Week in Review: Alarm Bells and Struggles
Across the region, our selection of this week’s Balkan Insight Premium stories suggests that alarm bells are going off in many countries – and not only because of the wildfires. Original post Here
With Investment Favours, Albania’s Government Chips Away at Media Freedom
The owners of the biggest broadcasters in Albania have all benefitted from ‘strategic investor’ status granted by the government for other projects, raising doubts about editorial independence. Original post Here
Albania Battles Deadly Wildfires Amid Heatwave
TIRANA, Albania (Tirana Times) , August 13,2025— Fierce wildfires swept across Albania this week, killing one person, injuring at least 10 and forcing mass evacuations from southern towns to central mountain villages, as much of the Mediterranean battles deadly blazes fueled by extreme summer heat. Authorities said more than 10,000 …
News24 TV’s Shutdown in Albania Sends a Worrying Signal
The Albanian police’s action – forcing the country’s largest news broadcaster off air without a court order – sets an alarming precedent. Original post Here
Alarm in Albania at Proposed Criminal Code Changes; Govt Denies Involvement
Albania wants to align its Criminal Code with EU law, but critics, including media associations, say a proposed draft falls far short – and could limit press freedom. Original post Here
Media Unions Criticise Albanian Police Operation Targeting TV Station
Media organisations say Albanian police action, surrounding the News 24 TV station building and seizing journalists’ computers amid a property dispute with a government ministry, is ‘heavy-handed’ and lacks a clear legal basis. Original post Here
News 24 Raid and Blackout: Press Freedom or Property Dispute?
Tirana Times, 11 August, 2025 The forcible shutdown of Albania’s leading all-news television channel, News 24, and the blockade of the Focus Media Group headquarters by police and later military forces on August 9 has ignited national and international debate about press freedom, political retaliation, and the limits of state …
Monday Briefing from the Balkans: August 11, 2025
Catch up on the weekend’s most important developments with Balkan Insight’s digest of news from countries across the region. Original post Here
European Raids Hit Albanian Cartel, Millions Laundered in Resorts
Tirana Times,August 08,2025 — A massive Albanian-run cocaine trafficking syndicate, accused of moving 28 tons of the drug from Latin America to European ports and laundering its profits in luxury resorts and real estate in Albania, has been dismantled in a multinational operation. The breakthrough, announced Friday by Albania’s Special …
Anti-Mafia Law Is Only on Paper?
The dismantling of a 28-ton cocaine trafficking network, led by Albanian nationals and operating on a global scale, should have been a triumph for Albania’s justice system. Yet the uncomfortable truth is that this success was imported. It was European law enforcement — from Belgium to Italy — armed with …
Albania‘s High Prosecution Council chooses Klodian Braho as new head of the Special Prosecution Against Corruption and Organised Crime – a body with the tough task of tackling high-level graft. Original post Here
Environmentalist Ardian Koci was awarded the 2025 EuroNatur Award for his campaigning conservation work in Albania – but he had already left the country after being fired by the Environment Ministry for speaking his mind. Original post Here
By Tirana Times Tirana Times, December 10,2025. 10KSA arrived in Tirana through a special awareness-raising event organized by the Embassy of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, marking the first introduction in Albania of one of the world’s most recognized global initiatives for preventive health and community empowerment. Deputy Ambassador Ahmed …
SPAK could move toward a harsher measure against the suspended deputy prime minister, including a request for house arrest or detention. Tirana Times – December 9, 2025 The suspension from office of Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Infrastructure and Energy Belinda Balluku has pushed Albania into one of the …
Judges Association claims that Edi Rama’s attacks on court decision to suspend Deputy Prime Minister Belinda Balluku over legal allegations are designed to undermine faith in the Albanian judiciary. Original post Here
By Genc Pollo On the Commissioner’s satisfaction The statement by Mrs. Marta Kos, European Commissioner for Enlargement, that the general elections in Albania this May were free and fair, but we welcome suggestions for their improvement” rightly caused surprise, irritation and was condemned by the opposition. Fortunately, on Monday the …
Saudi Arabia and the Rise of a New Human-Centered Diplomacy When National Transformation Becomes a Global Movement for Life There are moments when an initiative that begins as a simple community project transforms into a global movement. Moments when awareness campaigns cross the boundaries of public messaging and become part …
Anti-poverty NGO ActionAid has filed a complaint to the Court of Auditors in Italy over the 133 million euro cost of two migrant detention centres in Albania as part of a controversial asylum offshoring deal between Rome and Tirana. Original post Here
By Tirana Times Staff Tirana, 3 December 2025 — The Embassy of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in Albania today organized in Tirana the central event marking the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, a broad awareness-raising activity that brought together around 250 children with disabilities from several cities across …
In the second of BIRN’s series about women’s wartime activism, Midheta Kaloper explains how she survived sexual violence during the Bosnian war and now helps other survivors to fight for their rights – and bring the perpetrators to justice. Original post Here