Senior citizen dies in Lushnja house fire
A house was engulfed in flames during the early hours of this Thursday morning in Lushnja, where an elderly person lost his life as a result. according to the police, the 82-year-old man died. The investigative team is working to fully clarify the causes of the incident. /abcnews.al […] Read …
Begaj to meet Bulgarian counterpart in Sofia
President of the Republic of Albania, Bajram Begaj, will pay an official visit to Sofia this Wednesday, at the invitation of the President of the Republic of Bulgaria, Rumen Radev. Agenda foresees the “head-to-head” meeting of the presidents of the two countries, the meeting of the respective delegations, as well …
Romanian drug dealer arrested in Shkodra
An 18-year-old from Romania was arrested by the Shkodra police, as announced this Wednesday morning. According to Police, the young man Nicolae-Ionut Deliver sold doses of cannabis in different neighborhoods of the city of Shkodra. As a result of the “Tempulli” mega-operation, the 18-year-old was caught in the “Qemal Stafa” …
Two Rinas officers arrested on corruption charges
Police Supervision Agency (PSA) has arrested two employees at the Rinas Police Station this Wednesday. According to the police, the two cops are suspected of being involved in ‘Passive corruption of persons exercising public functions’, carried out in collaboration. Detained policemen are: – Inspector, Ardit Doçi, 31 years old, with …
SPAK seeks seizure of man involved in prosecutor’ assassination attempt
Special Prosecution against Corruption and Organized Crime (SPAK) has requested this Wednesday the confiscation of the assets of Redjan Rraja, involved in former prosecutor Arjan Ndoja’s assassination attempt. It is about nine assets, including two “Audi-A8” luxury vehicles. SPAK has requested the confiscation of all assets in his name or …
In depth: Balkan countries play Russian roulette with mosquitoes
Headache, fever and muscle aches. A fellow citizen had the feeling that a cold was bothering his body. He was almost certain that the seasonal flu had taken over when he felt nauseous, but he expected to get over it. The usual days for the common cold have passed and …
SPAK asks the Assembly for authorization for “house arrest” for Sali Berisha
SPAK has requested authorization from the Assembly to change the security measure for former Prime Minister Sali Berisha. It has been learned that SPAK has submitted a letter to the Parliament of Albania, where it also requests the change of the measure, to ‘house arrest’. “Until now, there is no …
Significant amount of drugs seized in Vlora
Vlora’police conducted an anti-drug operation during the night hours. In connection with this operation, several people were also accompanied. Police sources confirmed to ABC News that a quantity of narcotics and a van were seized. It is expected that the police will come out with an official announcement about the …
Balla-Wisner discusses war on narcotics trafficking
Albania’s Interior Minister, Taulant Balla held a meeting with the US Charge d’Affaires in Tirana, David Wisner. During the meeting, Balla and Wisner discussed the partnership and cooperation between Albania and the United States of America in the field of law enforcement, focusing on the fight against organized crime and …
Seven arrested as 500 kg of drugs get busted in Vlora
A criminal cannabis trafficking group has been destroyed in Vlora, after an anti-drug operation carried out during the night until the early hours of the morning. According to the sources, about 500 kilograms of cannabis were seized and seven people were arrested. Two vans and two vehicles were seized during …
Expecting the unexpected seems to be the name of the game in both global politics and the domestic politics of the region, as 2026 kicks off with a few unexpected twists. Original post Here
Critics accused Edi Rama of overlooking Palestinian suffering during his recent visit to Israel. But both he and his Israeli counterpart, Benjamin Netanyahu, see advantages in a closer relationship. Original post Here
Tirana Times, January 29, 2026 – This Tuesday, the Elbasan County Council has formally honored the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to Albania, Faisal Ghazi Al-Hafthi, in recognition of his humanitarian engagement and his contribution to strengthening bilateral relations at the local level. The ceremony, held in Elbasan, …
Albania has opened every negotiation ‘cluster’ as it races along the road to EU accession, but who should get the credit – Edi Rama’s government? Anti-graft prosecutors? Or even Vladimir Putin? Original post Here
Energy suppliers in southeastern Europe are heavily politicized and sometimes nefarious. The US can aid democratic stability through energy engagement. By David J. Kostelancik When Congress passed the Western Balkans Democracy and Prosperity Act as part of the 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), it sent a clear signal: energy security in Southeastern …
New changes to the Albanian criminal code that only partially abolish defamation as an offence have been criticised by media freedom organisations, citing concerns over freedom of speech. 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
Tirana Times, January 26, 2026 – Albania’s attempted entry into the Peace Board has become a revealing episode, not because of the significance of the initiative itself, but because of the way Albania’s leadership chose to stage and communicate it domestically. The Peace Board represents a new and ambitious international …
Tirana Times, January 25, 2026 – Albania has joined the Peace Board, a newly established international mechanism initiated by U.S. President Donald Trump, aimed at overseeing peace agreements and post-conflict stabilization efforts, with an initial focus on the Gaza Strip. The Peace Board was formally launched during the World Economic …
The crisis deepens as the government shields Deputy PM Balluku and a criminal network emerges in AKSHI Tirana Times, January 25, 2026 – Albania’s main opposition party returned to the streets on Saturday with a second national protest against Prime Minister Edi Rama, challenging the legitimacy of his fourth term …