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Former PM didn’t appear at SPAK for third time

Former Prime Minister Sali Berisha violated the court’s decision for the third time this Monday, as he would have to appear this Monday in front of the SPAK for the security measure ‘obligation to appear’ and prohibition to go abroad as part of the investigations into the issue of Partizani …

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Opposition MPs throw smoke, burn papers in parliament hall

The opposition MPs who support Sali Berisha have again created tensions in the Assembly, with “smoke and flames” in the Assembly. Despite the controls by the Guard of the Republic, they have managed to introduce flares into the plenary session. Flamur Noka was expelled from the session, but he lit …

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Rama congratulates armed forces on 111th Anniversary

Prime Minister Edi Rama congratulated the Armed Forces of Albania on the 111th anniversary of its establishment this Monday. On the social networks, he has posted a photo, in which a member of the Armed Forces appears with the Albanian flag. Meanwhile, PM Rama has considered Albanian soldiers as the …

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Trial on elected Himara’s mayor postponed

Trial for the elected mayor of Himara, Fredi Belerin, has been postponed this Monday. The next session will be held on December 14, at 2:00 p.m. Beleri was arrested two days before the May 14 local elections. According to the prosecution, the wiretapping shows that he offered money in exchange …

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Begaj’s message on International Day of disabled persons

President Bajram Begaj delivered this Sunday a message for the International Day of Persons with Disabilities.  In a social media statement, the Head of State emphasized the need to fulfill the objectives for sustainable development in support of Persons with Disabilities. Also, He appeals for their protection in the face …

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Former heaf of Fushe-Kruja prison arrested on domestic violence charges

Durim Tosku has been arrested this Sunday, after dismissal from the position as director of Fushë-Kruja’s prison.  The 52-year-old is suspected of abusing his wife, who was granted a protection order. Minister of Justice, Ulsi Manja, on the proposal of the General Director of Prisons, ordered his dismissal.  During the …

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Former head of Korca’s border police appears before court on drugs charges

Former Head of the Border Sector in the Local Directorate for Border and Migration Korça, Stiljan Pasho, accused of drug trafficking, appeared before the Korça court this Sunday. Pasho was fired from the State Police after his arrest on charges of drug trafficking. Pasho was arrested after, using his duty, …

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At least ten accompanied to police after Lezha’s mob-style killing

At least 10 people, including members of the Lekstakaj tribe, were accompanied and interrogated by the police for the murder of 40-year-old Eno Nikulaj on Saturday evening at the entrance to Lezha. According to the field sources, 25 cartridges were found at the scene. Nikulaj was traveling in the direction …

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70-year-old who killed neighbour over irrigation dispute left in prison

Tirana Court has set this Sunday the security measure of “prison arrest” for Maliq Marku, who killed his neighbor and injured another in Kamëz. During the hearing, the 70-year-old appeared confused in front of the court and during the interrogation he stated that this is a Serbian-Montenegro conspiracy. Nevertheess, the …

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Albania risk losing another 13% of its residents to emigration in the next few years, AIIS report warns

TIRANA, Nov. 30, 2023 – About 13 percent of Albania’s resident working-age population is likely going to leave the country in the next few years unless immediate measures are taken to increase local incomes and lower the cost of living, a report by the Albanian Institute for International Studies warns. …

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How Albanian Organized Crime Conquered Europe’s Cocaine Market

On a locked down November afternoon in 2020, as Europe grappled with Covid 19 restrictions, two Albanian men based in Belgium exchanged a handful of encrypted messages. Deciphered years later from the Sky ECC platform, their words captured a watershed moment in Europe’s cocaine trade. A shipment measured not in …

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Port-to-Port: How Albanians Conquered the European Cocaine Market

BIRN reporters trace the rise of Albanian crime gangs to the top of the European cocaine trafficking ladder, from remote parts of Paraguay to European Union ports. Original post Here

News
Albania in 2026: Battles With Anti-Graft Prosecutors Risk Slowing EU Progress

Political polarisation and government pressure on the judiciary – sparked by investigations of top politicians – could hinder Albania’s rapid progress towards European Union membership. Original post Here

News
Heavy Rains Cause Evacuations and Discontent in Albania

Dramatic situation reported in several towns, while some locals complain of being abandoned. Original post Here

