Albanians Scent Profit in Italy’s Costly Offshore Migrant Processing Plan
An Italian opposition MP has lambasted the start of the scheme to process migrants in Albania as a fiasco – but locals living near the new facilities are eying up potential economic benefits. Original post Here
Albania Opposition MPs Claim Police Threatened Them in Parliament With Guns
After opposition MPs continued their protest in parliament on Thursday, clashing with the police and parliamentary guards, they claimed ‘armed persons threatened the deputies with weapons’. Original post Here
Italian ship brings first migrants to Albania-based camp under controversial asylum-processing deal
TIRANA, Oct. 16, 2024 – An Italian military ship carrying the first group of migrants arrived in the Albanian port of Shëngjin early Wednesday, marking the launch of a controversial project to process Italian asylum applications on Albanian soil, drawing much international attention. The initiative is part of a bilateral …
First Italian Ship With Refugees Arrives in Albania
The first Italian ship holding 16 refugees intercepted at sea arrived in Albania early on Wednesday, as Italy’s controversial plan to ‘offshore’ the processing of migrants and refugees got underway. Original post Here
Albanian Environmentalists See Red Over Green Sludge Coating Tirana’s Lake
The main artificial lake in the capital has been covered for weeks by thick green algae, which environmental activists blame on untreated urban sewage flowing into the water. Original post Here
Could Michigan’s Albanian-Americans Swing the Vote for Trump?
Albanian-American supporters of Donald Trump are campaigning hard in the swing state of Michigan, where their numbers could sway the result. But some fear the return of Trump’s controversial Balkan envoy Richard Grenell. Original post Here
Moldova Should Learn from Albania’s Mistakes in Justice Reform
As EU hopeful Moldova embarks on a complex process of judicial reform and vetting to root out corruption, experts advise it to note what has gone right – and wrong – in Albania, which began the same process a decade ago. Original post Here
Albania Opens EU Accession Negotiations, Seeks Membership by 2030
In Luxembourg on Tuesday, Albania opened its first negotiation ‘cluster’, with Prime Minister Edi Rama saying his country has its sights set on joining the European club by the end of the decade. Original post Here
Digital Rights Review: Websites Promote and Profit from Abuse of Women
BIRN’s monitoring of digital rights violations in August and September highlighted a threatening Hungarian ‘dark web’ site that contained illegally obtained images of women, plus a series of arrests for online sexual abuse in Romania. Original post Here
As Talks Begin, EU Chides Albania’s ‘Limited Progress’ in Tackling Corruption
As accession talks got underway, the EU ‘negotiating position’, published on Tuesday, says corruption remains “prevalent in most areas of public and business life, including in all branches of central and local government”. Original post Here
Tirana Times, May 13, 2026 — The Albania–Italy migration agreement remains in force, despite a brief but politically sensitive controversy triggered by comments from Albanian Foreign Minister Ferit Hoxha on whether the protocol could continue beyond its initial five-year term. The debate began after Hoxha, in an interview with Euractiv, was asked …
By Auron Tare These days, in the noisy marketplace of Albanian opinions, a new theme is being articulated: the “love” of certain Albanian public gentlemen for Jewish culture and, beyond it, for Israeli politics. Some say it is pure love; others suspect it is interest; and others see it as …
TIRANA, May 13 – The Military Meteorological Service said the country will face relatively unstable atmospheric conditions on Wednesday. It said the weather will feature alternating clear spells and periods of moderate to dense cloud cover, especially over the eastern and southern areas. In these regions, it said, localised light …
Endrit Yzeiraj said Albania is strengthening economic cooperation with North Macedonia through joint initiatives aimed at increasing trade and investment. He made the remarks at the Business Forum “North Macedonia–Albania: Beyond Borders” held in Skopje. The forum was organized by the Albanian Embassy in Skopje in cooperation with the Economic …
TIRANA, May 13 – Finance Minister Petrit Malaj said small and medium-sized enterprises form a key pillar of the Albanian economy. He made the statement at the signing ceremony for the partnership between the state, the banking system, and businesses under the “Double Your Entrepreneurship” programme. He said SMEs account …
TIRANA, May 13 – The national programme “Clean Trails, Protected Forests” continued across the country with a focus on environmental protection and maintenance of tourist trails. This time, a group of students from Lezha joined the initiative on Kune Island. They responded to calls for broader civic engagement, as authorities …
TIRANA, May 13 – The 70th Eurovision Song Contest opened on Tuesday in Vienna. Albania will compete in the second semi-final on May 14. Speaking live on “Mirëmëngjes Shqipëri” [Good Morning Albania], Rajmonda Bulku, part of the Albanian delegation supporting singer Alis, said the team will hold its main rehearsal …
TIRANA, May 13 – Kosova remains committed to concluding dialogue with Serbia through mutual recognition, acting Foreign Minister Glauk Konjufca said. He confirmed the position after a meeting in Brussels with Kosova chief negotiator Agron Bajrami and EU Special Envoy Peter Sorensen. Further, Konjufca said the talks focused on a …
Gent Sejko spoke at the Albania–Israel Cybersecurity Summit and stressed the growing importance of cyber protection for financial stability and national security. He said cyber risk has become part of daily reality as geopolitical tensions and rapid technological change increase exposure to attacks. Sejko noted that digital transformation and the …
Albania ranks among Europe’s top affordable summer destinations, according to the UK newspaper Metro. The article highlights Albania’s coastline, nature, and low prices. It compares the country favorably with Spain and Greece. Journalist Alice Murphy says families now spend more carefully. As a result, many tourists choose cheaper destinations. She …