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 …
Youth arrested for dealing drugs in Shkodra
A 22-year-old man was arrested in Shkodër, after he was caught distributing doses of cannabis around the city. Ymer Duli was caught on “Bujar Bishanaku” boulevard, while driving a “Benz” type vehicle, to distribute doses of the narcotic substance cannabis sativa, in different neighborhoods of the city. Arrest of the …
Man to face Special Prosecution on vote rigging charges
Special Prosecutor’s Office against Corruption and Organized Crime (SPAK) has closed the investigations for Gazmend Canaj, accused of the criminal offense of ‘active corruption in elections’, as announced this Thursday. At the end of the investigations, SPAK sent the criminal proceedings against Gazmend Canaj for trial. According to SPAK, Canaj …
Man arrested for sexual intercourse with a 14 year old
A 35-year-old resident of Divjakë has been handcuffed, after allegedly having sexual relations with a 14-year-old girl. A citizen was prosecuted in a free state, as it is suspected that sexual relations were committed with violence. According to the police, a 17-year-old girl reported a 17-year-old citizen after stating that …
Minister: New law on tourism approved
Minister Kumbaro announced this Thursday the approval of the new law on tourism. At the end of the meeting of the council of ministers, Kumbaro said that the 2015 law did not respond to the reality and the new dynamics that tourism suffered last year. “Today, at the first meeting …
Navigating Challenges in Rehabilitating Violent Extremist Inmates: A Multilayered Approach to Prison Reform
By Denion Meidani “Prison continues, on those who are entrusted to it, a work begun elsewhere, which the whole of society pursues on each individual through innumerable mechanisms of discipline.” – Michel Foucault Globally, there is a concerning surge in incarceration rates, with around 12 million individuals currently behind bars. …
Families of 28 dead in 9 Jan 2004 tragedy seek reinvestigation
Family members of the 28 people who died in the tragedy of January 9, 2004 in Karaburun have again requested an investigation into this serious event, also demanding the punishment of those responsible. In a short statement, Ndoc Bjeshka emphasized that it has been 20 years since they took the …
Fier Cocaine dealer arrested
A 30-year-old man was arrested by Fier police after being caught with doses of cocaine that he had prepared to deal. During physical checks and in the apartment, the Police services found and seized from this citizen, a quantity of the narcotic substance cocaine, divided into doses, with the purpose …
Operations against organized crimes, Balla: 30 arrested in 24 hours
The Minister of the Interior, Taulant Balla, has reacted regarding security in the country. Through a status on Facebook, Balla states that only during the last 24 hours, 30 citizens from different cities in the country have been arrested and prosecuted. “30 citizens arrested/processed during the last 24 hours in …
The theft of a shipment of cocaine that was smuggled from Costa Rica to Sweden exposed the role of Albanian criminal groups in the international logistics of the drug trade, as well as the challenges in holding them accountable. Original post Here
A new cyberattack by Iran-linked Homeland Justice group targeting Albania’s parliament revealed the continued vulnerability of state digital systems and failures to implement basic security measures. Original post Here
Our selection of Premium stories this week takes a look at the changing fortunes, power dynamics and neighbourly relations of countries and actors in South-east Europe. Original post Here
TIRANA, March 12, 2026 – Albania’s Parliament, dominated by Prime Minister Edi Rama’s Socialist Party, has refused to authorize the arrest of former Deputy Prime Minister Belinda Balluku, blocking a request by the Special Prosecution Against Corruption and Organized Crime, SPAK, and triggering one of the gravest confrontations yet between …
Survey of women who gave birth recently reveals a “pervasive yet often hidden crisis of obstetric violence” and a widespread dissatisfaction with medical care. Original post Here
Ruling Socialist Party uses its majority in parliament to vote down a prosecution request to lift former Deputy Prime Minister Belinda Balluku’s immunity, allowing for her arrest. Original post Here
Brussels has already gone cold on a scheme to allow some aspirant countries like Albania and Serbia second-tier membership – but that doesn’t mean that other creative approaches to European enlargement are off the table. Original post Here
Journalists’ union welcomes ruling that says government-imposed one-year ban on social media platform was a ‘violation of freedom of expression and freedom of the press’. Original post Here
Tirana Times, March 10, 2026 – A cyberattack targeting Albania’s Parliament has revived one of the country’s most serious national security concerns, underscoring the return of a threat that Albanian institutions have come to associate with Iran linked retaliation. The breach, confirmed by Parliament on Tuesday, involved unauthorized access to …
The criminal charges facing former Deputy Prime Minister Belinda Balluku have dominated headlines in Albania for months – prompting her boss, Edi Rama, to pick a fight with the judiciary. Original post Here