About 25,000 undeclared euro seized in Kakavija border
A 26-year-old man was criminally prosecuted this Friday at the Kakavija Border Point, after he tried to enter Greece with 24,800 euros, which he did not declare. Following the procedural actions for this case, the amount of money was seized and the materials were referred to the Prosecutor’s Office, where …
Albanian ‘King of Cocaine’ arrested in Istanbul
New details have been learned for the arrest of Dritan Rexhepi, described as the head of the drug cartel. ABC News reporter Ervin Leka reports that Rexhepi entered Turkey from Istanbul airport with a Colombian passport, registered under the name Benjamin Omar Perez Garcia. The Minister of Internal Affairs of …
Democrat MPs clashed at European Integration committee
Parliamentary commissions would take place online this Friday, excluding the one for European Integration, but this changed due to tensions in the Assembly’s headquarters. During the proceedings, there was a clash between two democratic MPs, Dashnor Sula from Sali Berisha’s group and Kreshnik Çollak from the official Democratic Party (DP). …
Woman involved in ex-mayor’s sex scandal appears at SPAK
Woman who was involved in a video with Safet Gjici having sexual intercourse in the latter’s office, while holding the position of the mayor of Kukës, Alma Kaçi arrived this Friday at the premises of the Special Prosecutor’s Office (SPAK). Special Prosecution will officially communicate the accusation of active corruption …
270 tons of larvae-infested rice blocked in Durres port
A quantity of 270 tons of rice, which came from Vietnam, has been blocked in the Port of Durrës on Friday. After the analyzes carried out by the National Food Authority (NFA), it turned out that the rice had larvae. However, it is not yet known whether the amount of …
Albanians continue to show overwhelming support for NATO as they worry about armed conflict in Kosovo and Russia’s meddling – AIIS survey
National survey by the Albanian Institute for International Studies also indicates most people in Albania want better military preparedness. Support for Ukraine following Russian aggression there also continues to be strong among Albanians. TIRANA, Nov. 10, 2023 – Albanians maintain a strong commitment to their country’s NATO membership, with 81 …
Op/Ed: 2.3 million Palestinians from Gaza to Albania!
Biting satire by LUTFI DERVISHI One of the world’s most complicated conflicts, the Arab-Israeli conflict, could be resolved by Albania. It’s not just about offering ideas, which we’ve never lacked, but it’s about a practical solution: Europeanizing the Palestinians. Albania can offer that 2.3 million Palestinians from Gaza come and …
Op/Ed: Is the controversial Albania-Italy deal an anti-migration publicity stunt?
By ANDI BALLA The recent Albania-Italy bilateral deal aimed at processing irregular migrants and refugees rescued in the Mediterranean in camps within Albanian territory under Italian extraterritorial jurisdiction has sparked intense debate in both countries and beyond. However, a closer examination of the deal reveals some critical points that call …
EC report on Albania based on EU’s political agenda, economic convergence
European Union Ambassador in Tirana, Luigi Soreca and Deputy Prime Minister Belinda Balluku introduced this Thursday the European Commission Report for Albania 2023. During his speech, Soreca stated that this package of the European Commission Report is based on two very important political developments, such as the expansion of the …
Deputy PM comments migration agreement signed by government
Deputy Prime Minister Belinda Balluku has commented on the agreement signed by the Albanian government with the Italian state for the establishment of two camps in Lezhë for housing immigrants. Balluku said that Albanian politicians deal with the skin colour of the immigrants who will be temporarily sheltered in Albania, …
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
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
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
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
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 …
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
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 …
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 …
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
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 …