BIRN reported in 2022 on the scourge of pollution in the area of Albania’s oldest oilfield. A subsequent inspection resulted in a 10,000-euro fine for the culprit, but the leaks continue. Original post Here

It’s late July 2024 in Albania. An ever-present heat weighs down the air around you. Summers always get hot, but this time, it feels more draining than before. You’ve cranked the AC in your house, so the inside is safe. One step through those doors, however, and you’re right back …

From Budapest to Ankara, online freedoms are being compromised by government legislation, emerging technologies and tech giant algorithms, says BIRN’s new annual report on digital rights violations in Central and Southeast Europe. Original post Here

National laws may be compliant with international standards but weak oversight, corruption and cash economies hamper an effective battle against money-laundering, says the author of a new report on illicit finance in the Western Balkans. Original post Here

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

In his new book, political scientist Ermal Hasimja says Albanians have deliberately decided to ‘forget’ the criminal nature of the country’s former communist regime, as a kind of defence mechanism. Original post Here

After being freed from house arrest, the opposition Democratic Party leader Sali Berisha demanded the formation of a new ‘technical’ caretaker government to steer the country ahead of 2025 elections. Original post Here

The son of an army general in communist Albania, Robert Budina was part of the student protests that helped bring down the regime, only to flee to Italy on an overcrowded boat. The experience has informed his work ever since. Original post Here

Prosecutors are investigating an Elbasan-based organised crime group that trafficked drugs from Latin America and whose suspected members and associates include a former judge, a senior police official and two journalists. Original post Here

The state promised everyone left homeless by a 2019 earthquake a new home in 2020. Some are still living in squalor. Original post Here