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Opposition MPs throw smoke, burn papers in parliament hall

The opposition MPs who support Sali Berisha have again created tensions in the Assembly, with “smoke and flames” in the Assembly. Despite the controls by the Guard of the Republic, they have managed to introduce flares into the plenary session. Flamur Noka was expelled from the session, but he lit …

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Rama congratulates armed forces on 111th Anniversary

Prime Minister Edi Rama congratulated the Armed Forces of Albania on the 111th anniversary of its establishment this Monday. On the social networks, he has posted a photo, in which a member of the Armed Forces appears with the Albanian flag. Meanwhile, PM Rama has considered Albanian soldiers as the …

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Trial on elected Himara’s mayor postponed

Trial for the elected mayor of Himara, Fredi Belerin, has been postponed this Monday. The next session will be held on December 14, at 2:00 p.m. Beleri was arrested two days before the May 14 local elections. According to the prosecution, the wiretapping shows that he offered money in exchange …

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Begaj’s message on International Day of disabled persons

President Bajram Begaj delivered this Sunday a message for the International Day of Persons with Disabilities.  In a social media statement, the Head of State emphasized the need to fulfill the objectives for sustainable development in support of Persons with Disabilities. Also, He appeals for their protection in the face …

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Former heaf of Fushe-Kruja prison arrested on domestic violence charges

Durim Tosku has been arrested this Sunday, after dismissal from the position as director of Fushë-Kruja’s prison.  The 52-year-old is suspected of abusing his wife, who was granted a protection order. Minister of Justice, Ulsi Manja, on the proposal of the General Director of Prisons, ordered his dismissal.  During the …

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Former head of Korca’s border police appears before court on drugs charges

Former Head of the Border Sector in the Local Directorate for Border and Migration Korça, Stiljan Pasho, accused of drug trafficking, appeared before the Korça court this Sunday. Pasho was fired from the State Police after his arrest on charges of drug trafficking. Pasho was arrested after, using his duty, …

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At least ten accompanied to police after Lezha’s mob-style killing

At least 10 people, including members of the Lekstakaj tribe, were accompanied and interrogated by the police for the murder of 40-year-old Eno Nikulaj on Saturday evening at the entrance to Lezha. According to the field sources, 25 cartridges were found at the scene. Nikulaj was traveling in the direction …

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70-year-old who killed neighbour over irrigation dispute left in prison

Tirana Court has set this Sunday the security measure of “prison arrest” for Maliq Marku, who killed his neighbor and injured another in Kamëz. During the hearing, the 70-year-old appeared confused in front of the court and during the interrogation he stated that this is a Serbian-Montenegro conspiracy. Nevertheess, the …

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Albania risk losing another 13% of its residents to emigration in the next few years, AIIS report warns

TIRANA, Nov. 30, 2023 – About 13 percent of Albania’s resident working-age population is likely going to leave the country in the next few years unless immediate measures are taken to increase local incomes and lower the cost of living, a report by the Albanian Institute for International Studies warns. …

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Interior Minister welcomes Europol’s anti drugs, guns mega operation

Interior Minister Taulant Balla hailed this Friday for the international operation, which took place in 26 European countries, where the focus was on attacking criminal networks in the trafficking of weapons, narcotics and illegal immigrants. During this operation, in Albania, 28 people were arrested and firearms and drugs were seized. …

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Probe Urged of ‘Unjustifiable’ Cost of Italy’s Migrant Camps in Albania

Anti-poverty NGO ActionAid has filed a complaint to the Court of Auditors in Italy over the 133 million euro cost of two migrant detention centres in Albania as part of a controversial asylum offshoring deal between Rome and Tirana. Original post Here

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Saudi Embassy in Tirana Marks International Day of Persons with Disabilities

By Tirana Times Staff Tirana, 3 December 2025 — The Embassy of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in Albania today organized in Tirana the central event marking the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, a broad awareness-raising activity that brought together around 250 children with disabilities from several cities across …

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‘Hope Dies Last’: The Bosnian Wartime Sexual Violence Survivor Fighting for Justice

In the second of BIRN’s series about women’s wartime activism, Midheta Kaloper explains how she survived sexual violence during the Bosnian war and now helps other survivors to fight for their rights – and bring the perpetrators to justice. Original post Here

News
Albania’s Anti-Corruption “Success”: A Manufactured Illusion

By Zef Preçi What kind of political system are we living in today? Even though we have a weak state, authoritarian tendencies in governance have become more pronounced, and in a synthesized way this is reflected in the increasing number of MPs of the ruling party from one mandate to …

