PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (DT/AP) — A tanker truck carrying gasoline in Haiti on Saturday flipped and exploded, killing at least 15 people and seriously injuring 40 others, officials said.
Prime Minister Garry Conille provided the figures in an X post. Earlier, Radio Caraibes reported that 17 people had been killed.
Haiti’s hospitals are poorly equipped to treat victims of severe burns. The nation of 12 million people has also been struggling with fuel shortages, as fighting between gangs makes it more difficult to import goods into the country.
Saturday’s explosion happened in Miragoane, a city of 60,000 people that was hit by a strong earthquake three years ago.
In 2021, 75 people were killed in Haiti’s second largest city Cap Haitien, when another fuel truck overturned and unleashed a fireball that swept through several homes and businesses that were built closely next to each other. Some of those killed were onlookers who had rushed to the truck to try and scoop up fuel.
Sao Paulo, Brazil (DT/AP) — A Brazilian Supreme Court justice on Friday seized about $3 million from bank accounts belonging to social media platform X and satellite-based internet service provider Starlink, both companies controlled by tech billionaire Elon Musk.
The move by Justice Alexandre de Moraes was aimed at collecting funds that are equivalent to the amount that X owes to the country in fines. The bank accounts of the two companies have since been unfrozen.
Legal analysts have questioned de Moraes’ prior decision to freeze Starlink’s bank account to pay for cases related to X. While Musk owns both X and SpaceX, which operates Starlink, the two companies are separate entities.
Brazil’s Supreme Court said Friday in a statement that de Moraes ruled to transfer more than 7.2 million Brazilian reais ($1.3 million) from an X bank account and almost 11 million Brazilian reais ($2 million) from a Starlink account.
De Moraes made the decision on Wednesday, Brazil’s Supreme Court said. His ruling on the case is yet to be made public.
Brazil’s Supreme Court also said that the banks that hold accounts of the two companies were informed on Thursday they had complied with the decision.
“After the payment of the full amount that was owed, the justice (de Moraes) considered there was no need to keep the bank accounts frozen and ordered the immediate unfreezing of bank accounts/financial assets,” the Brazilian Supreme Court said.
X did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Associated Press.
The social media platform has been under fire in Brazil since it refused to remove content flagged as illegal by the Supreme Court justice.
De Moraes is the same justice who suspended X in Brazil due to Musk’s decision to not have a legal representative for the company in the South American nation, which is against the law.
The company has claimed that de Moraes wants an in-country representative so that local authorities can exert leverage by having someone to arrest.
Many legal analysts, including some who have supported de Moraes’ rulings related to X, disagree with charging Starlink for X’s fines.
“Starlink is a different company. Belonging to the same economic group doesn’t mean it is also responsible for a debt it did not take part of. It didn’t even have a chance to defend itself,” Lênio Streck, a renowned Brazilian jurist, said in his social media channels. “What could Starlink have done to avoid what other company did?”
Luís Henrique Machado, a law professor at the IDP university in the capital, Brasilia, said de Moraes’ decision is consistent.
“The social media company was sanctioned for not removing content after an order of the Supreme Court amid ongoing investigations. It is totally understandable that the judge requests that the fines be paid,” Machado said. “The ruling is legitimate in imposing the transfer of the amounts in compulsorily fashion.”
Since last year, X has clashed with de Moraes over its reluctance to block some users, mostly far-right activists accused of undermining Brazilian democracy. Musk has called the Brazilian justice a dictator and an autocrat due to his rulings affecting his companies in Brazil.
On. Aug. 31, Musk’s social media platform was banned nationwide and de Moraes set a $9,000 daily fine for anyone using a virtual private network (VPN) to skirt the suspension. Brazil’s X users mostly started washing up on Threads and Bluesky.
On Saturday, tens of thousands of supporters of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro flooded Sao Paulo’s main boulevard for an Independence Day rally, buoyed by de Moraes’ decisions on X, a ban they say is proof of their political persecution.
X had 22 million users in Brazil, according to estimates in the Digital 2024: Brazil report, just one-sixth the number on Instagram, and about one-fifth of Facebook or TikTok.
Since January 2022, when Starlink began operations in Brazil, it has captured a 0.5 percent share of the internet market, according to Brazil’s telecommunications agency Anatel.
