Croatia News - CroatiaPress.com

Zagreb, April 10 (CP) – An unknown assailant has shot at the owner of Croatia’s Nacional weekly Ivo Pukanic just before midnight on Wednesday not far from Pukanic’s home narrowly missing him.

The attack happened as Pukanic was heading for his flat. The shots missed Pukanic and one of them ended up in a shop window. Pukanic swiftly reacted and took a handgun from his backpack shooting back at the assailant.

The shooter ran from the scene and the police are searching for him.

The murder attempt happened amid a scandal the Pukanic family is involved in with the Nacional’s owner wife being forced into an asylum. NGOs have vowed to look into the issue.

Zagreb, April 10 (CP) – The European Parliament in Brussels adopted a resolution on Croatia following Wednesday’s debate.

The resolution stresses that Zagreb could end its accession negotiations during the course of next year and is calling on the Croatian government and parliament to double their efforts in fulfilling the conditions for the opening of negotiating chapters.

The resolution speaks of good progress of Croatia’s accession talks and stresses the challenges that need to be overcome before negotiations can be completed in line with the date set by the European Commission which is autumn of 2009.

Zagreb, April 10 (CP) – The €8 million Split villa belonging to former tennis star Goran Ivanisevic is being offer for sale at the Split Croatia Property Show.

The villa is situated in the affluent Split neighbourhood of Meje.

The villa has been offered for sale following the Ivanisevic family moving to Los Angeles after a highly publicised adultery scandal which involved Ivanisevic and a local model turned TV presenter.

Zagreb, April 9 (CP) — A debate on the European Parliament resolution on Croatia concluded that Croatia had made good progress in accession negotiations and the solving of the ZERP issue enabled the faster completion of the accession process, if Croatia introduces all the necessary reforms.

If Croatia were to complete all the necessary reforms it could end negotiations by 2009 and become an EU member by 2011.

Croatia rapporteur Hannes Swoboda said that this was a valid goal and needs to be worked on. The resolution will be voted on on Thursday.

Zagreb, April 9 (CP) – Five families of the fire-fighters that died last summer in the Kornat tragedy have won the damages court case against the Tisno and Vodice fire fighting centres and will have some 3.5 million kuna paid out to them.

The rest of the families are to be informed of the outcome of their court cases at a hearing to be held on April 11.

The 12 fire-fighters died in the August 30 fire at Kornat when they were surrounded and could not get out of the ring of fire.

Zagreb, April 9 (CP) – The wife of Zagreb’s police chief Marijan Benko is left without her computer following her car being broken into and her laptop stolen.

Although it is a matter of common sense to place valuables out of sight of potential robbers when a car is parked, this bit of knowledge eluded the police chief Marijan Benko’s wife and she left her computer locked in a car, but in plain sight.

The result was that her laptop and several other items were stolen from the parked car after it was broken into.

It is believed that the material damage in the incident stands at several thousand kuna.

Zagreb, April 9 (CP) – Following Monday’s announcement by Slovene PM Janez Jansa that a referendum could be held on Croatia’s EU entry if the open issues like the border issue are not resolved, Croatian president Stjepan Mesic reacted to the statement.

Mesic mentioned the Ljubljanska Banka savings accounts holders from Croatia who he said were blatantly robbed using a ‘cheap trick’ and spoke about the Protected Ecology and Fisheries Belt (ZERP) that Croatia had declared clumsily, but had the right to do so and which was no longer a burning issue, but spoke of the issue of the maritime border that remains a stumbling block.

Mentioning all the unresolved issues, Mesic said that the paradox was that relations between Croatia and Slovenia were good.

The latest Slovene announcement of a possible referendum being held on Croatia’s EU entry has once again cooled relations between the two countries, which had once again improved with Croatia refraining from implementing ZERP.

Zagreb, April 8 (CP) — The best-known Indian author Kiran Desai has arrived in Zagreb in a bid to promote two of her novels that have been translated into Croatian across the country.

This youngest ever Booker prize recipient which she was awarded at the age of 35 is to promote two of her novels Inheritance of Loss and Hullabaloo in the Guava Orchard in several Croatian cities: Zagreb, Split, Dubrovnik and Varazdin organised by publisher Algoritam and the British Council.

Zagreb, April 8 (CP) – A weekly Croatia magazine is claiming in an article published that the newly acquired Mi-171Š Russian helicopters are already causing headaches for the Croatian military, as they keep malfunctioning.

The helicopters, bought by the Croatian air force as part of a clearing debt between Croatia and Russia have started breaking down as soon as they were brought in with the main and auxiliary radio stations busting after just several hours of flight.

There have been more serious problems like engine overheating or less serious ones like the switches turning back to primary position.

A week ago Russian experts were brought in to help conquer the problems and have even claimed there was nothing wrong, but then admitted to certain problems existing.

It seems that the helicopters had not gone through the routine of Croatian army test-pilots giving them a twirl before they were brought in.

It is yet to be seen how this situation will be resolved, but until that time the Croatian air force will have to put up with the ever breaking down helicopters.

Zagreb, April 8 (CP) – Following the brawl of rival gangs and the death of a youth some three weeks ago in one of Zagreb’s most beautiful centrally positioned parks Ribnjak, the city authorities have decided to introduce a 24-hour watch of the park.

The job vacancies have already been put out and it is now a matter of organisation how soon the park is to be patrolled by its own wardens.

The decision on such measures being introduced has come after the tragic death of a youth who instigated a fight with a rival gang and lost his life in after being stabbed a few weeks ago.

The Ribnjak park, although being one of the most beautiful parks in the heart of Zagreb would turn into a place of youngsters binge drinking after dark prior to visiting the nearby popular club.

The city authorities are hoping to put a stop to such behaviour and retake the park on behalf of citizens wishing to enjoy its peace and beauty.