeat the same acts for which he is being investigated.The County's

Drunk man drives opposite traffic twice in same day

The same driver has been caught twice in one day driving drunk in the opposite direction against the traffic on the two Croatian highways.The police stopped the drunk 38-year-old M.L. on Christmas morning after he had been driving the wrong way on Zagreb-Split highway for some time. He was taken to the police station where he stayed until sobering up.He once again sat behind the wheel under the influence that same evening around 9:30 pm. M.L. rode for about a kilometer in the opposite direction on A3 Bregana-Zagreb-Lipovac highway before causing a series of accidents in which four cars skidded

Croatians marry less, divorce more in 2009

Croatians married less frequently but got divorced more often in 2009 than in the previous year, the latest data from Central Bureau of Statistics shows.Compared to 2008, 2009 saw more separations (51) and almost 1,000 fewer weddings. In 2009, 5076 marriages fell apart while 22,382 couples took new nuptial vows.The most critical period for marriages in Croatia appears to be after the first decade that the couple spends together. On average, most divorces in 2009 took place amongst partners who were married between 10 and 14 years.There was a significant number of couples (762) who decided to go their separate

Merry Christmas!

On behalf of the editorial team we wish all our readers a Merry Christmas. The Croatian Times team

Source: Croatian Times Online News

Merry Christmas!

On behalf of the editorial team we wish all our readers a Merry Christmas. The Croatian Times team

Source: Croatian Times Online News

Homeland war veteran tries to jump off bridge

A retired Homeland War veteran suffering from post traumatic stress disorder tried committing suicide yesterday (Weds) by threatening to jump off a railway bridge.Croatian Railway workers saw the man climbing the 15-meter high bridge between Botovo and Gola near Koprivnica (northern Croatia) and immediately alerted their colleagues, who had stopped the train coming from Budapest to Rijeka.After refusing to talk to police and firemen they enlisted the help of his friend and neighbour, the mayor of Gola Stipe Milinkovic. After two hours of negotiations, Milinkovic managed to convince the man to come down.This is the second time that Milinkovic has

Homeland war veteran tries to jump off bridge

A retired Homeland War veteran suffering from post traumatic stress disorder tried committing suicide yesterday (Weds) by threatening to jump off a railway bridge.Croatian Railway workers saw the man climbing the 15-meter high bridge between Botovo and Gola near Koprivnica (northern Croatia) and immediately alerted their colleagues, who had stopped the train coming from Budapest to Rijeka.After refusing to talk to police and firemen they enlisted the help of his friend and neighbour, the mayor of Gola Stipe Milinkovic. After two hours of negotiations, Milinkovic managed to convince the man to come down.This is the second time that Milinkovic has

Unemployment rate grows over 18 per cent, nearing records

The unemployment rate for November rose 0.5 per cent from last month to 18.3 per cent, the Central Bureau of Statistics reported today (Wed).That is an increase of 2.2 per cent on an annual basis, compared to 16.1 per cent registered in the same month of last year.The level of unemployment above 18 per cent was last time registered in March of this year (18.4 per cent), the highest it has been since January 2006.According to the Croatian Employment Services (HZZ),312,350 persons were registered as unemployed or 2.6 per cent more than the previous month. This is also a 10.4

Cruise ships continue coming to Dubrovnik

The number of passenger filled cruise ships who have visited Dubrovnik this year has grown 11 per cent over 2009.In the first 11 months of 2010, 695 cruise ships brought 912,000 passengers to Dubrovnik's shores. Last year, the number of ships was 621, the daily Slobodna Dalmacija writes.That is an 11 per cent increase from last year's numbers.The city is expecting another nine cruise ships to sail in by the end of the year, bringing another 9,000 passengers.    

Source: Croatian Times Online News

Cruise ships continue coming to Dubrovnik

The number of passenger filled cruise ships who have visited Dubrovnik this year has grown 11 per cent over 2009.In the first 11 months of 2010, 695 cruise ships brought 912,000 passengers to Dubrovnik's shores. Last year, the number of ships was 621, the daily Slobodna Dalmacija writes.That is an 11 per cent increase from last year's numbers.The city is expecting another nine cruise ships to sail in by the end of the year, bringing another 9,000 passengers.    

Source: Croatian Times Online News

High-class hotel employees earn 780 Euros on average

The average monthly salary of four- and five-star hotel employees in Dubrovnik-Neretva County was 5,755 kunas (780 Euros) this year, 16 per cent more than those of employees in lower-quality establishments.Employees of two- and three-star hotels received 4,842 kunas (656 Euros) on average.High-class hotels hired six per cent fewer workers than in 2009, the statistics show. Hoteliers warned that such a decrease in workforce leads to a drop in the quality of services, the daily Slobodna Dalmacija writes.

