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Shkoder, 32 kg of cannabis seized, five arrested

Over 32 kg of cannabis sativa were found this Sunday in the village of Plan of Shkodra. The amount of drugs was found by police, part of the mega-operation ‘Tempulli’ and it is believed that the drugs is property of a criminal group of 11 persons, five of them arrested. …

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Perpetrator of the murder of businessman Nikulaj arrives to Albania

Portuguese Ruben Saraiva, who is suspected of being the person who executed businessman Ardian Nikulaj in April of this year, has been extradited from Morocco to Albania. He arrived this Sunday morning at Rinas Airport. The Portuguese was arrested in May and has been imprisoned in Morocco. until the authorities …

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Albania’s former prime minister and leader of largest opposition group, Sali Berisha, placed under house arrest, ordered not to communicate with public  

TIRANA, Dec. 30, 2023 – Sali Berisha, Albania’s former prime minister and leader of the country’s largest opposition group, has been placed under police-supervised house arrest and ordered to stop communicating with anyone outside his household through a ruling of the Special Court against Corruption and Organized Crime. The ruling …

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P.M highlights Albania’s economic growth in 2023

Prime Minister Edi Rama, at the year-end conference with journalists, emphasized that 2023 has been a very good year for Albania. The head of the government added that the year will close with an economic growth of nearly 4%, a figure that exceeds the forecast of the government and international …

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Police Director: Officers haven’t admitted use of ‘Sky ECC’

General Director of State Police, Muhamet Rrumbullaku taled this Saturday about the work of the law enforcement in 2023, focusing at the self-cleaning of police. At the annual meeting with journalists, Rrumbullaku spoke about filling out the forms, he said that they have all been collected, but no one has …

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Sali Berisha under house arrest

Judge Irena Gjoka announced the decision today, accepting SPAK’s request for tightening the security measure for the former prime minister. From today, Sali Berisha will be under house arrest. It remains to be seen if SPAK’s request has been approved in its entirety, in addition to house arrest, GJKKO has …

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Rama reacts after house arrest measure on former PM Berisha

At the same time that the Prime Minister, Edi Rama holds the annual conference, GJKKO (Special Court against Corruption and Organized Crime) made the decision to toughen the measure against the former Prime Minister, Sali Berisha, into house arrest. Rama reacted by stating that it is not a party’s victory …

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Next hearing on former PM Berisha’s arrest to be held

Next hearing regarding the measure of arrest against former Prime Minister Sali Berisha is expected to be held this Saturday, at 12:00. In Thursday’s session, judge Irena Gjoka argued that the postponement of the decision was made to give time to the lawyers to familiarize themselves with the evidence. On …

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Librazhd, man dies in car accident

A 57-year-old man from Librazhd area passed away in a road accident, as reported this Friday.  Police informed that he lost control of the car he was driving and as a result he lost his life. In the meantime, the investigative group has started investigations to solve the circumstances of …

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High court’s head launches work balance sheet of 2023

Head of the High Court, Sokol Sadushi summarized this Friday the achievements for 2023, emphasizing that the number of backlog cases has been decreasing. In a media conference, Sadushi underlined that after examining the backlog cases accumulated throughout 2018-2019, there will be no cases that exceed reasonable trial terms. Speaking …

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Albanian MPs Adopt Resolution Declaring Iran ‘State Sponsor of Terrorism’

Ruling Socialist Party MPs aiming to support the US on the Iran war push through resolution – but opposition MPs boycott the vote they claim was staged ‘for the personal agenda of the Prime Minister’. Original post Here

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Building a Trusted Health Tourism Ecosystem: Albania’s Next Competitive Advantage

by Professor Alaa Garad Tirana Times, March 17, 2026 – There are countries you visit, and there are countries you remember. Albania is rapidly becoming the latter. I began writing this article before travelling to Albania, drawing on the country’s remarkable tourism growth and the strategic opportunities it presents. Yet …

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‘Cruel, Sadistic’: Albanian Communist State’s Killings of Escapees Still Mostly Unpunished

In the final years of Albania’s communist dictatorship, the authorities shot dozens of citizens trying to flee the country – and most of the attempts to bring the killers to justice have met obstruction and incompetence. Original post Here

News
Major Cocaine Heist Reveals Albanian Links to Swedish Drug Trade

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

News
Iran-Linked Hackers’ Fresh Strike on Albania Highlights Continued Negligence

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

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Week in Review: The Wheel of Fortune

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

News
Parliament Blocks Balluku Arrest and Puts Justice on Trial

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 …

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UN Report Spotlights Mistreatment During Childbirth in Western Balkans

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

News
Albanian Parliament Votes Against Lifting Former Deputy PM’s Immunity

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

News
Letter from Brussels: Is a Hopeful Breeze Blowing Through the EU’s ‘Waiting Room’?

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

News

Albanian MPs Adopt Resolution Declaring Iran ‘State Sponsor of Terrorism’

Ruling Socialist Party MPs aiming to support the US on the Iran war push through resolution – but opposition MPs boycott the vote they claim was staged ‘for the personal agenda of the Prime Minister’. Original post Here

News

Building a Trusted Health Tourism Ecosystem: Albania’s Next Competitive Advantage

by Professor Alaa Garad Tirana Times, March 17, 2026 – There are countries you visit, and there are countries you remember. Albania is rapidly becoming the latter. I began writing this article before travelling to Albania, drawing on the country’s remarkable tourism growth and the strategic opportunities it presents. Yet …

News

‘Cruel, Sadistic’: Albanian Communist State’s Killings of Escapees Still Mostly Unpunished

In the final years of Albania’s communist dictatorship, the authorities shot dozens of citizens trying to flee the country – and most of the attempts to bring the killers to justice have met obstruction and incompetence. Original post Here

News

Major Cocaine Heist Reveals Albanian Links to Swedish Drug Trade

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

News

Iran-Linked Hackers’ Fresh Strike on Albania Highlights Continued Negligence

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

News

Week in Review: The Wheel of Fortune

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

News

Parliament Blocks Balluku Arrest and Puts Justice on Trial

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 …

News

UN Report Spotlights Mistreatment During Childbirth in Western Balkans

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

News

Albanian Parliament Votes Against Lifting Former Deputy PM’s Immunity

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

News

Letter from Brussels: Is a Hopeful Breeze Blowing Through the EU’s ‘Waiting Room’?

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