Mandates council to discuss SPAK’s request for former PM’s arrest
Council of Mandates will convene this Monday at 12:00 in the Presidency of the Assembly to consider the request of Special Prosecution against Corruption (SPAK), which requires the granting of authorization for the arrest of former Prime Minister Sali Berisha. For weeks, Berisha refused to appear before the special court, …
Shkodra youth busted hauling illegal migrants
A 22-year-old from Shkodra was arrested this Sunday in the framework of police operation coded “Station”. Police revealed that the young man was caught red-handed transporting immigrants from third countries, who intended to cross illegally from Albania to the EU countries, against the amount of 500 Euros per person. Vehicle …
Turkish man accused of ‘participation in murder’ arrested in Tirana
A 48-year-old Turkish man was arrested in Tirana as part of the police operation codenamed “Istanbul”, as reported this Sunday. Hasan Ozcan was declared internationally wanted, after the Court of Serious Crimes in Istanbul, Anatolia, Turkey, sentenced him to 3 years and 28 days in prison. Ozcan is accused of …
New details on Peqin prison handgun killing
ABC News has provided footage of the police inspection of the apartment where Sokol Mjacaj used to live in Prekal, Shkodra. The conditions in this apartment, as it seems from the images provided by journalist Ervin Leka, are in a bad state, while it is said that his father lived …
Duty abuse, SPAK seeks 3.6 years in prison for former Mayor of Bulqiza
Special Prosecution against Corruption and Organized Crime (SPAK) has announced this Friday the claim against the former mayor of Bulqiza, Lefter Alla, seeking 3.6 years in prison. SPAK demands 4 years of imprisonment for Erion Isak and Rasim Daci (2.8 years with a shortened trial), 3 years in prison for …
Two Albanians busted with 54 Kg of drugs in Greece
54 kilos of marijuana that were being transported from Albania to Greece, have been caught in Thessaloniki. For the quantity of drugsz the 49-year-old driver of the vehicle and the 58-year-old van driver, both Albanians, were arrested. During checks inside the vehicle, the officers found 4 plastic canisters containing 20 …
Socialist Party seeks exclusion of three opposition MPs from Parliament’s proceedings
Socialist Party (SP) has requested to exclude three opposition MPs from the work of the Assembly for ten days, as revealed this Friday. This request is related to yesterday’s episodes in the Parliament, where some MPs became protagonists in the hall by throwing lighters and cigarette lighters. It is about …
Peqin prison inmate dies after altercation with another person
A fight between convicts was reported today in the prison of Peqin, were involved are Sokol Mjacaj, Arben Lleshi and Lir Xhakja. ABC learns that the convict Arben Lleshi has lost his life, after being shot with a firearm. In the meantime, the authorities have immediately started the investigative work …
Reflecting higher emigration, remittances to Albania hit decade high
TIRANA, Dec. 14, 2023 – Reflecting renewed emigration, remittances to Albania during 2022 saw a significant increase, reaching the highest levels of the past decade, data released by Eurostat this week reveals. According to Eurostat, remittances exceeded €1.2 billion in 2022, a 5.8% increase compared to 2021. This high value …
Albanian Constitutional Court suspends approval of Rama-Meloni agreement
TIRANA, Dec. 14, 2023 – Albania’s Constitutional Court has suspended the approval process for the contentious deal with Italy to establish a third-country migrant processing camp in Albania under Italian jurisdiction. The court has instructed parliament not to proceed with the vote on ratifying the deal until the court makes …
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
On a locked down November afternoon in 2020, as Europe grappled with Covid 19 restrictions, two Albanian men based in Belgium exchanged a handful of encrypted messages. Deciphered years later from the Sky ECC platform, their words captured a watershed moment in Europe’s cocaine trade. A shipment measured not in …
BIRN reporters trace the rise of Albanian crime gangs to the top of the European cocaine trafficking ladder, from remote parts of Paraguay to European Union ports. Original post Here
Political polarisation and government pressure on the judiciary – sparked by investigations of top politicians – could hinder Albania’s rapid progress towards European Union membership. Original post Here
Dramatic situation reported in several towns, while some locals complain of being abandoned. Original post Here
TIRANA TIMES, December 6, 2025 – Albania is once again under water. Torrential rains over the past days have triggered massive flooding across almost the entire country, exposing not only the fragility of urban infrastructure but, more fundamentally, the long-term failure of governance. From the northern plains to the southern …