Source: Croatian Times Online News

War over Ina continues on Zagreb´s stock exchange

Croatian pension funds have confirmed that they stand behind the frenzied trading of oil company Ina's shares on Zagreb's stock exchange, in their response to MOL's accusations of speculative behaviour.Their disclosure comes as an answer to accusations lodged by Hungarian company MOL that the buying taking place is "non-transparent, unfair, unclear and hostile." Over a week ago, MOL had announced its plans to begin purchasing additional shares from Ina's small shareholders for 2,800 (379 Euros) a piece. MOL currently owns 47.2 per cent of shares and would need approximately four more to become the company's majority shareholder.Pension funds associations said

Kevin Costner finds Croatian models 'very good looking'

Sparks flew when the American movie star Kevin Costner met several Croatian models who were presenting the latest trends at a recent fashion show in Ljubljana, Slovenia.One of the star-struck models Anita Dujic described their meeting: "Kevin said that the girls were very good looking, and I said – just so there is no confusion – 'Yes! Croatian women are really good-looking."Dujic had the courage to approach Costner and tell him that she had "adored him since she was twelve," the daily Vecernji List writes.The fashion show was organized as a prelude to the opening of the XYZ premium fashion

Floods cause 33 million Euros damages to Dubrovnik-Neretva County

This month's floods in Dubrovnik-Neretva county have caused a total of 245 million kunas (33.12 million Euros) of damage to the towns of Metkovic, Opuzen, Ploce and the municipality Kula Norinska.The County head Nikola Dobroslavic has declared the floods a natural disaster for these areas. The final report on the damages must be completed by January 25, 2011.At the beginning of this month, after weeks of rain and high groundwater, the river Neretva reached the highest levels it had been in the last half of the century. It flooded homes, farms, crops, infrastructure, roads and other public property, the Croatian

Fight against corruption does not end with Sanader, Minister warns

The Croatian Interior Minister Tomislav Karamarko has said that the fight against corruption in Croatia will not end with Ivo Sanader's arrest and that other such occurrences are to follow.He added that the former Prime Minister Sanader's extradition from Austria could happen in the next few days, while the trial itself could last several months. Sanader is wanted on charges of corruption and abuse of position."The fight against corruption in Croatia has not ended with this case. It will continue, which means that new investigations and new arrests can be expected," Karamarko said. He refused to name these suspects as

Freezing temperatures at official winter start

Meteorologists are warning of a very cold official beginning of the winter season in Croatia, with daily temperatures hovering at zero or below in the days to come.The continental parts of the country will experience temperatures dropping below minus two degrees Celsius. Those on the coast, however, can look forward to slightly warmer days and temperatures reaching up to plus four.Early mornings will be extremely cold, with temperatures ranging between minus six and minus 15 degrees. The weekend is expected to bring a lot of snow, the daily Jutarnji List writes.

Source: Croatian Times Online News

Croatian ex-PM Sanader arrested in Austria

The former Croatian Prime Minister Ivo Sanader wanted on charges of fraud and abuse of position was arrested in Austria on Friday afternoon.He is currently being held in the country during extradition proceedings. If he agrees to the procedure, Sanader could be returned to Croatia in few days as the two states have a bilateral agreement on extradition.According to the Washington Post, Sanader's laywer Werner Suppan had said that the former PM was not trying to flee but rather return to Croatia when he was apprehended in Austria.The Austrian Times reports that the Austrian People's Party (ÖVP) Foreign Minister Michael

Tottenham defender splits before planned wedding

Tottenham's defender Vedran Corluka has split up with his long time girlfriend Iva Buzov, Croatian top news website Index has reported."I really have no comment," Buzov told the website when asked about the split-up.Croatian media had earlier reported the couple were to get married in Spring next year, but Index reports Buzov has now moved back from London to Velika Gorica in northern Croatia.The reason of the alleged break up was not given.

Source: Croatian Times Online News

Family asks for help in finding man missing for three weeks

The family of a missing 66-year-old man have appealed for help from the public.Nikola Abramovic from Sumecica near Otocac (Lika) has been missing for three weeks.People are asked to report any information that they might have to their local police station or by calling 112.

Source: Croatian Times Online News

Moody´s ups Agrokor´s ratings outlook

The international credit rating agency Moody's has increased the ratings outlook for the Croatian company Agrokor from "stable" to "positive"."This news reconfirms the trust of international investors and analysts in the business model of Agrokor, the region's largest company, and reflects its outstanding financial results even in a very challenging economic environment," the statement on the company's website states.The change is a result of the improved operating performance in the first nine months of 2010, "the enhanced headroom under its bank debt covenants and the improved debt maturity profile."Despite challenging macroeconomic circumstances, Agrokor was able to keep and increase its

Cold days ahead following relatively high temperatures

After several relatively warm days, another temperature shock is heading towards Croatia.Strong north winds are expected for Thursday afternoon. Rain in the mountains will turn to snow during the day.  White flakes are expected across parts of the lowlands as well.The weekend temperatures will be anywhere between -2 to 6 degrees.Thursday will be rainy and cold along the Adriatic, with strong bora winds. They will subside by Saturday, bringing sunny skies. The temperature will remain chilly, however, the daily Jutarnji List writes.