SPORTS (SR) – If history is written by the winners, WWE Superstars are no exception. While wins and losses are not always a meaningful statistic in pro wrestling, it’s still interesting to look at who has had more victories in the long history of the company. Considering the impressive array of Superstars who have wrestled for WWE over the decades, nobody in the competition has less than one thousand wins and they have a multitude of championships and accolades among them.
The criteria is simple. Counting all wins on weekly television, PLEs and (perhaps most significantly) house shows, these are the superstars with the most amount of wins across their time in WWE. This includes pinfalls, submissions, count-outs, disqualifications, and any other means necessary.
1O. Hulk Hogan1,015 Wins
Considering most children of the 80s thought it borderline impossible for Hulk Hogan to ever lose a match, his inclusion on this list feels rudimentary. The enormity of the landscape of professional wrestling owes a life-long debt to Hulk Hogan and Hulkamania’s red-and-yellow, “say your prayers and eat your vitamins” motif. Landmark moments of his classic run involve slamming Andre The Giant at WrestleMania 3, WrestleMania 6’s generation-defining Main Event with The Ultimate Warrior and crushing the dreams of every heel worker in the WWE.
9. Tito Santana1,071 Wins
It is amazing to consider that someone could be on this list without ever winning the WWE’s main heavyweight title, but Tito Santana is that very guy. Remaining a babyface for the entirety of his career, Tito would enjoy his hottest run in the 1980s, becoming a 2-time Intercontinental Champion and winning the 1989 King Of The Ring.
Among the litany of cool things on Santana’s resume, he has a particular love affair with the Intercontinental Championship. He was the champion when Macho Man Randy Savage overthrew him to win his only IC title, he was the first Mexican-American to ever hold the belt AND he was the first man to hold what is commonly regarded as the “classic” Intercontinental Title belt
8. Kofi Kingston1,307 wins
One of the most well-loved superstars of the 21st Century, Kofi Kingston is a workhorse capable of shining in any situation. Part of one of the greatest factions of all time, The New Day, and with one of the very few genuine WrestleMania moments in the last decade of Vince McMahon’s creative control, who doesn’t have love for Kofi Kington? A Grand Slam champion and, tragically, the only wrestler of black origin on this list.
Kofi Kingston became the first African-born WWE Champion after defeating Daniel Bryan at WrestleMania 35.
7. The Big Show1,223 Wins
Over a whopping 22 years, Paul ‘The Big Show’ Wight wrote himself into the history books with an incredible 1,228 wins. One of the underrated key acquisitions in WWE winning the Monday Night Wars from their rivals in WCW, The Big Show was always one of the most reliable performers across singles and tag competitions, enjoying numerous title reigns and legendary tag-teams with Kane, The Undertaker, The Miz and Chris Jericho.
Despite his size, The Big Show is only the joint-fifth tallest wrestler to ever compete in WWE.
6. Shawn Michaels1,250 Wins
The Show Stopper and a genuine icon of WWE. One of the leading WWE superstars who stayed loyal to WWE in the face of WCW contract offers in the mid-90s, Shawn Michaels’ illustrious career is one of romantic redemption. Earning the nickname Mr WrestleMania through his legendary performances at The Show Of Shows, and being pretty much unanimously great across each of his many in-ring eras, Shawn Michaels is one of the most influential superstars to ever do it.
Better still is getting to enjoy his current job, shaping the future of WWE, as the creative mastermind behind the NXT brand.
5.Randy Orton1,276 Wins
He hears voices in his head, they come to him and he wins the match. The third-generation superstar has wrestling in his blood, and his popularity endures to this day due to his incredible ring-work and continued relevancy. Still providing intrigue within his long-standing rivalries and excitement for future ones with new blood, that isn’t something that’s changing anytime soon.
Incredibly, Randal Keith Orton is still only 44 years old, meaning that there is plenty of gas in the tank and are many more RKOs in opponents futures. The time he has left in his career also means that The Apex Predator is the wrestler likeliest to add the most wins to his total in the coming years.
4.Kane1,490 wins
Hard to imagine that the man who entered the WWE as sinister dentist Isaac Yankem would be on this list, but that’s what happened when Glenn Jacobs’s Kane was released into the wild. In ownership of one of the greatest debuts in the history of pro wrestling, The Big Red Machine’s storytelling with the likes of X-Pac and John Cena, his comedic work as part of Team Hell No with Daniel Bryan and his career-defining arcs with The Undertaker are the stuff of legend.
