Chronicles and Fragments
The novels of Ismail Kadare. By James Wood Like Trieste or Lvov, the medieval city of Gjirokastër, in southern Albania, has passed its history beneath a sign perpetually rewritten, in different hands, but always with the same words: “Under New Management.” It enters the historical record in 1336, as a Byzantine …
A phone call not every writer wants
By Kristoffer Leandoer Every year he waits in vain by the phone on this very day, and a whole nation waits with him. Every year the Albanian people are equally surprised that Ismail Kadare has been passed over once again. The recently published “A dictator calls” (Counterpoint LLC), makes full use of …
Tribute to Ismail Kadare, state ceremony in honor of the well-known writer
Tributes have begun at the National Theater of Opera and Ballet in honor of the writer Ismail Kadare, who passed away at the age of 88. Helena Kadare, the wife of the late writer, arrived at the theater accompanied by the mayor of Tirana, Erion Veliaj. The highest heads of …
Anti-drug operation with France/ GJKKO leaves in prison the arrested
GJKKO has left in prison the three people arrested as part of a criminal group that operated in the French state for drug trafficking. Redian Doda, who is also considered the leader of the group, as well as Zabit Fisniku and Fabi Isaku, all three arrested in Albania, will remain …
Interview Ismail Kadare: All Totalitarian Regimes Are Mad
May 31, 2008 Ismail Kadare wrote for decades under Enver Hoxha’s brutal communist regime in Albania, was suspected of spying and threatened with punishment for subversive writing. Despite all this, at 72 he is serene. Sitting on a cream sofa in his lovely Paris flat, his architectural face and booming, …
Organized the transportation of 7 immigrants who died in an accident, Stivljano Ndou arrested
Stivljano Ndou has been handcuffed by the police as part of the police mega-operation coded “Rule of Law”. The detainee tried to escape from the services of the Shkodra Police, with the motorcycle he was driving. The 24-year-old was wanted by the blues of Gjirokastra, after he organized the transportation …
Found unconscious on the street, a 22-year-old allegedly fell from a height
The 22-year-old who was found unconscious on the road near the Shengjin roundabout in Lezhë has been identified as Gentjan Bajrami from Shkodra. Journalist Gjergj Figuri reports that at first it was suspected that the young man was violeted, but according to the police, the track being investigated is the …
Tribute to Kadare’s house in Gjirokastër
Homages in honor of Ismail Kadare will also take place in his birthplace in Gjirokastër. Journalist Elidon Berberi reported from the house, where the writer started the first lines, while he said that the tributes will also take place in the center of the bazaar, where the corner of honor …
SPAK operation with the French authorities, three Albanians arrested and assets seized
SPAK has developed a joint operation with the French authorities, which led to the crackdown on a drug trafficking group. The criminal group operated in the Lyon region and supplied sales groups in the Rhone, Ain, Savoie, and Haute-Savoie regions from an Albanian citizen in France. The gang was led …
Albanian’s Leap to Freedom Was Only the Start of His Journey
An Albanian who 34 years ago jumped over an embassy wall in Tirana to escape the country’s repressive communist regime recalls his struggle to find freedom and a new home in Western Europe. Original post Here
Strategic ambitions, unresolved disputes, and a relationship caught between political narratives and diplomatic inertia. Tirana Times, May 02, 2026 – The latest encounter between Edi Rama and Kyriakos Mitsotakis at the Delphi Economic Forum was meant to signal momentum in a relationship long burdened by history. Instead, it exposed a …
By Ferit Hoxha Anyone who knows even a little about Albania is aware that the cornerstone of Albanian foreign policy in the post-communist period has been a clear orientation toward the Euro-Atlantic world, as a guarantee of democracy, security, and the country’s development, and as an expression of our aspiration …
TIRANA, May 1 – The Jerusalem Post presents Albania as an emerging tourism hotspot in Europe. It highlights its mix of culture, history, coastline, and mountain landscapes. Located in the Balkans next to Greece, the country increasingly positions itself as an alternative to more crowded Mediterranean destinations. In recent years, …
In a world that increasingly finds itself turned upside down, our selection of Balkan Insight Premium stories this week tries to make sense of the past, present and future. Original post Here
Prime Minister Edi Rama presented 13 of his drawings at the premises of the Embassy of Italy in Berlin, as part of an event linked to his personal exhibition “Chrysalizing”, currently being held at Société Gallery. The exhibition also includes sculptures created by Rama, who has long been known for …
At a meeting held this Friday, the Working Group for amendments to the Statute of the Democratic Party of Albaniaapproved both the working methodology and a detailed calendar for the process of reviewing the party’s founding document. According to the decision taken, the process will extend throughout the month of …
International Workers’ Day was marked in Albania with a protest organized by the Union of Trade Unions of Albania in front of the Ministry of Economy of Albania. Participants held banners reading “A worker’s life is not a business cost” and “Wages to live, not to survive,” calling for better …
Former DP MP Ervin Salianji has reacted to the latest developments in the race for the leadership of the Democratic Party, expressing criticism over how the party is being managed under Sali Berisha. In a Facebook post, Salianji writes that Berisha shows a lack of responsibility, which could lead to …
A group of 50 parachutists from Italy have opened this year’s tourist season at the Gjirokastër aerodrome. The Italian parachutists performed jumps from an aircraft at an altitude of 3,000 meters, putting on a real spectacle for air sports enthusiasts. The activity was organized as a collaboration between Skydive Albania …
Albania remains the country with the highest risk of poverty in Europe. Despite efforts to develop the economy and increase income per capita, more than 40% of households in the country are deprived of several essential payments. In Albania, 44.5% of households with children and 37% of households without children …