Members of the Croatian Special Forces Command and a team from the U.S. Armed Forces conducted a joint JCET (Joint Combined Exchange Training) exercise during March and April in the Udbina area and around Split. The training included challenging parachute jumps, day and night live-fire drills, and experience sharing in mechanical, ballistic, and explosive breaching.

Specialized training in recent weeks covered VBSS (Visit, Board, Search, and Seizure) operations using RHIB boats, combat diving, and coastal landing procedures. The cooperation was conducted at a high professional level, with support from the Croatian Navy and Air Force.

Step back in time and discover how one small Dalmatian village faced one of history’s darkest chapters—the Black Death. Set under the shade of Mlini’s ancient trees, just next to the charming Church of St. Roch, Dark Times, Bright Souls – Surviving the Black Death is a weekly storytelling event led by local author and tour guide Vedran Mezei.

Blending rich narrative with historical insight, Mezei—best known for his novel The Third Key—offers a unique glimpse into how ordinary people endured and overcame the horrors of the 14th-century plague. The story unfolds in English and is designed to be both informative and entertaining, drawing parallels between the resilience of the past and the hope of today.

The event runs every Thursday at 6:15 PM from April 24 to October 30, lasting 45 minutes to 1 hour. In case of bad weather, the experience moves indoors. Best of all? It’s completely free, and no registration is required—just show up and let history come alive.

Perfect for visitors looking to explore the cultural soul of the Dubrovnik region beyond the city walls, this event is co-financed by the Tourist Board of the Municipality of Župa dubrovačka.

Tip: Arrive a little early to enjoy a peaceful stroll through Mlini before the storytelling begins.

The City of Dubrovnik is currently implementing a number of infrastructure and development projects — with over ten active construction sites across the city. In parallel, road resurfacing is underway, along with works on the Dubrovnik Agglomeration project, the city’s largest and most important communal infrastructure initiative.

Active projects include the renovation of Pile Park, Gradac Park, tree-lined avenues in Gruž and on the Boulevard, works at Mokošica Elementary School, the development of a parking area in Mokošica, construction of the Dubac cemetery, reconstruction and expansion of the VK Neptun club facilities, the adaptation and construction of the future TUP library, and the building of a Senior Citizens’ Centre near the General Hospital.

All these projects are part of a robust investment cycle launched by the City of Dubrovnik to improve residents' quality of life and ensure balanced development across all areas of the city.

From 2017 to 2025, the City of Dubrovnik, its institutions, and municipal companies have secured a total of €203,854,389.30 (more than HRK 1.5 billion) in non-repayable funding from European funds and national sources. Among the most significant projects are the construction of the first major senior home near the Dubrovnik General Hospital and the reconstruction and expansion of Mokošica Elementary School — the last city school transitioning to single-shift teaching.

“This is a tangible example of our commitment to balanced development in Dubrovnik. Every construction site, every project — from schools to parks — is an investment in improving the daily lives of our citizens. Thanks to responsible governance and the availability of European funding, we are changing the city for the better — in a long-term and sustainable way,” said Mayor Mato Franković.

If you’ve driven across the Pelješac Bridge in recent days, you may have noticed that special traffic regulations are in effect and that traffic is flowing in a single lane.

HAK (Croatian Auto Club) has explained the reason: until April 26, due to works being carried out on the Pelješac Bridge—either on the eastern or western carriageway depending on the need—one side of the bridge will be closed to traffic, and two-way traffic will be managed on the open carriageway.

Croatia is poised for a tourism transformation with over €1 billion set to be invested in luxury hotels over the next two years. Global chains like Hyatt, Marriott, Accor, and Hilton are entering the market, with several properties set to operate year-round—an important shift toward sustainable tourism.

In Pula, a former Austro-Hungarian military complex has been converted into a high-end resort. Zadar will welcome its first five-star hotel, the Hyatt Regency, in the former Maraska factory, while Hilton is opening a new island hotel on Ugljan, creating jobs and boosting off-season travel.

Despite tourism being a key sector, only 10% of Croatia’s accommodation capacity is in hotels. Experts, including Croatian Tourism Association head Veljko Ostojić, argue this number must double in the coming years to stay competitive.

New hotel developments are also underway in Split, Rijeka, Poreč, Ičići, Novi Vinodolski, and Plitvice, signaling a wave of optimism in the industry.

At the end of March, there were 1.7 million employed people in Croatia, which is 0.3 percent more than the previous month and 1.9 percent more than in March last year, according to data from the Croatian Bureau of Statistics (DZS).

