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Vangjush Dako remains under house arrest, Appeal rejects SPAK’s request

The Special Appeal leaves the measure of house arrest for Vangjush Dako unchanged. SPAK demanded the return of the former mayor of Durrës to his cell, while the court released him after the detention period ended. He was arrested last June on charges of abuse of office. Dako was released …

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Unprecedented corruption arrests sweep shakes up Tirana mayor’s leadership

TIRANA, April 8, 2024 – When Tirana Mayor Erion Veliaj returned to work last week after a short stay in hospital for a surgical procedure, he faced a nasty surprise: Most of his top management team at city hall had been arrested on corruption-related charges.  On the orders of the …

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Council of mandates decides Monday over the mandate of Olta Xhaçka

The Council of Regulation, Mandates and Immunity will discuss Monday the mandate of the socialist MP, former minister, Olta Xhaçka. On January 2023, the Constitutional Court decided to close the request of DP that pretended that the mandate of Xhaçka was incompatible with the constitution. Now the council will decided …

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Vlora, is burned the car of the Tax Director

A vehicle was burned during the night in Vlora. The incident was recorded at the old beach area in the coastal town. It is learned that the car was used by the Tax Director  in the municipality of Vlora, Anjeza Shiko. Meanwhile, some people have been accompanied to the police …

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An 18-year old armed arrested in Shkoder

An 18-year-old man was handcuffed in Shkodër, as he was moving around armed. The young man was arrested red-handed in the “Perlat Rexhepi” neighborhood, as part of the “Signal” operation. The Police Services signaled and stopped the vehicle driven by the 18-year-old for checks. In it, they found 1 pistol …

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A 50 year old man arrested on attempted murder

The police have solved the incident that happened on Sunday in Shkodër, where the murder of a 24-year-old man was attempted with a firearm. A 50-year-old man, who is the author of the incident, was arrested. From the investigations, it is suspected that the 50-year-old man, due to a momentary …

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Tirana for two days the center of tourism, over 1.7 million tourists during January-March 2024

For two days, Tirana will be transformed into the European city of tourism. From April 7 to 9, Albania will host the 70th Meeting of the Commission for Europe of the World Tourism Organization, an event of historical importance not only for the field of tourism. Ministers of Tourism and …

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GJKKO leaves in prison Oltion Bistri, the former head of the Operational Forces

The Special Appeal of GJKKO has upheld the “prison arrest” decision for the former head of the Operational Forces Oltion Bistri. He was arrested as part of the “Metamorphosis” operation, while his request for a lighter security measure was rejected. Oltion Bistri was arrested in July last year. The head …

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Tried to bribe police officers, a 40-year old arrested

A 40-year-old man, who was found to be passing wrongly, was arrested by the Police, while after the verification it turned out that he was under the influence of alcohol. After the arrest, the 40-year-old tried to bribe the traffic officers with an amount of 5,000 ALL. The police state …

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Requested the change of the security measure, GJKKO overthrows Ramazan Rraja

The Special Court of Appeals for Corruption and Organized Crime has rejected Ramazan Rraja’s request to change the security measure. Ramazan Rraja was arrested as a person involved in the assassination of the former Durres prosecutor Arjan Ndoj. The attack on the former prosecutor Arjan Ndoj happened on November 1, …

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BIRN Reality Check: Albanian Prosecutors Still Can’t Identify ‘Hazardous Waste’ Cargo

In October 2024, a shipment of containers with suspected hazardous waste was returned to Albania. But prosecutors haven’t yet managed to analyse their contents because they say they’re unable to find the necessary laboratory services. Original post Here

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Expensive Lesson: Italy Weighs Costs of Offshore Migrant Centres in Albania

Already repurposed due to legal challenges, Italy’s asylum centres in Albania cost more than originally planned and much more than similar facilities in Italy itself, offering a potential lesson for other European governments tempted to take the same route. Original post Here

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NATO Summit in The Hague Reaffirms Alliance Unity

Tirana announced as host city for 2027 NATO Summit The Hague, June 25, 2025 — NATO leaders convened today in The Hague for a pivotal summit that reaffirmed the Alliance’s unity amid intensifying global security threats and adopted a transformative new commitment to defense investment, resilience, and innovation. In a …

News
Activists Condemn Secret Migrant Deportations from Albania

Activists have condemned as “illegal” the deportation back to Egypt of five people from an Italian-run migrant holding camp in Albania. Original post Here

News
Albania Aligns Firmly with U.S. in Iran Standoff, Reflecting Decades-Long Strategic Alliance

June 23, 2025 – Tirana Albania has expressed unequivocal support for the United States following its militar.y strikes on three key nuclear sites in Iran, marking a rare moment of bipartisan consensus among the ruling Socialist majority and the opposition Democratic Party. Prime Minister Edi Rama and former Prime Minister …

