Croatia News - CroatiaPress.com

Zagreb, May 29 (CP) – There are indications, writes Zagreb’s Jutarnji List daily that the Croatian government is thinking of exchanging some 14 percent of INA oil company shares from its portfolio with Hungarian MOL’s shares.

This will allow MOL control of more than 40 percent of INA shares.

The agreement on this is to be worked on by deputy PM Damir Polancec and to be fully brokered with the help of lawyers.

Zagreb, May 28 (CP) – Croatian international and Portsmouth soccer player Niko Kranjcar is rumoured to have got engaged to long-term girlfriend Simona Fistric.

The couple are expected to tie the knot at the end of 2008 in a private ceremony.

Kranjcar has been playing for Portsmouth for the past few years and the couple have been living together in the U.K. during that time.

Zagreb, May 28 (CP) — The first edition of the Mediterranean Film Festival Split opened last night in the coastal city.

The new Vinko Bresan film Will Not Stop There will be shown as well as 24 other movies until Saturday, the last day of the event.
 

Zagreb, May 27 (CP) – The deputy Prime Minister Damir Polancec has said speaking to a Zagreb daily that the final decision on the increase in the price of electricity called for by the Croatian Electricity Board (HEP) would be decided on on June 15.

Polancec stressed that the government would try and agreed an increase that will be less than then sought after 20 percent.

HEP is explaining its call for a rise in prices by saying that the price of electricity on the world stock exchanges had gone up by 100 percent in the past year, as well as the price of fuel used to power the thermo electric plants producing electricity.

Zagreb, May 27 (CP) — The Croatian Electric Company, HEP, has announced that it will be raising the price of electricity from July the 1st. HEP is waiting for the government to determine later this week new electricity costs, however, an increase of 10 to 20% is expected.

In the meantime, the price of petrol has again gone up.

Eurosuper 95 has broken the 9 kuna mark while Eurodiesel and Diesel are now approaching 10 kuna per litre.

Zagreb, May 26 (CP) – The organisation committee of Zagreb Pride which is to go under the You Have the Courage motto is to be held between June 25 and 28.

The organisation committee has announced that this year’s Pride is to be closely monitored by international human right organisations and European institutions.

For the first time ever, two European Parliament members Sophie In’t Veld and Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert are to take part in the event.

The Zagreb Pride march will be held on Saturday, June 28, followed by a rock concert.
The only capitals in the region where Pride marches had been held each year since their introduction are Zagreb and Ljubljana, while the an attempt at a march in Belgrade, ended in a bloodbath in 2001.
 

Zagreb, May 26 (CP) – A toddler just 15 months old fell into a water barrel on Saturday afternoon after pottering around in the yard of her home in the eastern Croatian town of Osijek.

The child stopped breathing and was taken to the Osijek clinical hospital emergency ward where she was immediately put on a respirator.

After three hours of struggle the doctors managed to get her to a stable level and was placed in the intensive unit.
 

Zagreb, May 26 (CP) – Some 5 days of deliberations are underway at the International Court of Justice in the Hague, to determine whether or not the United Nation’s highest court has authority in a 1999 case, in which Croatia charged, what was at the time, Yugoslavia with violation of the convention on genocide.

A team of Serbian legal experts argue that the court does not have authority in the case, claiming that at the time charges were filed Serbia was neither a member of the UN nor had it signed the convention on genocide, which is the basis of the court’s authority.

The legal team from Serbia have all of Monday to present thier case.

On Tuesday and Wednesday Croatian legal representatives will present thier arguments to the court.
 

Zagreb, May 25 (CP) – The latest weather forecast for Croatia says that inland parts of the country are to be hit by unseasonably high temperatures at the start of next week

The eastern town of Osijek, as well as Virovitica, Sisak, Slavonski Brod and some other inland towns can expect temperatures of up to 34 degrees Centigrade.

At the same time, the coastal towns are to enjoy cooler whether and up to 10 degrees less with Dubrovnik and Split to measure 24 degrees and Ploce and Pazin, a somewhat hotter, 28 degrees.

Zagreb, May 24 (CP) – The Croatian soccer team has managed to beat the Moldova team 1-0 in a friendly held in the northern Croatian coastal town of Rijeka.
The game’s only goal was that by Niko Kovac in the 30th minute sending the ball into the goal with his head.

This is the first in a string of friendlies to be played prior to EURO2008.