ZADAR, Croatia, 17 August 2026 – Four people have been arrested in connection with a series of fires deliberately started at 10 locations across Zadar and the wider Zadar County area.

“Police officers from the Zadar Police Department conducted a criminal investigation into three Croatian citizens aged 46, 45 and 42 and a 33-year-old Polish citizen on suspicion of starting fires at ten locations in Zadar County,” the statement said.

At least one person has died and around 40 others have been injured after a severe wildfire tore through cities on Croatia's coastline on Thursday night and Friday morning.

The blaze broke out near the village of Lokva Rogoznica on Thursday evening, and spread quickly towards the nearby tourist town of Omiš, 6km (7 miles) away.

Around 1,200 residents and tourists were evacuated, while 10 people were in intensive care in hospital, the prime minister said. Croatia's fire chief Slavko Tucaković described it as "one of the worst" blazes in the country's history.

On Thursday Croatia and Italy launched the Rome Coalition for Fertilizer Access and Food Security in the Strait of Hormuz at the MED9 meeting in the Italian capital.

The situation in the Middle East is not a distant crisis or just a regional concern, but a major geopolitical shock for Europe that increasingly threatens our stability, economic security and the lives of our people, said Croatian Foreign and European Affairs Minister Gordan Grlić Radman at a partnership meeting of the MED9 group, the alliance of European Mediterranean countries that Croatia has chaired since April of this year.

The meeting, co-organized with his Italian counterpart Antonio Tajani, brought together representatives of 40 countries, including the Arab League, the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and the Western Balkans, along with officials from the UN and its Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

A wave of fake bomb threats that began last week resumed on Monday after a quiet weekend, disrupting schools, businesses, and public institutions across Croatia.

Zagreb’s largest hospital received a threat Monday afternoon. Earlier in the day, similar warnings were sent to schools in Zagreb, Split, Rijeka, and Dubrovnik, as well as to City Hall and a shopping center in the capital.

All of the threats have been confirmed as false, but they have caused significant disruption and placed a strain on police resources.

Governments in five EU member states are “consistently and intentionally” eroding the rule of law, Europe’s leading civil liberties group has warned, while democratic standards are deteriorating in six more, including historically strong democracies.

Drawing on evidence from more than 40 NGOs in 22 countries, the Civil Liberties Union for Europe (Liberties) described the governments of Bulgaria, Croatia, Hungary, Italy and Slovakia as “dismantlers” that were actively weakening the rule of law.

First conscripts arrive at barracks for two months of basic training, as Croatia's government reintroduces obligatory military service almost two decades after it was abolished.

The first 800 conscripts arrived on Monday at three barracks, in Knin, Slunj and Požega, for two months of basic military training.

Interior Minister Davor Božinović announced Friday that Croatia is officially free of landmines. Thirty-one years after the end of the Homeland War, all known minefields have been cleared — a major milestone for the country.

The decades-long effort came at a heavy cost. Over three decades of painstaking and dangerous work, 208 people lost their lives, including 41 deminers. The total cost of clearing the country is estimated at around 1.2 billion euros.

A large protest titled “No to the Chicken Ecobomb!” was held in Zagreb on Saturday, with demonstrators voicing opposition to plans for major poultry facilities in Sisak-Moslavina County.

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At the center of the controversy is Premium Chicken Company’s proposed investment in the Sisak area, estimated at more than €600 million. The project includes a slaughterhouse with a capacity of around 84 million chickens per year. Opponents have also raised concerns about a possible biogas plant, although the company denies plans to build one.

The contract for the demolition of the Vjesnik Tower in Zagreb was signed today between Construction Minister Branko Bačić and EURCO, a construction company based in Vinkovci.

A 30-day deadline now begins for completion of the first phase of the works, which includes eliminating safety hazards and creating the conditions necessary to reopen the underpass on Slavonska Avenue. The full project - including demolition of the 16-storey skyscraper and the disposal of construction waste - must be completed within three months of the contract signing.

Seen in front of the entrance to Devín Castle.

I will also put this beautiful picture of Slovak flag flying on top of the castle:

Prime Minister Andrej Plenković spoke today following a meeting of the ruling coalition, which focused on current political developments.

Special attention was given to last week’s visit by OECD Secretary-General Mathias Cormann, as Croatia continues its efforts to join the organisation later this year.

“I believe we will meet the remaining criteria and create the conditions for membership in this important global organisation for economic cooperation and development, confirming our status among the 40 most advanced economies in the world,” Plenković said.

The dispute between local and national authorities in Zagreb over a homecoming event for the Croatian men’s handball team continued Tuesday, a day after the team returned from the European Championships with a bronze medal.

Prime Minister Andrej Plenković said the government had acted in the public interest, while Zagreb Mayor Tomislav Tomašević said he would seek a ruling from the Constitutional Court.

At the center of the controversy is hyper-patriotic rock singer Marko Perković Thompson, whose concert in the capital last summer also sparked weeks of debate. The handball team wanted Thompson to perform at the event in Ban Jelačić Square. Tomašević refused and canceled the city-organized celebration, citing objections to the performer.