Minister Hasani in regional tour for deepening of COOP
Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Igli Hasani, will conduct a 3-day regional tour on January 16-18: Kosovo – North Macedonia – Montenegro. Kosovo will be the first stop, where Minister Hasani will be met by homologation Donika Gërvalla, with whom there will also be a press conference, to continue …
Emigration is top economic risk to Albania, says EBRD head
TIRANA, Jan. 14, 2024 – A potential deepening demographic crisis due to the increased emigration of young people is one of the top economic risks Albania faces, according to the head of the European Bank for Development in Albania EBRD’s Ekaterina Solovova emphasized this week the need for concerted efforts …
Albania government reshuffle leaves experts puzzled
TIRANA, Jan. 14, 2024 – Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama has revealed the latest in a series of changes to his cabinet, reshaping two ministries and establishing a new one. The changes feature the establishment of a ministry dedicated to fighting corruption, and a puzzling merging of the economy and …
Two youth arrested, another wanted for trafficking drugs from US via post
Two people have been arrested and a third has been declared wanted after it was discovered that they were trafficking cannabis sattiva narcotics from the USA to Albania using the postal service. Police announced that as a result of the operation, 5 kg of cannabis sativa, with a high percentage …
Elbasan youth arrested after punching, threatening to stab man
A 26-year-old man was arrested after a conflict over trivial motives with a person in the “Haxhias” neighborhood of Elbasan. Police revealed that the young man punched a 63-year-old man and threatened to stab him with a knife. As a result of the quick intervention, carried out as part of …
Man prosecuted for trying to bribe Kakavija border officer
A 40-year-old man has been criminally prosecuted this Sunday after trying to bribe the border police officer in Kakavija. According to the authorities, he offered a 20 EUR bill to the employee to enter Albania without registering. Criminal proceedings started because the 40-year-old tried to bribe the Kakavije PKK Border …
Senior citizen dies in Tirana’s criminal court
A citizen lost his life this Friday in the Criminal Court of Tirana. It is learned that the elderly man was in the court premises where he felt bad and passed away. From the preliminary data, there are doubts that he died as a result of a house arrest. After …
Former minister of Health summoned again by Special Prosecution
Former Minister of Health, Ilir Beqaj, in the investigation for the concession of sterilization of surgical sets, appeared again this Friday morning at 09:00 again to be questioned by the Special Prosecution against Corruption (SPAK). During the summoning to SPAK,. Beqaj was accompanied by his lawyer. Former minister Ilir Beqaj …
Rezart Taci’s italian collaborators to face Special Court for money laundering
Special Prosecution Against Corruption and Organized Crime (SPAK) has closed the preliminary investigations and has sent three Italians, collaborators of Rezart Taçi, to trial for laundering 18.4 million euros. In the official announcement, it is emphasized that at the end of the preliminary investigations related to this criminal proceeding, it …
Fier man arrested for possession of illegal gun
A 44-year-old man was arrested this Friday morning by the police of Fier for possession of weapons without a permit. According to the police, the 44-year-old was hiding a pistol and ammunition in the apartment. During the checks, the firearm, magazine and its cartridges were seized by the authorities. “As …
As a one-year ban ends, Albanian authorities say they are still working with TikTok on ‘relevant filters’ to better protect young users of the video-sharing app. Original post Here
In her latest monthly dispatch from Brussels, Gjeraqina Tuhina looks at the ripple-effects of the Jeffrey Epstein saga, while Serbia falls behind on the long march to EU accession. Original post Here
Tirana Times, February 10, 2026 – Thousands of Albanians filled the streets of Tirana on Tuesday evening in a national protest called by the opposition Democratic Party, demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Edi Rama, the dismissal of his government, and the establishment of a technical cabinet to lead the …
As Transparency International releases its latest corruption perception index, the watchdog’s Lidija Prokic tells BIRN that anti-graft drives have faltered across the Western Balkans – in Serbia especially. Original post Here
Awaiting trial on graft charges, Tirana mayor Erion Veliaj has fought hard to maintain his position after the Albanian government tried to dismiss him – but how is the city being governed while he’s in a cell? Original post Here
Albania’s choice now will signal whether it is converging with that standard or drifting toward a system where, as Orwell warned, all are equal, but some remain more equal than others. Tirana Times, 09 February 2026 – The European Union has publicly urged the Albanian Parliament to address without delay …
By Zef Preçi Tirana Times, 09 February 2026 – The campaign that Albania’s ruling Socialist Party appears to be preparing against the Special Anti Corruption Structure (SPAK) raises serious concerns not only about the future of the rule of law in the country but also about the credibility of Albania’s …
Catch up on the weekend’s most important developments with Balkan Insight’s digest of news from countries across the region. Original post Here
By Vladimir Karaj Tirana Times, 08 February 2026 – In early December, a Croatian satirical outlet published a humorous article claiming that Albania’s AI minister had been arrested after allegedly accepting a bribe worth 14 bitcoins. The satire quickly went viral online, but it was subsequently misinterpreted as factual information …
Tirana Times, 08 February 2026 – The Kurum waste file has exposed one of the most serious environmental and governance scandals in Albania in recent years, revealing not only the illegal export of hazardous waste but also the disappearance of tens of thousands of tons of industrial byproducts inside the …