Zagreb - Croatia's efforts to deal with corruption in prisons suffered a hard blow Wednesday after a local daily published a price list of "services" provided in jails.

Croatian daily Slobodna Dalmacija reported, quoting "prison sources" that for a certain price, prisoners in Croatian jails can move to a minimal security prison, or get a better cell or job.

The price list ranges from 2,000 to 50,000 euros (2,800 to 70,450 dollars) depending on what one's needs. The "services" are arranged through lawyers and not upon arrival in prison, a source said.

Zagreb  - Demonstrations were held in cities across Croatia on Friday evening to protest the government's newest cost-saving efforts.

Protestors criticized the government cuts for impacting poor people disproportionately and accused the ruling parties and the opposition of mafia contacts. Demonstrators demanded lower food prices and more jobs.

Zagreb- Branko Ivankovic has quit as coach of quit Croatian football champions Dinamo Zagreb, two days before a big UEFA Cup game against Spartak Moscow, the club said on Tuesday.

"We talked daily and decided that the path we were heading is not good so we decided mutually to go separate ways. We just weren't happy - neither the club nor the coach," Dinamo's sport director Zoran Mamic told journalists in Zagreb.

Zagreb - Croatian President Stjepan Mesic is under fire for saying the state, facing the financial crisis, should save money on military funerals for war veterans, local media reported Tuesday.

"Five veteran funerals each day. The army must send a platoon with full honours, with salvoes, with pay, with wreaths," Mesic said in a regular morning radio interview.

"It means 13,000 soldiers go out each year - we can find something to save there, like to say farewell to soldiers with a wreath," he said.

Zagreb - Croatian authorities on Tuesday welcomed the ruling by the International Court of Justice that it has jurisdiction to hear a claim by Croatia that Serbia committed genocide during the 1991-95 war.

President Stjepan Mesic told state television HTV that he was expecting such a ruling and that he hoped Croatia would win the trial.

"We won in round one. Now we have round two and that is to prove genocide in Croatia," Minister of Justice Ivan Simonovic told daily 24sata. "I'm positive that we have strong arguments," he said.

Zagreb - Croatian Prime Minister Ivo Sanader on Wednesday welcomed the European Union's decision to name the target date for Croatia's completion of accession talks as its "international affirmation."

"That is that path, from first free elections, over referendum on independence, defence of the country and victory in the fatherland war, reconstruction and, finally, to international affirmation of Croatia," he said, referring to the period since his country split from former Yugoslavia in 1991.