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Iran Hacks Tirana Municipality in Retaliation Over MEK

By Tirana Times TIRANA, Albania  20 June, 2025— A sophisticated Iranian cyber group has claimed responsibility for a major attack on the official website of Tirana Municipality, disabling online services and disrupting the city’s public registration system for kindergartens and nurseries, authorities confirmed Friday. The hacking group “Homeland Justice,” believed …

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Week in Review: SLAPPs, Surveillance and Smuggling Networks

Our selection of Premium stories this week takes a look at the region’s slow-burning political crises, smuggling networks, digital surveillance and a whole lot more. Original post Here

News
The Israel – Iran conflict in our perspective

by Genc Pollo President of the Pan-Europe Albania   Former Minister and MP 18 June 2025 In the Albanian public debate on the armed conflict between Israel and Iran, a prevailing notion has been the contrast between Israel, a democracy where state power is under constitutional constraints and accountable to …

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Korça Revives Historic Ties with France Through Culture and Vision

By Tirana Times  As the cobblestone streets of Korça echo with French music, scent of Alpine cuisine, and the laughter of children discovering animated French classics, the southeastern Albanian city reaffirms a timeless connection with France—one rooted in history, education, and enduring cultural admiration. From June 14 to 24, Korça …

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Albania’s Demographic Time Bomb: A Silent National Emergency

By Lutfi Dervishi For decades, the most pressing keywords in Albania’s political lexicon were democracy, corruption, and justice. Today, however, the most dangerous threat to the country’s future may lie elsewhere—hidden in plain sight and dangerously underdiscussed: demography. According to the most recent official census, Albania’s population stands at approximately …

News

BIRN Reality Check: Albanian Prosecutors Still Can’t Identify ‘Hazardous Waste’ Cargo

In October 2024, a shipment of containers with suspected hazardous waste was returned to Albania. But prosecutors haven’t yet managed to analyse their contents because they say they’re unable to find the necessary laboratory services. Original post Here

News

Expensive Lesson: Italy Weighs Costs of Offshore Migrant Centres in Albania

Already repurposed due to legal challenges, Italy’s asylum centres in Albania cost more than originally planned and much more than similar facilities in Italy itself, offering a potential lesson for other European governments tempted to take the same route. Original post Here

News

NATO Summit in The Hague Reaffirms Alliance Unity

Tirana announced as host city for 2027 NATO Summit The Hague, June 25, 2025 — NATO leaders convened today in The Hague for a pivotal summit that reaffirmed the Alliance’s unity amid intensifying global security threats and adopted a transformative new commitment to defense investment, resilience, and innovation. In a …

News

Activists Condemn Secret Migrant Deportations from Albania

Activists have condemned as “illegal” the deportation back to Egypt of five people from an Italian-run migrant holding camp in Albania. Original post Here

News

Albania Aligns Firmly with U.S. in Iran Standoff, Reflecting Decades-Long Strategic Alliance

June 23, 2025 – Tirana Albania has expressed unequivocal support for the United States following its militar.y strikes on three key nuclear sites in Iran, marking a rare moment of bipartisan consensus among the ruling Socialist majority and the opposition Democratic Party. Prime Minister Edi Rama and former Prime Minister …

News

Iran Hacks Tirana Municipality in Retaliation Over MEK

By Tirana Times TIRANA, Albania  20 June, 2025— A sophisticated Iranian cyber group has claimed responsibility for a major attack on the official website of Tirana Municipality, disabling online services and disrupting the city’s public registration system for kindergartens and nurseries, authorities confirmed Friday. The hacking group “Homeland Justice,” believed …

News

Week in Review: SLAPPs, Surveillance and Smuggling Networks

Our selection of Premium stories this week takes a look at the region’s slow-burning political crises, smuggling networks, digital surveillance and a whole lot more. Original post Here

News

The Israel – Iran conflict in our perspective

by Genc Pollo President of the Pan-Europe Albania   Former Minister and MP 18 June 2025 In the Albanian public debate on the armed conflict between Israel and Iran, a prevailing notion has been the contrast between Israel, a democracy where state power is under constitutional constraints and accountable to …

News

Korça Revives Historic Ties with France Through Culture and Vision

By Tirana Times  As the cobblestone streets of Korça echo with French music, scent of Alpine cuisine, and the laughter of children discovering animated French classics, the southeastern Albanian city reaffirms a timeless connection with France—one rooted in history, education, and enduring cultural admiration. From June 14 to 24, Korça …

News

Albania’s Demographic Time Bomb: A Silent National Emergency

By Lutfi Dervishi For decades, the most pressing keywords in Albania’s political lexicon were democracy, corruption, and justice. Today, however, the most dangerous threat to the country’s future may lie elsewhere—hidden in plain sight and dangerously underdiscussed: demography. According to the most recent official census, Albania’s population stands at approximately …