Source: Croatian Times Online News

Cistern explosion shakes up Zagreb

An explosion of a cistern not far from a gas station in Zagreb caused a moment of panic for the capital's residents who thought it must have been an earthquake.Both the gas station and the hotel located near the place where the explosion took place were evacuated.Although the exact reason has not yet been determined, police suspect that human error could have caused the explosion as some workers were seen welding something on the cistern.The explosion spread the fire to a driver cabin of another cistern and a tourist bus.One of the workers at the gas station, Elvis Bokulic, witnessed

Zagrebacka Banka named Crotia´s 'bank of the year'

The financial magazine The Banker has named Zagrebacka Banka (Zaba) the Croatian "bank of the year."The Italian Intensa Sanpaolo – owner of Croatia Privredna Banka Zagreb (PBZ)– has been selected as number one in western Europe.This is the sixth time that Zaba has received this recognition, the portal Business writes.PBZ says that is parent company Intesa Sanpaolo has been named the bank of the year because of its good results in the last 12 months, during a period of global economic uncertainty.Intesa Sanpaolo was also named the best bank in Italy.

Source: Croatian Times Online News

Brammertz to deliver prosecution´s six-month report to UN today

The International Criminal Tribunal's Chief Prosecutor Serge Brammertz is expected to deliver his six-month review of the prosecution's work to the United Nations Security Council today (Mon).A positive review of Croatia's cooperation with the Tribunal is imperative in these last stages of the country European Union negotiations, the daily Vecernji List writes.The daily writes that the prosecutor welcomes Croatian authorities' efforts in trying to locate the missing artillery diaries from the military operation Oluja. The report, however, mentions "inconsistencies" in the investigation and complains that no documents (or their whereabouts) have been disclosed in the last six months.Brammertz says that

Croatia gets EU help for flood damages

European Union funds will cover some of the damages caused by floods that devastated parts of Croatia in May.The areas of Slavonia, Baranja and Srijem were affected by the extreme weather that hit Croatia earlier this year. The damages were estimated at 15.4 million Euros.Croatia claimed the maximum compensation it was allowed under EU regulations - 11,461,685 Euros damages. The country filed its claim at the same time as Hungary, which was also affected by the same natural disaster. The European Union Solidarity Fund (EUSF) will give money to both countries.In order to get help from EUSF, a member sate

Odd thefts plague Medjimurje County

Medjimurje County has experienced some odd thefts recently, pointing to a possibility that the crisis has made thieves a little less selective when it comes to their loot.In the past few months alone the local police has received reports of a theft of an entire flock of chicken, a drove of pigs, and two guard dogs. The dogs had disappeared through a man-made hole in a fence of the firm which they were guarding and the officials are not certain whether they were stolen or are still in pursuit of potential thieves.The latest report also describes a robbery of 54

Croatia gets EU help for flood damages

European Union funds will cover some of the damages caused by floods that devastated parts of Croatia in May.The areas of Slavonia, Baranja and Srijem were affected by the extreme weather that hit Croatia earlier this year. The damages were estimated at 15.4 million Euros.Croatia claimed the maximum compensation it was allowed under EU regulations - 11,461,685 Euros damages. The country filed its claim at the same time as Hungary, which was also affected by the same natural disaster. The European Union Solidarity Fund (EUSF) will give money to both countries.In order to get help from EUSF, a member sate

WikiLeaks document compares Sanader and Kosor

The current Prime Minister Jadranka Kosor lacks foreign policy experience and does not speak foreign languages, or so says the the opinion of an American diplomat in one of the U.S. government's dispatches published on the internet by WikiLeaks.The dispatch – sent in the wake of former Prime Minister Ivo Sanader's announcement that he would step down from the position – says that Kosor does not have enough experience with foreign policy. She lacks strong relations in European politics and she does not speak foreign languages, the report details.The American embassy's document tries to analyse the power relations in the

Croatian journalist wins 'Courage in Journalism' award

Croatian journalist Hrvoje Slabek has been recognized with a "Courage in Journalism" award for his investigative pieces on corruption in one of Croatia's largest food companies, Podravka.Slabek won the second place in the competition held by the Westdeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung (WAZ) Media Group and International Federation of Journalists (IFJ). He is the first Croatian journalist to win the award.Slabek had written a series of articles for the Croatian daily "Vecernji List" (Styria Media Group) on the so-called "Podravka Affair," which uncovered a money laundering scandal in the wake of huge company losses.  The corporate managers made money through fraudulent transactions

Brawl brakes out in fitness center in Solin

A brawl broke out between several members of the Fitness centre Guliver energija (Guliver energy) in Solin, with participants throwing around not only punches but also heavy weights.One of the participants threw a 30 kilogram weight at his rival, the daily Vecernji List writes. He missed, but managed to fling a smaller, five-kilogram weight with more precision, hitting and injuring his target.An off-duty policeman found himself at the scene but was also injured when he intervened to try and stop the fight.The participants fled before the police arrived, but their identities are known. They will be detained today (Tue), the