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” …
Woman’s dead body found near Vlora beach
A dead body was found on Thursday morning in the area of the new beach in Vlora. According to the police, it is about a woman who is suspected to have accidentally drowned in the sea. Police arrived at the scene while the identity of the victim is still unknown. …
Forty-one environmental organisations from 28 countries have called for a halt to the planned development by Jared Kushner of Albania’s Sazan island as a luxury resort, saying it threatens the valuable biodiversity of the area. Original post Here
Kosovo, Bulgaria and Turkey have signed the Board of Peace Charter, under Donald Trump’s auspices, but several other Balkan countries are still pondering whether to join the initiative. Original post Here
Balkan countries are continuing to sacrifice their remaining clean river stretches to development and pollution, a new assessment warns. Original post Here
The Bulgarian mystic’s doomy predictions continue to grab headlines in Albania and elsewhere – even though many seem fabricated and sometimes appear to serve Russian geopolitical narratives. Original post Here
Tirana, 21.01.2026 – Research on disability has increasingly moved into the centre of international scientific and policy discussions, reflecting broader debates about inclusion, quality of life and access to public space. Against this wider backdrop, the King Salman Center for Disability Research (KSCDR) has opened nominations for the 4th cycle of …
While Albania’s Edi Rama welcomed an invitation to join Donald Trump’s proposed Board of Peace, Croatia, Slovenia, Romania and Greece merely confirmed that they had received invitations. Original post Here
When the “Choo Choo” Train Never Came It begins with a scene that now feels almost surreal. In 2022, during a staged media event in Tirana, Deputy Prime Minister Belinda Balluku enthusiastically explained to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen that the Tirana–Durrës–Rinas railway would be completed by 2024. …
Catch up on the weekend’s most important developments with Balkan Insight’s digest of news from countries across the region. Original post Here
The United States has once again issued an unusually clear and public warning about the threat posed by Albanian organized crime groups and their links to Latin American drug cartels, framing the issue not only as a criminal challenge but as a direct risk to Albania’s national security and economic …
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