SPAK seizes the company of businessman Ilir Rrapaj
SPAK seizes 40% of the Sani Servis Company owned by businessman Ilir Rrapaj. A company based in Kosovo has also been seized, as well as 13 vehicles owned by Rrapaj. Also two bank accounts in the value of 285,412.48 Euro and another with 113,610.93 ALL were seized. Also, in the …
Begaj meeting with Minister Hasani: We discussed the situation in the region and pensions with Italy
The President of the country, Bajram Begaj, through a post on the social network Facebook, announces that he has held a meeting with the Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Igli Hasan. They discussed the situation in the region, the conclusion of the Social Security Agreement with Italy, as well …
Albanian doctor jailed for child trafficking and pornography
The heart surgeon doctor was left in prison by the court. Hasi was accused of trafficking minors and pornography. A day ago, the doctor Dervish Hasi asked for the postponement of the session for today, to familiarize himself with the documents. He also denied that he sexually abused the minor. …
Tirana, two arrested on drug trafficking charges
Two men have been arrested this Wednesday in Tirana for drug trafficking, police confirmed. The arrested are the citizens J.B. 33-year-old and A.N 22-year-old, both residents of Tirana. They were declared wanted after the court set for them the security measure ‘House Arrest’ for drug trafficking. Tirana Prosecution’s Office will …
Gerdeci File, Court orders police to find Secretary of the Former Minister of Justice
SPAK wants to find and call Anjola Agolli, former secretary of the Minister of Justice, who has not been found, although SPAK has made available a new address for her. Meanwhile, the summons was repeated for the other co-defendants, including Luan Hoxha, Dritan Minxolli and Mihal Delijorgji, who have not …
Concerns over access to official stats grow, as INSTAT tries to recover from cyberattack
TIRANA, Feb. 7, 2024 – Albania’s Institute of Statistics (INSTAT) is grappling with the aftermath of what it says was a sophisticated cyberattack, leaving its official website, instat.gov.al, inaccessible for several days before it went back up with limited access to key databases. While much of the focus of attention …
Albania signs long-awaited social insurance deal with Italy
By JERINA ZALOSHJA-RAKIPI ROME, Feb. 7, 2024 – After years of negotiations, Albania and Italy have signed a long-awaited deal on recognizing each other’s social insurance contributions, which will benefit more than 500,000 Albanian residents in Italy and any Italians who have worked in Albania. “This agreement guarantees at least …
From exile, Albania’s ex deputy PM alleges massive corruption at top of SP leadership
TIRANA, Feb. 6, 2024 – In an lengthy television interview from exile in Switzerland, Albania’s former deputy prime minister, Arben Ahmetaj, has made startling accusations of massive corruption at the top of the country’s ruling Socialist Party, involving misuse of public funds in waste management and other taxpayer-funded projects. The …
Albanian saw quality of life stagnate as rest of region improved, according to EBRD report
TIRANA, Jan. 31, 2024 – A recent report by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has highlighted a stark contrast in the perception of quality of life between Albania and other countries in Southeast Europe and the Western Balkans. While most nations in the region have seen significant …
Chief justice denounces unprecedented disregard from Socialist-controlled parliament over key ruling
TIRANA, Feb. 5, 2024 – In a rare press conference, the head of Albania’s Constitutional Court, Chief Justice Holta Zacaj, has rebuked Albania’s Socialist-controlled parliament for its refusal to adhere to a crucial court ruling regarding the mandate of Socialist MP and former foreign minister Olta Xhacka. Zacaj’s remarks came …
Tirana, Tirana Times, 20 December 2025 – The investigation launched by Albania’s Special Anti-Corruption Prosecution has revealed the existence of a structured criminal group operating within the leadership of the National Agency for Information Society, AKSHI. At the center of the case stand the agency’s director and deputy director, accused …
Tirana, Tirana Times, 19 December 2025 – International Arabic Language Day was commemorated in Tirana through a festive ceremony organized by the Embassy of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in the Republic of Albania, bringing together a broad representation of Albanian state institutions, the diplomatic corps, universities, the academic community, cultural …
Opposition MPs hurled bottles and clashed with guards as the new ruling party-backed Ombudsman took his oath amid heightened tensions sparked by high-level graft cases. Original post Here
Albania’s Edi Rama lashed out at the Hague-based Specialist Chambers war crimes court following a visit to Kosovo’s ex-President Hashim Thaci in detention, calling it a ‘theatre of shame’. Original post Here
In late August 2022, Montenegro’s government digital infrastructure was hit by what officials called an “unprecedented” cyberattack. The disruption was serious enough that parts of the public sector had to fall back on manual workarounds while authorities tried to isolate affected systems. In a region where state capacity is often …
Prime Minister Edi Rama secured a historic fourth term in office and consolidated his rule against a background of ongoing corruption investigations into several politicians from the governing Socialist Party. Original post Here
TIRANA, Tirana Times, December 16, 2025. Each December, apocalyptic headlines resurface across Albanian media warning of global collapse, Europe’s disappearance or the rise of Russian President Vladimir Putin as a world ruler, all attributed to the supposed prophecies of Baba Vanga, a blind Bulgarian mystic who died nearly three decades ago. …
Albania’s Sazan Island project backed by Trump’s son-in-law draws scrutiny over transparency and political motives BELGRADE, Serbia, Tirana Times – Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić said Serbia has suffered a major economic setback after a company owned by Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of U.S. President Donald Trump, withdrew from a planned Trump-branded …
By Ilir Ikonomi One of the most important modern works ever written about Albania’s experience in the Second World War—Bernd Jürgen Fischer’s Albania at War, 1939–1945. This is not just a history book. It is an act of historical rescue. Fischer lifts Albania from the shadows of European historiography and places …
Case Involving Critical State Infrastructure Adds to Albania’s Growing High Level Corruption Crisis Tirana Times – December 16, 2025 Albania’s Special Anti-Corruption Structure, SPAK, in cooperation with the National Bureau of Investigation, BKH, has carried out a large-scale operation targeting an alleged criminal network operating at the highest levels of the …