3.Bret Hart1,512 Wins
A man at least in the conversation to be the single most talented in-ring performer ever to lace up a pair of boots, Bret ‘The Hitman’ Hart has a legacy that seems to still be growing by the year. Current superstars like Seth Rollins and CM Punk have raved over his years of elite ring psychology, technical innovation, and unquestionable credibility. Pick any match at random and it’s easy to see why.
He was a Grand Slam champion and a man whose career is so bulletproof that years of semi-slander on his name had no impact whatsoever. He has had matches among the best to ever happen in a WWE ring including making ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin a made man at WrestleMania, and all-time classic SummerSlam matches with his brother Owen, the British Bulldog and The Undertaker. Along with Shawn Michaels, Bret is responsible for changing what is possible for wrestlers of their size and smaller.
2.The Undertaker1,726 Wins
The man from Death Valley may have amassed over 1,750 victories over the years but the most significant of them are the 25 wins that took place at WrestleMania. The Streak was one of wrestling’s greatest achievements as The Phenom went 21-0 before losing to Brock Lesnar in one of the most infamous moments in wrestling history at WrestleMania 30. Even after The Streak was broken, the man born as Mark Calloway would put on a classic with one of the most unique WrestleMania Main Events ever with AJ Styles.
Even years on from his eventual retirement, the WWE landscape feels a little less magical without the presence of The Undertaker. The Deadman is the best character wrestler in the history of WWE or any other promotion. With wins racked up through his Mortician era, The Lord Of Darkness, Big Evil, The American Bad Ass, The Brothers Of Destruction, The Ministry of Darkness, The Gunslinger and wearing purple gloves, The Undertaker’s legacy as one of the great’s is set in stone.
1. John Cena1,774 Wins
Could it really be anybody else? The longest run by any superstar at the top of the WWE mountain, and built with a work rate that could flatten a field full of triathlon athletes, John Cena’s decade-plus period of being the face of the company is backed up by the most number of wins in WWE history. Big Match John has spent much of his career being a winning machine, his popularity and likability being matched by his ability to raise the stature of any opponent.
While John Cena has received his fair share of criticism for, among other things, winning way too often, in retrospective the legacy built by this man is undeniable. In 2025, as part of a year-long retirement tour, John Cena will attempt to win the most amount of WWE Heavyweight Championships in history to couple with this incredible milestone. It would take a brave man to bet against him achieving that.
Los Angeles, USA (AP) — If it seems like the Emmys just happened, you’re not wrong.
The 76th Emmy Awards are Sunday, roughly nine months after the last celebration of the best television. Last year’s Hollywood strikes delayed the show’s 75th edition until January, when “Succession” and “The Bear” dominated the show.
“The Bear” will factor heavily in this weekend’s show, but January’s “Succession” celebration was for its final season, clearing the way for a new drama series winner.
Enter “Shogun.” The FX series about feudal Japan enters the show with 14 wins thanks to the Creative Arts Emmy ceremony last weekend. That makes it the record-holder for most wins for a single season, and it will likely extend that lead.
Here’s what you need to know about Sunday’s Emmys, including how to watch and stream the red carpet and show, and who’s nominated.
What time do the Emmys start?
The show begins at 8 p.m. Eastern and is being shown live on ABC, which is available with an antenna or through cable and satellite providers.
What if I want to stream the Emmys?
The Emmys can be streamed live through live TV streaming services that include ABC in their lineup, like Hulu+ Live TV, YouTube TV and FuboTV. For those without the service, the show will be streaming Monday on Hulu.
So who’s already won an Emmy?
Lots of folks from “Shogun,” including actor Néstor Carbonell. Maya Rudolph also won a trophy for her work on “Big Mouth,” and Jamie Lee Curtis claimed her first Emmy for her guest appearance on “The Bear.”
The Creative Arts Emmys honor many of the craft workers who make shows work, leaving the top prizes for Sunday’s ceremony, which will be hosted by actors Eugene and Dan Levy.
If I’m not in the U.S., how can I watch the Emmys?
“Live from E!” will begin airing its red carpet coverage at 6 p.m. Eastern on the cable network E!. Laverne Cox, the first transgender person to receive an Emmy nomination, will host the coverage along with comedian Heather McMahan and E! News’ Keltie Knight.
People magazine and Entertainment Weekly will also host a live red carpet show on their websites and YouTube, also starting at 6 p.m.
Who’s nominated for the Emmys?
