Blog
News

Three teens injured in Saranda car accident

An accident was recorded late on Tuesday evening in Saranda, where three teenagers were injured.  Vehicle they were traveling in, went off the road and they ended up in the stream and were immediately transported to the Saranda hospital. On its part, the Police blocked the vehicle, which is suspected …

Read More
News

“Temple” operation, 3 arrested in Tirana

Three people have been arrested following the police anti-drug operation codenamed “Temple”. Bruno Xhaferaj, Agron Mema and Rediol Mekolli, were caught on “Papa John Paul II” street, with 310 doses of cocaine ready for sale. Doses of cocaine were seized together with 5 mobile phones. From the verifications carried out, …

Read More
News

Albania requests Turkey to extradite Dritan Rexhepi

Albania sent this Wednesday a request to Turkey for the extradition of Dritan Rexhepi, who was arrested a week ago in Istanbul. “The Ministry of Justice informs you that today, on 22.11.2023, it forwarded to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to be sent to the Ministry of Justice of Turkey, …

Read More
News

Names of arrested by SPAK order in Tirana operation revealed

The names of 11 persons for whom a security measure was issued by order of SPAK are released. One of the most wanted is the emir of Ervin Mata, who is thought to be outside Albania. He is accused of being a structured criminal group, drug trafficking and carrying out …

Read More
News

Interior Minister welcomes operation for former police official’s arrest

Interior Minister, Taulant Balla has reacted this Tuesday regarding the action carried out on Monday by order of the Special Prosecutor’s Office (SPAK), where arrest warrants were issued for the former director of Tirana Police and 10 other people, while the son has been declared wanted. Through a post on …

Read More
News

TNT blast recorded in Tirana’s Lapraka area

A blast was recorded this Tuesday morning in a business in Lapraka around 04.50, on “Dritan Hoxha” street. From the preliminary data, there are suspicions that a quantity of explosive material exploded and as a result of the explosion, the windows of a nearby business were damaged. On its part, …

Read More
News

‘Partizani’ file/ Security measure for Berisha remains in force, his son-in-law Jamarber Malltezi is released

The appeal of GJKKO has decided this Tuesday not to change the security measures for former Prime Minister Sali Berisha, who will have to appear before the prosecutor’s office and will be banned from leaving the country. The court decided for Malltez, the security measure “House arrest”. At the end …

Read More
News

Greek Minister to visit Beleri in prison

Greece’s Minister of State, Stavros Papastavrou, is expected to meet this Tuesday with the elected mayor of Himara, Fredi Beleri, who is in prison. According to the Greek media, the meeting is expected to take place at noon today in the prison of Durrës, where Beleri has been held for …

Read More
News

Operation in Tirana/ Are revealed the name of 11 arrested. The charges against them

The names of 11 persons for whom a security measure was issued by order of SPAK are released. One of the most wanted is the emir of Ervin Mata, who is thought to be outside Albania. He is accused of being a structured criminal group, drug trafficking and carrying out …

Read More
News

Opposition warns to block session as parliament convenes to discuss 2024 budget

Albania’s Assembly will convene this Monday, although the opposition has warned that it will block the plenary session again. This plenary session is scheduled to start at 10:00 a.m. in a marathon session where the 2024 budget will be discussed and approved, while the opposition has opposed this budget. Meanwhile, …

Read More
News
Week in Review: Boom and Bust

From politics to the media business, high expectations often go hand-in-hand with disappointments big and small, as our selection of Balkan Insight Premium stories this week shows. Original post Here

News
Battling Graft Charges, Tirana Mayor Stages Online Charm Offensive

When Tirana mayor and Socialist Party rising star Erion Veliaj was arrested on corruption charges, he lashed out against the judiciary. Now he’s running a social media PR campaign to charm the public. Can it work? Original post Here

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

Week in Review: Boom and Bust

From politics to the media business, high expectations often go hand-in-hand with disappointments big and small, as our selection of Balkan Insight Premium stories this week shows. Original post Here

News

Battling Graft Charges, Tirana Mayor Stages Online Charm Offensive

When Tirana mayor and Socialist Party rising star Erion Veliaj was arrested on corruption charges, he lashed out against the judiciary. Now he’s running a social media PR campaign to charm the public. Can it work? Original post Here

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 …