In March, Croatia had 1,699,426 employed persons, which is an increase of 5,674 or 0.3 percent compared to the end of February. On an annual level, the total number of employed persons increased by 1.9 percent, the DZS statistics show. There were 1,472,082 people employed in legal entities, which is 3,048 or 0.2 percent more than a month earlier. Compared to the same month last year, the number of employees in legal entities increased by 1.8 percent.

According to data obtained by the DZS from the Croatian Pension Insurance Institute, there were 209,734 people employed in crafts and freelance professions at the end of March 2025, which is 2,655 or 1.3 percent more than in February this year. On an annual level, the number of employees in crafts and freelance professions rose by 3.5 percent.

The number of insured agricultural workers, which stood at 17,610 at the end of March, fell by 0.2 percent on a monthly basis and by 3.4 percent year-on-year.

It turns out Donald Trump might be the best thing that’s happened to free trade—at least for Europe.

By building a tariff wall around the United States in line with his “America First” policy, the American president is unintentionally encouraging other countries to band together in an effort to cushion the blow that policy is dealing to their exports, reports N1. 

Under pressure from protectionist-leaning France and international climate protests, the European Union has spent the last five years using trade policy to promote the bloc’s values—such as human rights and sustainability—which has frustrated partners like India, Indonesia, and the South American bloc Mercosur. But now, with the U.S.—its historic ally—opting to go it alone and shaking global markets and trade networks with a barrage of tariffs, the EU is quickly positioning itself as a strong liberal trade bloc open for business, reports Politico.

This shift is welcomed by the EU’s more economically liberal member states, which have often opposed French protectionism. The World Trade Organization predicts a 0.2% decline in global trade this year, a figure that could climb to 1.5% if Trump reintroduces higher tariffs—such as the 20% tariff on the EU—that he has currently suspended for 90 days to allow for negotiations.

Since securing her second term in December, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen—who oversees trade policy for the 27 member states—has marked a series of trade wins. Brussels has finalized long-standing negotiations with Mercosur, as well as with Mexico and Switzerland. Talks with Malaysia have been restarted, and negotiations with the United Arab Emirates are underway.

EU Strengthens Its Own Standards

EU nations like France, Belgium, and Austria—previously reluctant to open their sensitive markets—are now viewing trade agreements as a geopolitical necessity, not just an economic bonus. France, for example, whose political elite had rejected the EU–Mercosur trade deal as politically and economically toxic, is now quietly softening its position in light of Trump’s trade offensive.

The transatlantic trade relationship is Europe’s largest, with total goods exchange worth €1.6 trillion. It is followed by the United Kingdom, China, and Switzerland. Although the EU and China have floated the idea of resetting relations in response to Trump’s tariffs, a trade agreement is not currently on the table—pushing the EU to broaden its list of partners.

Still, despite the short-term relief for free trade advocates within the EU, that doesn’t mean new deals will come easily—at least not yet. There are growing fears that Trump’s tariffs could redirect Chinese exports from the U.S. to Europe, prompting calls for increased protection of the EU’s single market.

And while Trump has sparked renewed hope for a potential positive outcome in the transatlantic trade dispute during Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s recent visit to the White House, a comprehensive deal seems unlikely.

That’s the goal of Germany’s future chancellor Friedrich Merz, who insists the best outcome for Europe in dealing with the U.S. would be a mutual agreement to eliminate all tariffs.

Since the collapse of the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) talks in 2016, the European Union has bolstered its standards for environmental protection and human rights. But even if it were to relax or delay key parts of its green agenda, it likely wouldn’t be enough for a Washington administration focused primarily on business interests.

The installation of a new regasification module, which will increase the maximum capacity of the LNG terminal in Omišalj from 3.1 to 6.1 billion cubic meters of gas per year, is nearing completion, and it is expected to be operational in October. An auction for the allocation of additional regasification capacity for the next 15 years is scheduled for May, reports HINA

LNG Croatia, the company managing the LNG terminal in Omišalj, confirmed that, as part of the first phase of increasing the terminal’s regasification capacity for liquefied natural gas, it will offer additional regasification capacity for the next 15 gas years, from 2025/2026 to 2039/2040, on May 12. The additional capacity will be offered through an auction organized by LNG Croatia in cooperation with the PRISMA European Capacity Platform GmbH, a platform for contracting capacities in European gas infrastructure.

The existing capacities of the terminal are already booked for the next 12 years.

Since the commercial start of the LNG terminal in January 2021, 117 LNG carriers have docked at the terminal, around 16.4 million cubic meters of liquefied natural gas have been received, and nearly 9.9 billion cubic meters of natural gas have been delivered.