BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — A severe hail storm ripped up trees and roofs in Croatia on Tuesday, while an empty tourist boat sank when it was hit by a ferry that broke its moorings in the Adriatic Sea port of Split.
Elsewhere, hundreds of fires raged in neighboring Serbia following a period of extremely hot weather in parts of the Balkan region.
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A boat looks submerged in the harbor in Split, Croatia, Tuesday, July 8, 2025, following a powerful storm. (AP Photo/Tom Dubravec)
A car and boats are damaged in Split, Croatia, Tuesday, July 8, 2025, following a powerful storm. (AP Photo/Tom Dubravec)
A fireman removes debris from a street in Split, Croatia, Tuesday, July 8, 2025, following a powerful storm. (AP Photo/Tom Dubravec)
Boats are seen damaged in Split, Croatia, Tuesday, July 8, 2025, following a powerful storm. (AP Photo/Tom Dubravec)
A brief but powerful storm hit Split, with strong winds and hail damaging the roof of the city's Poljud soccer stadium. A ferry in the port became loose and was blown by winds into two other moored vessels, one of which sank.
At least three people were injured in the storm, which cause severe damage across the city. Photos carried by Croatian media showed downed trees and flooded streets.
The Index news portal said that offices and the playing pitch at the Poljud stadium were damaged, as well as the roof. The report quoted the Split meteorological service as saying that “such storms are usual after a long period of heat with extremely hot days.”
Previously, Croatia and the rest of the Balkans experienced a heat wave with temperatures reaching 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) and more. Meteorologists said the storms prefigured cooler days ahead with temperatures set to drop to around 20 degrees Celsius (68 Fahrenheit) in some areas.
The weather service in neighboring Slovenia said on Tuesday that snow fell at high altitudes in the Alps while the rest of the country has been pounded with heavy rain and hail.
After battering Croatia, the storm later swept through Bosnia and Serbia, briefly disrupting air travel at the airport in Belgrade, Serbia's capital. Videos posted on social networks showed a crane falling at a construction site in Belgrade.
At least one person has been injured in Belgrade, doctors said.
But rain was welcome in Serbia, where firefighters battled more than 600 wild fires on Monday that injured six people. Serbia has been hit by a severe drought this summer that has endangered crops and led to restrictions in supplies of drinking water throughout the country.
Serbian police late on Monday urged residents to be very cautious as dry and hot weather increases chances of wild fires. At least three municipalities in southern parts of the country declared emergency measures due to the fires.
“Many villages were jeopardized. We have a number of burnt and damaged properties but we have managed to save many too,” senior emergency official Nedeljko Gagic told state-run RTS television.
Serbia's meteorological institute has also warned on low water levels on the two biggest rivers in the country, the Danube and the Sava, as well as smaller ones.
Experts say that extreme weather conditions can be linked to climate change. Extremely hot weather and wild fires were reported throughout Europe in early July.
A boat looks submerged in the harbor in Split, Croatia, Tuesday, July 8, 2025, following a powerful storm. (AP Photo/Tom Dubravec)
A car and boats are damaged in Split, Croatia, Tuesday, July 8, 2025, following a powerful storm. (AP Photo/Tom Dubravec)
A fireman removes debris from a street in Split, Croatia, Tuesday, July 8, 2025, following a powerful storm. (AP Photo/Tom Dubravec)
Boats are seen damaged in Split, Croatia, Tuesday, July 8, 2025, following a powerful storm. (AP Photo/Tom Dubravec)
HANOI, Vietnam--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan 13, 2026--
FPT, through its global IT services subsidiary FPT Software, has achieved ISO/IEC 42001:2023, the first global standard for Artificial Intelligence (AI) Management Systems. With this milestone, FPT became the first company in Vietnam and the second in Southeast Asia to earn this recognition, underscoring its commitment to responsible AI development and deployment with consideration for fairness and impartiality, privacy and security, safety, quality and robustness, governance, transparency and explainability.
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260112494011/en/
The certification was issued by the world’s leading testing, inspection and certification company SGS and qualified by ANAB (ANSI National Accreditation Board) - a leading U.S. accreditation body with global recognition. ISO/IEC 42001 specifies requirements for establishing, implementing, maintaining, and continually improving AI management systems, allowing organizations to effectively manage risks and opportunities associated with AI, balancing innovation with compliance.
Achieving ISO/IEC 42001:2023 reflects FPT’s capability in AI governance, encompassing ethics, risk management, transparency, compliance, and ensuring alignment with both business goals and societal values. It also strengthens FPT’s position as a trusted technology partner for global organizations, especially those in highly regulated industries such as banking and financial services, automotive, healthcare, energy, and the public sector. The milestone further solidifies FPT’s position as an AI-first company, strengthening its foundation for scaling AI responsibly while helping clients navigate evolving regulatory, ethical, and operational challenges associated with AI adoption.
“As an AI-first company, we pledge to prioritize safety, ethics and accountability at every stage of our AI lifecycle. By continuously governing AI development and implementation processes, we provide our clients and partners with the assurance that our solutions are built with responsibility, transparency and adhere to international excellence,” said Dao Duy Cuong, FPT Software EVP and Chief Digital & Technology Officer, FPT Corporation.
FPT actively promotes responsible AI development as a founding member of the AI Alliance led by IBM and Meta, and the Vietnam Ethical AI Committee. The company is committed to embedding rigorous AI governance across its global operations and solution portfolio, including its flagship AI platform FleziPT, which boosts productivity by 30%, accelerates development by 60% and reduces 50% in rework. The company also maintains co-creation partnerships with global leaders like AWS, Microsoft, SAP, and NVIDIA to deliver tailored solutions for industry-specific challenges. Supporting these efforts is a workforce of over 25,000 AI-augmented, globally certified engineers, and world-class infrastructure including cutting-edge AI Factories in Vietnam and Japan, which have been ranked among the world’s Top 40 fastest supercomputers. Expanding its AI footprint, FPT is developing a new Research Center in Gia Lai Province, Vietnam, which is expected to become a critical component of its global AI development network, supporting high-quality talent cultivation for both the local community and the nation.
About FPT
FPT Corporation (FPT) is a globally leading technology and IT services provider headquartered in Vietnam, operating in three core sectors: Technology, Telecommunications, and Education. Over more than three decades, FPT has consistently delivered impactful solutions to millions of individuals and tens of thousands of organizations worldwide. As an AI-first company, FPT is committed to elevating Vietnam’s position on the global tech map and delivering world-class AI-enabled solutions for global enterprises. FPT focuses on three critical transformations: Digital Transformation, Intelligence Transformation, and Green Transformation. In 2024, FPT reported a total revenue of USD 2.47 billion and a workforce of over 54,000 employees across its core businesses. For more information about FPT's global IT services, please visit https://fptsoftware.com.
FPT received ISO/IEC 42001:2023 certification during the certification award ceremony in Hanoi, Vietnam