“Shogun” is the leading nominee with 25, while “The Bear” has 23, including best comedy series and best actor in a comedy series for Jeremy Allen White — both awards it won at January’s strike-delayed ceremony. Ayo Edebiri, who won best supporting actress in January, is nominated in the best comedy actress field this time.
“The Crown” with 19 nominations and “Hacks” with 16 each return to the Emmys after their own years off. Elizabeth Debicki is nominated for best supporting actress in a drama for playing Princess Diana, while Imelda Staunton is nominated for playing Queen Elizabeth II.
Two-time Academy Award winner Jodie Foster is a good bet to win her first Emmy as best actress in a limited or anthology series or TV movie for her role in “True Detective: Night Country.”
Reigning best supporting actor Oscar winner Robert Downey Jr. could also become a first-time Emmy winner. He’s up for best supporting actor in the limited series category for playing five different roles in “The Sympathizer.”
Belgrade, Serbia (DT) — The President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić, has cautioned that Serbia may declare Kosovo an autonomous province with special social protections.
In his speech, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic outlined Belgrade’s planned actions for northern Kosovo. Unable to announce Kosovo’s occupation of the north or the onset of conflict, Vucic stated that the Serbian Assembly will soon vote on declaring Kosovo and Metohija an autonomous region. He added that Serbia will pursue a diplomatic approach and seek support from leaders like Putin and Xi Jinping.
We need to start meetings with 60 world leaders by the end of November, and I will deliver all the documents to each of them in the official language, to Biden, to Putin, to Xi Jinping, that is, to all the leaders of the permanent countries of the UNSC . We will tell you the facts.
I will give 11 decorations to our friends who have helped us the most on the issue of Kosovo, such as Putin, the president of China, etc. They have turned against most of the world for us.
You will see the results soon. We are talking about diplomatic actions. Kosovo and Metohia as an area of special social protection. In the Parliament, we will approve the law that will declare the autonomous province of Kosovo and Metohija, declaring it as a special protected area, offering support to the unemployed. Children will have the right to free textbooks ,” said Vucic.
Vucic further said that the Serbian institutions and temporary authorities in Kosovo and Metohija will not be abolished. He emphasized that they will be opened very close to the border with Kosovo and where Serbs will have access to them.
” Serbian institutions and temporary authorities in Kosovo and Metohija will not be abolished or closed, which will prevent Aljbin Kurti from achieving his main political goal of expelling and completely eliminating the institutions of Serbia and Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija.
In order to mitigate the unilateral and uncoordinated actions of the Kurti regime, directed against Serbian institutions and provisional authorities, an office will be opened near the administrative line in the settlements of Rudnica and Ribarič, where Serbs from the north of Kosovo and Metohija will have access to exercise their rights in the field of social protection and through which they will provide vital public and administrative services to citizens” , said Vučič.
Vucic also proposed the establishment of a special Prosecutor’s Office dedicated to investigating human rights violations by the Kosovo police in the North.
He announced that within 45 days, the People’s Assembly of the Republic of Serbia will pass the Law on the Organization of Competences of the Judicial Bodies of the Republic of Serbia for the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija.
This law will create a specialized Prosecutor’s Office tasked with addressing abuses and violations of fundamental human rights, property usurpation, and threats to the bodily integrity and dignity of Serbian citizens in Kosovo and Metohija. The office will focus on investigating and prosecuting criminal and illegal activities committed by employees and officials of the temporary institutions in Pristina, Vucic added.
Tirana, Albania (DT) — Marking the first ever visit by an Israeli President to Albania, President Herzog today (Thursday, 12 September 2024 ) met with Prime Minister of Albania, Edi Rama, in the capital Tirana.
Accompanying the President on his visit was Idit Ohel, mother of Alon Ohel who is among the 101 hostages still being held captive by Hamas. The Albanian Prime Minister, known for his love of painting and art, emotionally presented Idit with a book of his works as a token of appreciation, and emphasized to her once again the importance of bringing the hostages home.
Ahead of their meeting, the President and Prime Minister made brief statements.
President Herzog thanked his host for the historic and warm welcome, and said: “It is especially meaningful to be among friends at this painful time for Israel, as we near the one-year mark since Hamas terrorists brutally attacked Israel. One year since thousands of terrorists invaded our country, savagely murdered and wounded thousands, and kidnapped hundreds of Israelis and foreign nationals into Gaza.”
He noted, “Ever since that dark day in October, Albania has placed itself firmly on the right side of history. Your country has shown, again and again, that you stand with the people of Israel, as we fight to defend our borders and our civilization.”
