Minister: Tourism, our best ambassador for 2023
The Minister of Tourism, Mirela Kumbaro, developed this Saturday the balance sheet for 2023, while she stated that tourism adjusted the country’s image. Kumbaro said that throughout 2023, Albania has been visited by tourists from all continents, while he added that the average number of nights of stay also increased. …
Op/Ed: Is Albania slipping into a one-party system?
The head of Albania’s opposition, Sali Berisha(1), Albania’s former President and a former two-term Prime Minister, was arrested on Saturday, Dec. 30, 2023. Mr. Berisha’s arrest follows a two-year period of dramatic developments for the Democratic Party, which has been in opposition since 2013. Led by Lulzim Basha, DP lost …
Four inmates to be put in ’41 Bis’ regime after trying to escape prison
General Directorate of Prisons has made a request to place Dan Hutra and the other three, Martin Kapllani, Geraldo Veizaj and Feti Kovaçi in the special 41 Biss regime after they tried to escape from Fier prison. According to the information, Hutra and the other three had started the plan …
Kidnapping prevented in Saranda, four arrested
A criminal event has been prevented in Saranda, as announced this Friday. Four people had planned the kidnapping of a 49-year-old man at gunpoint, for weak motives. On Thursday, on “Skënderbeu” street, in district no. 1, the services of the Sarandë Police Station have stopped the “BMW” type vehicle, in …
Police officers check former PM Berisha’s house
Police officers went this Friday to the apartment of former Prime Minister Sali Berisha. Based on the procedure, the police will verify the implementation of the security measure by Berisha. Special Court toughened the measure against the former prime minister by accepting the request of SPAK, which is investigating him …
Cyprus, Albanian caught with over 40 kg of drugs
Cypriot police arrested a young Albanian man and seized about 42 kg of marijuana, as announced Friday. This operation took place in a village of Larnaca in Cyprus, where the vehicle driven by a 21-year-old Albanian resident of Larnaca was stopped for inspection. Inside his vehicle, the police found and …
Young driver arrested after crashing truck on Librazhd-Elbasan road
The 20-year-old man who hit the truck on Thursday with his car on “Librazhd-Elbasan” road segment has been remanded into custody, as announced Friday. As a result, the young man himself and the passenger traveling with him were injured. In the meantime, the procedural materials were passed to the Prosecution …
Serbian flag found by police in North of Kosovo
Kosovo Police declared that they seized weapons, which were placed near a flag of Serbia, during a patrol in the village of Banjské in Zveçan, in the northern part of the country. In the latest 24-hour report, the Police said that, during the patrol on January 4, they “found and …
Man kills own brother in Tirana shooting
Shots were fired Thursday morning in the area of Fresk in Tirana. Based on the initial data, two people were killed. The brother shot the brother and then killed himself. However, other details about this event are still unknown, while an official response from the police is expected. /abcnews.al […] Read …
Names of Tirana shooting’s victims revealed
A serious domestic crime happened on Thursday morning in the area of Fresco in Tirana. Vehap Cami, 63 years old, shot his brother, Lulëzim Cami, 69 years old, with a firearm. Then the 63-year-old committed suicide. The serious incident happened in the apartment of the 69-year-old man on “John Belushi” …
As the new year gets off to a cold start in the region, our selection of Balkan Insight Premium stories takes a look at the high expectations and sobering realities of what 2026 holds in store. Original post Here
Critics warn of deepening inequality, impunity and potential money-laundering exposure. Tirana Times, January 16,2025 – Albania’s newly adopted “fiscal peace” package framed by the government as a reset of relations between businesses and the tax authorities, has sparked sharp criticism from economists, business associations, the opposition and international observers. Although …
Opinion articles under the pseudonym ‘Endri Kajsiu’ have for years promoted pro-government narratives in the Albanian media – leading some to wonder if the author could even be the prime minister. Original post Here
Tirana Times, January 15, 2026 – Albania’s banking sector enters 2026 with growing caution, as banks operating in the country anticipate an increase in non performing loans despite strong demand for credit. According to the latest CESEE Banking Lending Survey conducted by the European Investment Bank for the second half …
After the US paused visa processing for 75 countries, including Albania, the opposition in Tirana has accused the government of getting the country put on Trump’s “blacklist”. Original post Here
Saudi Arabia welcomes Washington’s decision and reaffirms joint stance against extremism Tirana Times, January, 14, 2026 – The United States has officially designated branches of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, Jordan and Lebanon as terrorist organizations, marking a major shift in Washington’s approach toward political Islamist movements. The announcement immediately drew …
Albania included among weak or failing states despite being a NATO member Tirana, Tirana Times, 14 January 2026 – Washington’s decision to suspend U.S. visa processing for Albania, effective January 21 and for an indefinite period, marks one of the strongest diplomatic signals sent to Tirana in years. Albania has …
In the Western Balkans, “security” is rarely an abstract concept. It is encountered as a lived condition, shaped by memory, geography and a persistent awareness that stability can erode when trust is thin. Security, in this context, is not discussed only in strategic documents or institutional language, but reasoned through …
Albania’s government is poised to waive business tax debts more than a decade old, as part of what it says is a reset in relations between the tax authorities and businesses. Critics say it is unfair on those who have played by the rules. Original post Here
Catch up on the weekend’s most important developments with Balkan Insight’s digest of news from countries across the region. Original post Here