Digital Rights Review: AI and Growing Uncertainty Over What’s Real Online
BIRN monitoring during August revealed widespread misuse of AI to impersonate citizens and politicians across Southeast Europe, while Albania appointed an AI as a government minister, and Turkey treated an AI chatbot as a criminal for insulting the President. Original post Here
Albanian Mayor’s Dismissal Seemingly Ends Rising Star’s Career
Erion Veliaj’s dismissal as Tirana mayor appears to have terminated the career of a man once seen as a possible successor to Edi Rama. Original post Here
Tirana Council Dismisses Mayor Erion Veliaj
Tirana, September 23, 2025 , Tirana Times– The extraordinary dismissal of Tirana’s mayor, Erion Veliaj, by the Municipal Council marks one of the most dramatic political upheavals in Albania’s recent history. Once celebrated as the rising star of the Socialist Party and widely perceived as a potential successor to Prime …
Building integrity and accountability in Albanian public universities: practical lessons from the United States
Aaron Savoy-Pasha | Albanian Institute for International Studies (AIIS) Albanian higher education faces documented integrity risks, particularly in grading, favoritism, and political influence. A 2024 peer-reviewed study highlights how these pressures shape assessment and weaken trust in degrees (Shahini, Zhllima, and Imami, 2024). Transparency International’s most recent Corruption Perceptions Index …
Veliaj’s Fall: Politics or Justice?
The detention and attempted dismissal of Tirana’s mayor raises fresh doubts over Albania’s rule of law and political maneuvering. Albania, Tirana Times, September 22,2025. The Socialist-controlled Tirana Municipal Council is expected to vote on Tuesday to dismiss Erion Veliaj from his post as mayor, formalizing a political downfall that has …
A modern writer of Saudi Arabian literature
The Critical Case of Patient K. by Aziz Muhamed By Jerina Zaloshnja “Let’s take a family photo,” suggested the prominent Saudi Arabian writer Yusuf ElMuhaimid, author of two of the latest books published in Arabic by Tirana Times (“A Man Chased by Rats” and “The Journey of the Najdi Boy”). …
Monday Briefing from the Balkans: September 22, 2025
Catch up on the weekend’s most important developments with Balkan Insight’s digest of news from countries across the region. Original post Here
Italian’s Tourist Resort Plan Trumps Triple Protection over Albanian Bay
Albania’s government has bestowed ‘strategic investor’ status to an Italian hotelier who wants to build a tourist resort in a nature reserve in southern Albania, on land rich in cultural heritage and home to a Cold War-era military base. Original post Here
Albania’s Fourth Rama Government Approved Without Debate
TIRANA, Albania, Tirana Times, September 18,2025 — In an unprecedented scene in Albania’s 35 years of political pluralism, Parliament on Thursday approved Prime Minister Edi Rama’s new cabinet and four-year governing program within minutes and without a single debate. The session, marked by chaos, a pre-recorded appearance from a virtual …
Cancel Parliament
What happened in Albania’s Parliament last week was more than a political skirmish. It was an assault on the very essence of parliamentarism. In a scene without precedent in the country’s 35 years of political pluralism — and arguably rare even in the wider history of parliamentary life — the …
The Albanian opera “Fundi i Golemëve” by composer Nikolla Zoraqi will receive its world premiere at the National Theatre of Opera, Ballet and Folk Ensemble in Tirana. First, the opera was composed in 1963 and remained unperformed on stage for decades. Now, it returns as one of the most important …
Blendi Gonxhja shared images of the restored Shën Prodhomi Monastery in Voskopojë. Authorities restored the monastery through a project designed by the National Institute of Cultural Heritage and the Regional Directorate of Cultural Heritage in Korçë, with financing from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. Experts built the monastery …
TIRANA, May 26 – Rehearsals and preparations continue ahead of the Spring Festival at Albanian Radio and Television. Twenty participating artists are rehearsing with the Albanian Radio and Television orchestra and the festival band. Stage work advances. Meanwhile, preparation work continues as artists move closer to their performances. They share …
TIRANA, May 26 – Prime Minister Edi Rama published an artificial intelligence-generated analysis of media coverage in Albania on social media platform X. He said the report examines patterns in public communication and media visibility. The publication follows a recent assessment by Reporters Without Borders. In addition, Rama is in …
This week features a wide range of cultural and artistic events across Albania. The “TK Rin Art 2026” theater festival continues in Tirana and runs until June 5. It brings together school theater performances from across the capital. In Elbasan, the Skampa Theatre hosts the 30th edition of the Youth …
TIRANA, May 26 – The EU Chargé d’Affaires in Albania, Andre Rizzo, underlined the importance of cadastral reform and digital transformation at a regional conference on Western Balkan digitalisation and EU integration. He described the EU accession process as one of the most significant challenges for the region. In addition, …
TIRANA, May 26 – Albania hosted a regional conference in Tirana, bringing together Western Balkan countries around a shared vision for digital transformation, legal certainty on property, and European integration. At the conference, Prime Minister Edi Rama said Albania has opened all negotiation chapters with the European Union. In addition, …
TIRANA, May 26 – An international scientific conference titled “From the gigaworld to elementary particles, everything moves and self-organises: this is physics” was held at the Academy of Sciences. The event marked the promotion of a series of scientific works by academic Rexhep Meidani. The publications focus on space, time, …
TIRANA, May 26 – Prosecutor Vladimir Mara on Tuesday praised cooperation with the Bari Anti-Mafia Directorate and law enforcement agencies across Europe in operations targeting criminal groups. Speaking during a joint press conference with the Bari Anti-Mafia Directorate, Mara focused on a joint investigation that targeted a criminal group involved …
TIRANA, May 26 – Albania has officially joined the International Council for Game and Wildlife Conservation, Environment Minister Sofjan Jaupaj announced on Tuesday. He said Albania joined countries that promote biodiversity protection through responsible and sustainable wildlife management. In addition, he confirmed the country’s commitment to a modern and science-based …