The President stressed, “Still today, hostages are being held in cruel bondage in Gaza, in gross violation of every humanitarian and ethical norm. The entire international community must do everything in its power to bring them home. All of them. Unfortunately, we are fighting more than one terrorist enemy simultaneously.
The trail of blood linking all of the agents of hate is Iran, and its cruel, antisemitic fixation with the destruction of the State of Israel.”
Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama welcomed the President and his delegation.
Prime Minister Rama said: “Thank you for having brought here with you the mother of hostage, of Alon, to whom I had the privilege to dedicate a book of my art. And I’ll pray for him to get back.”
He added, “I want to send a very brotherly message to all the parents of the hostages on one hand, expressing the most heartfelt condolences to all of them who lost their kids, who lost their loved ones in this horrendous moment in time, and on the other hand, to wish to all the others, to hug their kids and to hug their loved ones as soon as possible.
Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama tells President Isaac Herzog that his country will open a commercial liaison office in Jerusalem.
I can’t agree more with every Israeli citizen and every Jew in the world when it comes to the need for the world to understand that the horrors we are witnessing, and also the so many unnecessary victims of this war where so many innocents are losing their lives because of the need to eradicate this devil from the underneath of the earth.
It did not start from nothing, but started from a horror that nobody around today’s world has ever imagined that could be seen in our lifetime. These images of that day, that very dark day, not just for Israel, but for all the world, were images that no one should forget and everyone when speaking about the way through, should start from those images, otherwise history may repeat itself, and this would be, then not the sin of Israel, but this will be the sin of all humanity.“
CAPE CANAVERAL, USA(AP) — The two NASA astronauts left behind at the International Space Station following the return of Boeing’s troubled capsule are Navy test pilots who have ridden out long missions before.
Astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams are now full-time station crew members along with the seven others on board.
NASA decided last month they won’t be flying back in their Boeing Starliner capsule, but will wait for a ride with SpaceX in late February, pushing their mission to more than eight months. Their original itinerary on the test flight was eight days.
On Friday, the empty Starliner capsule departed the space station and parachuted into the New Mexico desert.
Butch Wilmore
Wilmore, 61, grew up in Mount Juliet, Tennessee, playing football for his high school team and later Tennessee Technological University. He joined the Navy, becoming a test pilot and racking up more than 8,000 hours of flying time and 663 aircraft carrier landings. He flew combat missions during the first Gulf War in 1991 and was serving as a flight test instructor when NASA chose him as an astronaut in 2000.
Wilmore flew to the space station in 2009 as the pilot of shuttle Atlantis, delivering tons of replacement parts. Five years later, he moved into the orbiting lab for six months, launching on a Russian Soyuz from Kazakhstan and conducting four spacewalks.
In this photo provided by NASA, Boeing Crew Flight Test astronauts Butch Wilmore, left, and Suni Williams pose for a portrait inside the vestibule between the forward port on the International Space Station’s Harmony module and Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft on June 13, 2024. (NASA via AP, File)
Married with two daughters, Wilmore serves as an elder at his Houston-area Baptist church. He’s participated in prayer services with the congregation while in orbit.
His family is used to the uncertainty and stress of his profession. He met wife Deanna amid Navy deployments, and their daughters were born in Houston, astronauts’ home base.
“This is all they know,” Wilmore said before the flight.
Suni Williams
Williams, 58, is the first woman to serve as a test pilot for a new spacecraft. She grew up in Needham, Massachusetts, the youngest of three born to an Indian-born brain researcher and a Slovene American health care worker. She assumed she’d go into science like them and considered becoming a veterinarian. But she ended up at the Naval Academy, itching to fly, and served in a Navy helicopter squadron overseas during the military buildup for the Gulf War.
NASA chose her as an astronaut in 1998. Because of her own diverse background, she jumped at the chance to go to Russia to help behind the scenes with the still new space station. In 2006, she flew up aboard shuttle Discovery for her own lengthy mission. She had to stay longer than planned — 6 1/2 months — after her ride home, Atlantis, suffered hail damage at the Florida pad. She returned to the space station in 2012, this time serving as its commander.
She performed seven spacewalks during her two missions and even ran the Boston Marathon on a station treadmill and competed in a triathlon, substituting an exercise machine for the swimming event.
Husband Michael Williams, a retired U.S. marshal and former Naval aviator, is tending to their dogs back home in Houston. Her widowed mother is the one who frets.