News
Week in Review: Surprises and Standoffs

As the year draws towards its end, our Balkan Insight Premium stories show that there is no shortage of political surprises, unexpected twists and new standoffs across the region. Original post Here

News
How Albanians in America Lobbied for Freedom Back Home

Albanian-American writer Fron Nahzi’s new book explains how the Albanian diaspora used its newfound freedom in the United States to campaign for a range of nationalist causes. Original post Here

News
Rebuilt Housing Estate for Albanian Quake Survivors Hosts Just One Family

The earthquake that hit Albania in November 2019 left many families homeless. But a rural housing estate built to accommodate some of them remains almost empty due to problems with infrastructure and insecure terrain. Original post Here

News
Albania’s Political Absurdity:Doomsday – The Day Albania “Lost” Its Deputy PM

O tempora, o mores. After Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Infrastructure and Energy Belinda Balluku faced criminal charges, and after the court suspended her from office and banned her from leaving the country, what one would normally expect is either her immediate resignation or her immediate dismissal by Prime …

News
The Limits of Spectacle Diplomacy in the UK–Albania Migration Row

The clash between Edi Rama and Shabana Mahmood over the fate of 700 Albanian families in the UK exposes a deeper truth about modern diplomacy: visibility is not the same as influence. When the Home Secretary singled out Albanian families while announcing sweeping asylum reforms, she was not improvising. She …

News
Albania: Between Reform Dynamics and Democratic Fragility

Elez Biberaj Thirty-five years after Albania’s emergence from one of Europe’s most repressive communist regimes, the country’s democratic trajectory remains emblematic of post-authoritarian transformation, reflecting the promise of political renewal while exposing the challenges of durable consolidation. In this context, the May 2025 parliamentary elections stand out as a test …

News

Probe Urged of ‘Unjustifiable’ Cost of Italy’s Migrant Camps in Albania

Anti-poverty NGO ActionAid has filed a complaint to the Court of Auditors in Italy over the 133 million euro cost of two migrant detention centres in Albania as part of a controversial asylum offshoring deal between Rome and Tirana. Original post Here

News

Saudi Embassy in Tirana Marks International Day of Persons with Disabilities

By Tirana Times Staff Tirana, 3 December 2025 — The Embassy of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in Albania today organized in Tirana the central event marking the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, a broad awareness-raising activity that brought together around 250 children with disabilities from several cities across …

News

‘Hope Dies Last’: The Bosnian Wartime Sexual Violence Survivor Fighting for Justice

In the second of BIRN’s series about women’s wartime activism, Midheta Kaloper explains how she survived sexual violence during the Bosnian war and now helps other survivors to fight for their rights – and bring the perpetrators to justice. Original post Here

News

Albania’s Anti-Corruption “Success”: A Manufactured Illusion

By Zef Preçi What kind of political system are we living in today? Even though we have a weak state, authoritarian tendencies in governance have become more pronounced, and in a synthesized way this is reflected in the increasing number of MPs of the ruling party from one mandate to …

News

Week in Review: Surprises and Standoffs

As the year draws towards its end, our Balkan Insight Premium stories show that there is no shortage of political surprises, unexpected twists and new standoffs across the region. Original post Here

News

How Albanians in America Lobbied for Freedom Back Home

Albanian-American writer Fron Nahzi’s new book explains how the Albanian diaspora used its newfound freedom in the United States to campaign for a range of nationalist causes. Original post Here

News

Rebuilt Housing Estate for Albanian Quake Survivors Hosts Just One Family

The earthquake that hit Albania in November 2019 left many families homeless. But a rural housing estate built to accommodate some of them remains almost empty due to problems with infrastructure and insecure terrain. Original post Here

News

Albania’s Political Absurdity:Doomsday – The Day Albania “Lost” Its Deputy PM

O tempora, o mores. After Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Infrastructure and Energy Belinda Balluku faced criminal charges, and after the court suspended her from office and banned her from leaving the country, what one would normally expect is either her immediate resignation or her immediate dismissal by Prime …

News

The Limits of Spectacle Diplomacy in the UK–Albania Migration Row

The clash between Edi Rama and Shabana Mahmood over the fate of 700 Albanian families in the UK exposes a deeper truth about modern diplomacy: visibility is not the same as influence. When the Home Secretary singled out Albanian families while announcing sweeping asylum reforms, she was not improvising. She …

News

Albania: Between Reform Dynamics and Democratic Fragility

Elez Biberaj Thirty-five years after Albania’s emergence from one of Europe’s most repressive communist regimes, the country’s democratic trajectory remains emblematic of post-authoritarian transformation, reflecting the promise of political renewal while exposing the challenges of durable consolidation. In this context, the May 2025 parliamentary elections stand out as a test …