News
Albania Under Water: A Return to a Hobbesian State of Nature

TIRANA TIMES, December 6, 2025 – Albania is once again under water. Torrential rains over the past days have triggered massive flooding across almost the entire country, exposing not only the fragility of urban infrastructure but, more fundamentally, the long-term failure of governance. From the northern plains to the southern …

News
Europe Tightens the Fight Against Corruption, Albania at a Crossroad

By Zef Preçi, Executive Director of ACER As Albania presents itself as closer than ever to the European Union, a troubling contradiction has emerged in its domestic legal and political debate. While the EU is moving decisively toward tougher and more harmonized criminal rules against corruption, Albania is simultaneously discussing …

News
Housing Boom Prices Out Albanians

Allegations of money laundering in construction and claims of informal power networks, including the case of Ergys Agasi, fuel concerns over a distorted housing market Tirana Times, TIRANA, 05 January 2026 – For many middle income families in Tirana, buying an apartment has shifted from a realistic life goal to …

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In Albania, Women Often Quit Local Councils to Make Way for Men

Democracy and the rights of women are being undermined in Albania by the practice of filling electoral candidate lists with women, only to have them resign en masse once the results are in and cede their seats to men. Original post Here

News
Monday Briefing from the Balkans: January 5, 2026

Catch up on the weekend’s most important developments with Balkan Insight’s digest of news from countries across the region. Original post Here

News
Balkan States Give Divided Reactions to US Strike on Venezuela

Albania and Kosovo applauded the Trump administration’s military operation against Venezuela’s regime and the ousting of Nicolas Maduro, while other states in the region initially remained silent or called for calm and restraint. Original post Here

News

How Albanian Organized Crime Conquered Europe’s Cocaine Market

On a locked down November afternoon in 2020, as Europe grappled with Covid 19 restrictions, two Albanian men based in Belgium exchanged a handful of encrypted messages. Deciphered years later from the Sky ECC platform, their words captured a watershed moment in Europe’s cocaine trade. A shipment measured not in …

News

Port-to-Port: How Albanians Conquered the European Cocaine Market

BIRN reporters trace the rise of Albanian crime gangs to the top of the European cocaine trafficking ladder, from remote parts of Paraguay to European Union ports. Original post Here

News

Albania in 2026: Battles With Anti-Graft Prosecutors Risk Slowing EU Progress

Political polarisation and government pressure on the judiciary – sparked by investigations of top politicians – could hinder Albania’s rapid progress towards European Union membership. Original post Here

News

Heavy Rains Cause Evacuations and Discontent in Albania

Dramatic situation reported in several towns, while some locals complain of being abandoned. Original post Here

News

Albania Under Water: A Return to a Hobbesian State of Nature

TIRANA TIMES, December 6, 2025 – Albania is once again under water. Torrential rains over the past days have triggered massive flooding across almost the entire country, exposing not only the fragility of urban infrastructure but, more fundamentally, the long-term failure of governance. From the northern plains to the southern …

News

Europe Tightens the Fight Against Corruption, Albania at a Crossroad

By Zef Preçi, Executive Director of ACER As Albania presents itself as closer than ever to the European Union, a troubling contradiction has emerged in its domestic legal and political debate. While the EU is moving decisively toward tougher and more harmonized criminal rules against corruption, Albania is simultaneously discussing …

News

Housing Boom Prices Out Albanians

Allegations of money laundering in construction and claims of informal power networks, including the case of Ergys Agasi, fuel concerns over a distorted housing market Tirana Times, TIRANA, 05 January 2026 – For many middle income families in Tirana, buying an apartment has shifted from a realistic life goal to …

News

In Albania, Women Often Quit Local Councils to Make Way for Men

Democracy and the rights of women are being undermined in Albania by the practice of filling electoral candidate lists with women, only to have them resign en masse once the results are in and cede their seats to men. Original post Here

News

Monday Briefing from the Balkans: January 5, 2026

Catch up on the weekend’s most important developments with Balkan Insight’s digest of news from countries across the region. Original post Here

News

Balkan States Give Divided Reactions to US Strike on Venezuela

Albania and Kosovo applauded the Trump administration’s military operation against Venezuela’s regime and the ousting of Nicolas Maduro, while other states in the region initially remained silent or called for calm and restraint. Original post Here