“I’m her baby daughter so I think she’s always worried,” Williams said before launching.
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The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
Belgrade, Serbia (DT/AP) — Serbia on Friday demanded that an election be held and ethnic Serbs return to police and judiciary in a Serb-populated northern region of Kosovo where tensions have fueled fears of instability and new armed clashes.
Populist President Aleksandar Vucic also called for the withdrawal of Kosovo’s special police from the region bordering Serbia that remains a flashpoint amid stalled efforts by Western countries to help negotiate a solution to the dispute.
The demands are unlikely to be met by Kosovo’s leadership.
Serbia does not recognize Kosovo’s declaration of independence from 2008. A former Serbian province, Kosovo broke away after a 1998-99 war which ended in a NATO intervention.
Tensions in Kosovo rose anew after Kosovo shut down several Serbia-backed parallel institutions in the north at the end of August. The crackdown by the Kosovo government has sparked criticism from the U.S. and the European Union who fear tensions in Kosovo could lead to wider Balkan instability as the war rages in Ukraine.
In his speech on Friday, Vucic said Serbia is demanding to “return to what has been agreed and achieved so far in the dialogue” between Belgrade and Pristina that has been mediated by the EU since 2011.
These talks have produced several agreements over the years but tensions have persisted with occasional outbursts of violence. Serbia accuses Kosovo of refusing to form an association of Serb-majority municipalities was been agreed in a deal back in 2013.
“What we are demanding is respect of European norms and dialogue,” said Vucic at a special press conference dedicated to Kosovo. “We do not want war.”
Many Serbs consider Kosovo a historic heartland and refuse to acknowledge its split from Serbia. Kosovo is overwhelmingly ethnic Albanian while minority Serbs live mostly in the north and in smaller communities in central Kosovo.
Ethnic Serb lawmakers, judges, and police officers in northern Kosovo resigned en masse in November 2022 in protest over the dismissal of a police officer by Kosovo authorities.
Last year, a gunfight following an incursion by heavily armed Serb gunmen killed a Kosovo policeman and three Serb gunmen in the most serious incident since the war in the 1990s. Kosovo prosecutors this week charged 45 people over the shootout, including a close ally of Vucic.
Vucic said Serbia will continue to assist ethnic Serbs in Kosovo socially and financially. He accused the EU and the U.S. of siding with Kosovo, announcing he would write to U.S. President Joe Biden, Russia’s President Vladimir Putin and top EU officials and other world leaders over the current crisis.
EU officials have told Serbia and Kosovo they must normalize ties in order to advance in their bids to join the 27-nation bloc. Belgrade maintains also close relations with Russia and China, which have backed its claim on Kosovo.
Vucic’s speech was dominated by his trademark anti-Western rhetoric that he uses when speaking at home.
There are widespread fears that Russia is using its traditional ally Serbia to inflame tensions in Europe in part to defuse attention from its invasion of Ukraine.
Zagreb, Croatia (DT) – Croatia has experienced a remarkable surge in tourism this year, with the Croatian National Tourist Board (CNTB) reporting 16.9 million tourist arrivals in 2024.
This substantial increase from the previous year highlights Croatia’s rising status as a premier travel destination in Europe.
The booming tourism sector has become a crucial element of the Croatian economy, driving job creation, economic growth, and infrastructure development nationwide.
Tourism Trends and Top 10 most popular destinations in Croatia
Zagreb
Dubrovnik
Split
Rovinj
Poreč
Zadar
Umag
Opatija
Pula
Medulin
The rise in tourist arrivals in Croatia can be attributed to the growing appeal of its diverse attractions, including the stunning Adriatic coastline, rich cultural heritage, and charming islands.
According to the Croatian National Tourist Board (CNTB), most visitors in 2024 came from Germany, Slovenia, Austria, and Poland, with increasing numbers from the United Kingdom and the United States.
Aerial view of the Roman amphitheater, the city of Pula in Istria, Croatia (Photo: Unsplash)
Top destinations include Dubrovnik, Split, and Zagreb, as well as the Istrian and Dalmatian coastlines. Dubrovnik, known as the “Pearl of the Adriatic,” continues to captivate tourists with its medieval architecture, vibrant history, and crystal-clear waters.
Split attracts visitors with its historic Diocletian’s Palace and lively nightlife, while Zagreb offers a blend of cultural exploration and urban experiences.
