Forty-one environmental organisations from 28 countries have called for a halt to the planned development by Jared Kushner of Albania’s Sazan island as a luxury resort, saying it threatens the valuable biodiversity of the area. Original post Here

Kosovo, Bulgaria and Turkey have signed the Board of Peace Charter, under Donald Trump’s auspices, but several other Balkan countries are still pondering whether to join the initiative. Original post Here

Balkan countries are continuing to sacrifice their remaining clean river stretches to development and pollution, a new assessment warns. Original post Here

The Bulgarian mystic’s doomy predictions continue to grab headlines in Albania and elsewhere – even though many seem fabricated and sometimes appear to serve Russian geopolitical narratives. Original post Here

Tirana, 21.01.2026 – Research on disability has increasingly moved into the centre of international scientific and policy discussions, reflecting broader debates about inclusion, quality of life and access to public space. Against this wider backdrop, the King Salman Center for Disability Research (KSCDR) has opened nominations for the 4th cycle of …

While Albania’s Edi Rama welcomed an invitation to join Donald Trump’s proposed Board of Peace, Croatia, Slovenia, Romania and Greece merely confirmed that they had received invitations. Original post Here

When the “Choo Choo” Train Never Came It begins with a scene that now feels almost surreal. In 2022, during a staged media event in Tirana, Deputy Prime Minister Belinda Balluku enthusiastically explained to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen that the Tirana–Durrës–Rinas railway would be completed by 2024. …

Catch up on the weekend’s most important developments with Balkan Insight’s digest of news from countries across the region. Original post Here

The United States has once again issued an unusually clear and public warning about the threat posed by Albanian organized crime groups and their links to Latin American drug cartels, framing the issue not only as a criminal challenge but as a direct risk to Albania’s national security and economic …

As the new year gets off to a cold start in the region, our selection of Balkan Insight Premium stories takes a look at the high expectations and sobering realities of what 2026 holds in store. Original post Here