DARKO BANDIC

Croatia's President Zoran Milanovic greets the media after his vote during a presidential election at a polling station in Zagreb, Croatia, Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic)
Croatia’s incumbent president gains most votes for re-election, but not enough to avoid a runoff
Croatia’s incumbent President Zoran Milanovic has swept most votes in the first round of a presidential election, but will have to face a runoff against a ruling party candidate to secure another five-year term.
 
Police secure access to the elementary school where a 7-year-old girl died and a teacher and five other students were wounded in a knife attack in Zagreb, Croatia, Friday, Dec. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Ronald Gorsic)
A teenager stabs a 7-year-old to death and wounds a teacher and 3 more children in a Croatian school
Authorities say a knife-wielding teenager walked into a school in Croatia’s capital, stabbed a 7-year-old girl to death and wounded three more children and a teacher.
 
FILE -Croatian Health Minister Vili Beros, right, bumps elbows to say hello to French Health Minister Olivier Veran during an extraordinary meeting of EU health ministers in Brussels to discuss the virus outbreak, March 6, 2020. (AP Photo/Virginia Mayo, File)
A Croatian corruption investigation snares the health minister and several others
Croatia’s health minister and several others were detained on Friday on suspicion of corruption as part of an investigation launched by the European prosecutor’s office.
 
Firefighters attempt to control the wildfire in Tucepi, Croatia, early Wednesday, July 31, 2024. Croatia's Firefireghters' Association described the last 24 hours as "the most demanding so far," with more than 100 interventions over 1,000 firefighters and 20 firefighting planes. (Ivo Ravlic, Cropix via AP)
Croatia reports its toughest day for firefighters as Balkan nations battle wildfires in a heat wave
Balkan countries are battling wildfires stoked by high temperatures, winds and a weekslong drought. Firefighters in Croatia say they faced their toughest day so far this season and North Macedonia is suggesting it might need to seek help from NATO.
 
Detained suspect retired military police officer Kresimir Pahoki is assisted by police as he is transferred for interrogation in Bjelovar, central Croatia, Tuesday, July 23, 2024. The suspected gunman in a mass shooting at a nursing home in Croatia is facing 11 criminal charges, including murder, after he was accused of killing six people, including his own mother, and wounding as many more, police said on Tuesday. (Damir Krajac/Cropix via AP)
Suspected gunman in Croatia nursing home killings charged on 11 counts, including murder
Croatian police say a suspected gunman in a mass shooting in a nursing home in Croatia is facing 11 criminal charges after he was accused of killing six people, including his own mother, and wounding as many more.
 
Croatian Prime minister designate Andrej Plenkovic attends a Parliament session in Zagreb, Croatia, Friday, May 17, 2024. Croatian lawmakers on Friday voted into office a new government that marks a tilt to the right in another European Union nation ahead of the 27-nation bloc's parliamentary election next month. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic)
Croatia gets new government with a far-right party included ahead of European parliamentary vote
Croatian lawmakers have voted into office a new government that marks a tilt to the right in another European Union nation ahead of the 27-nation bloc’s parliamentary election next month.
 
Croatia's President Zoran Milanovic addresses the media outside a polling station after casting his vote in Zagreb, Croatia, Wednesday, April 17, 2024. Croatia is voting in a parliamentary election after a campaign that centred on a bitter rivalry between the president and prime minister of the small European Union and NATO member. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic)
Croatia’s top court rules President Milanović cannot be prime minister because of campaign
Croatia’s Constitutional Court has banned President Zoran Milanović from becoming prime minister in case his center-left party manages to garner a majority after this week’s highly contested parliamentary election.
 
Croatia's Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic arrives for a round table meeting at an EU summit in Brussels, Thursday, April 18, 2024. European Union leaders vowed on Wednesday to ramp up sanctions against Iran as concern grows that Tehran's unprecedented attack on Israel could fuel a wider war in the Middle East. (AP Photo/Omar Havana)
Croatia’s conservatives believe they’ll soon form a majority government despite inconclusive vote
Croatia’s ruling conservatives says that talks are already underway on the formation of a new governing majority following a highly contested parliamentary election that saw a far-right party emerge as a potential kingmaker.
 
Faithful pray as they take part in a pro-life march in Zagreb, Croatia, Friday, March 15, 2024. Scores of religious and neo-conservative groups in recent years have been building up pressure in the staunchly Catholic country, trying to force a ban on abortions. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic)
50 years after the former Yugoslavia protected abortion rights, that legacy is under threat TEST
Religious and neo-conservative groups have been ramping up pressure to ban abortions in staunchly Catholic Croatia. They have held vigils outside abortion clinics and marches drawing thousands of people.
 
An anti-government protester holds a banner that shows Croatia's Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic, left, and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, during a protest at the St. Mark square in Zagreb, Croatia, Saturday, Feb. 17, 2024. Thousands of people joined an anti-government rally in Croatia accusing the ruling center-right party of corruption and demanding that this year's parliamentary election be held as soon as possible. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic)
Thousands at anti-government rally in Croatia allege high-level corruption and demand an election
Thousands of people have joined an anti-government rally in Croatia accusing the ruling center-right party of corruption and demanding that this year’s parliamentary election be held as soon as possible.
 
Croatia’s ruling conservatives to analyze loss of presidency
Croatia’s ruling conservatives say they will probe why their candidate lost a presidential election to prepare for the upcoming parliamentary vote later this year.
 
Bosnian Muslims mark 1995 massacre of thousands with burials
Thousands of mourners have gathered in Bosnia to commemorate the 24th anniversary of the Srebrenica massacre, the worst mass killing in Europe since World War II.
 
Israel fighter jet sale to Croatia fails after US objections
Croatia’s defense minister says Israel failed to overcome U.S. objections to selling 12 used fighter jets to Croatia and the $500 million deal will likely be canceled.
 
Croatia eyes World Cup spot with 4-1 win over Greece
Croatia has taken a decisive step toward World Cup qualification, overwhelming Greece for 4-1 victory in first leg of playoffs. Luka Modric shook off concerns of poor form and opened the score with a penalty.
 
Melania Trump’s hometown in Slovenia marks inauguration
The inauguration of Donald Trump is a big thing for a small town in Slovenia where his wife traces her roots.
 
Croatia celebrates independence while rival Serbs mourn
The parade in the Croatian capital, Zagreb, and other events were hailed as victory celebrations in Croatia. In Serbia, the anniversary was marked as a day of mourning for the nearly 700 ethnic Serbs who died in the Croatian “Operation Storm” that crushed the Belgrade-backed insurgency in western Cr
 
Little joy in Croatia as it enters the EU
A decade back when Croatia started negotiating EU entry, the once war-torn country was overjoyed at the prospect of becoming a member of the European elite. But people like Secic have since changed their minds. With the EU in deep financial turmoil and Croatia’s own economy in recession for five con