Croatia’s islands, such as Hvar, Brač, Korčula, and Vis, draw tourists with their pristine beaches, unspoiled nature, and exclusive resorts. The Istrian Peninsula, with its blend of Italian and Croatian influences, is popular for its culinary delights, wine-tasting opportunities, and seaside relaxation.
Walls of Ston
Often referred to as the “European Great Wall of China,” the Ston Walls are an impressive series of fortifications stretching 5.5 km around the town of Ston and linking it to neighboring Mali Ston. Construction began in the mid-14th century and was completed in the 15th century, featuring 40 smaller towers and 5 fortresses.
Ston is also a prime destination for food enthusiasts, renowned for its exceptional oysters, which are cultivated in the nearby Mali Ston Bay.
Dubrovnik beach
Many visitors come to Dubrovnik in search of the perfect beach holiday and with crystal clear waters and nearly perfect weather from May to October, most will have no problem finding it. However, some first-time visitors are surprised to find that Dubrovnik does not offer the kind of white, sandy beaches that are found at many other holiday destinations.
Dubrovnik beach. Photo : TRHE
Beaches in Dubrovnik and along the Dalmatian coast are generally comprised of small pebbles and rocks whose surfaces have been rounded by the tides. Often, what many locals call “beaches” are merely concrete slabs or large rocks from which swimmers can enter the sea. For those that require at least a pebble beach with a gradual slope to the sea, the following is a list of recommended local Dubrovnik beaches.
The glowing church of St. Euphemia overlooking the city of Rovinj (Photo: Unsplash)
Economic Effects of Tourism on Croatia
Tourism is a vital pillar of the Croatian economy, making a significant contribution to GDP.
The rise in tourist arrivals has led to increased revenue for the hospitality, accommodation, and transport sectors, spurring further investments in tourism infrastructure.
The Ministry of Tourism and Sports highlights the government’s commitment to sustainable tourism development, ensuring that Croatia’s natural and cultural resources are preserved for future generations.
Additionally, the Ministry has introduced initiatives to promote year-round tourism, encouraging visitors to explore Croatia outside the peak seasons. This approach has been crucial in distributing tourism benefits more evenly across lesser-known regions and alleviating pressure on popular destinations during the busy summer months.
The United Nations has allocated 15 million U.S. dollars for an urgent response to the devastating flooding that has affected more than 700,000 people in South Sudan, an official said Thursday
JUBA, South Sudan (DT/Xinhua) – The United Nations has allocated 15 million U.S. dollars for an urgent response to the devastating flooding that has affected more than 700,000 people in South Sudan, an official said Thursday.
Anita Kiki Gbeho, the UN humanitarian coordinator for South Sudan, said 10 million dollars from the UN Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) will be used to provide critical assistance to those affected by severe flooding across five highly impacted counties in South Sudan.
Gbeho also released an additional five million dollars from the South Sudan Humanitarian Fund to complement the 10 million dollars from CERF, aimed at bolstering critical response pipelines and frontline services. “Floodwaters are already devastating lives and livelihoods across South Sudan,” she said in a statement issued in Juba, the capital of South Sudan.
“Homes, crops, and critical infrastructure have been destroyed, leaving communities without access to essential services such as healthcare and education, and displacing people,” Gbeho added.
A child is seen at a temporary camp hosting flood victims in Mangalla, South Sudan, Oct. 23, 2020. (Xinhua/Gale Julius)
As of Thursday, more than 735,000 people in 38 of South Sudan’s 78 counties, including the Abyei Administrative Area, have been affected by the flooding, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
The OCHA said that the CERF funding will enable frontline humanitarian partners to deliver life-saving services in health, shelter, non-food items, and water, sanitation, and hygiene support to vulnerable communities already reeling from the devastating effects of the flooding.
South Sudan is facing unprecedented flooding, with forecasts predicting above-average rainfall, river flows from Uganda, and potentially record-breaking floods.
The joint flood preparedness and response plan, developed by the government, the UN and other partners, aims to assist 2.4 million people. It also identifies 20 high-risk counties across Warrap, Upper Nile, Unity, Jonglei/Greater Pibor Administrative Area, Lakes, Central Equatoria, and Northern Bahr el Ghazal states as priority areas for intervention.
Many of these areas are already grappling with the compounded impact of past floods, ongoing conflict, mass displacement, and acute food insecurity, further exacerbated by the ongoing crisis in neighboring Sudan.
