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Pine forest fire in Lac area partially contained

Pire that broke out yesterday in the crown of the pines in Laç, has been partially contained this Wednesday.  Throughout the night, firefighters worked to contain the fires near the Shnandou Church. In the meantime, several other fires have appeared near the former tank department, while work is being done …

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Ksamil, four tourists saved by police after being stranded at sea

Border Police and Delta Force have helped this Wednesday four vacationers, two of them minors, who were stranded at sea with a pedal boat.  Vacationers couldn’t pedal ashore because of the wind and high waves. Fortunately, the rescued citizens are in good health.  In the meantime, the State Police invites …

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Kosovo youth caught trying to smuggle gun through Durres port

A 21-year-old from Kosovo, resident in France, has been arrested by the police this Wednesday in the Port of Durres.  According to the police report, young Valmir Ademi tried to smuggle a pistol-type firearm to France. During the checks carried out on the second line, in the “Fiat 500” type …

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About 500 cannabis plants destroyed in Mat, brothers wanted

Fifth phase of the anti-cannabis operation, codenamed “Kreshta te Pastra” has been carried out this Wednesday, resulting in the finding and destruction of 453 cannabis plants in the village of Madhesh, Mat area. After the finding, Police identified and declared wanted two brothers as suspected perpetrators for the cultivation of …

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New details on youth that crashed luxury BMW at Tirana lake’s dam

Aldi Allushi, the driver who ended up at the Tirana Artificial Lake’s dam with his BMW “x6” in the early hours of Tuesday morning, was detained by the traffic police on Arbri street later in the afternoon. Initially, the 26-year-old denied having been the driver of the luxury vehicle, but …

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Young driver crashed on Elbasan-Tirana highway

A serious accident happened this Monday afternoon on the “Elbasan – Tirana” highway, where a 24-year-old man lost control of the car and collided with the metal barrier on the side of the road. As a result of the collision, the 24-year-old man was injured and is receiving medical help …

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A businessman dies in a car accident

In the early hours of the morning, as a result of an accident in the place called “Kapelja”, 62-year-old Nadir Gjata died. After the incident, the family members, seeing the injuries on the head, raised doubts whether the incident was accidental or intentional, since the bag with personal tools and …

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Smuggler caught in Gjirokastra hauling over 20 illegal migrants

A 34-year-old man has been arrested in Gjirokastra area, after he was caught transporting 22 immigrants in a van, the police announced Tuesday.  During the attempt to get away from the police at midnight, he crashed two vehicles and injured a police officer, whose life is out of danger. Following …

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Luxury car crashes at Tirana artificial lake’s dam

A serious accident happened in the early hours of this Tuesday morning in the Albanian capital, near the Artificial Lake of Tirana.  Local media reported that an “X6” type car, which was moving on the “Kosovar Road” at a very high speed, climbed the slope and ended up at the …

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Housefire leaves five families homeless in Golem

Five families have been left homeless in Golem, after the building where they lived was engulfed by flames this Tuesday night.  Firefighters intervened and isolated the flames, so that the fire did not spread to other apartments. Nevertheless, it is suspected that the cause was a defect in the electrical …

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Week in Review: Boom and Bust

From politics to the media business, high expectations often go hand-in-hand with disappointments big and small, as our selection of Balkan Insight Premium stories this week shows. Original post Here

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Battling Graft Charges, Tirana Mayor Stages Online Charm Offensive

When Tirana mayor and Socialist Party rising star Erion Veliaj was arrested on corruption charges, he lashed out against the judiciary. Now he’s running a social media PR campaign to charm the public. Can it work? Original post Here

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BIRN Reality Check: Albanian Prosecutors Still Can’t Identify ‘Hazardous Waste’ Cargo

In October 2024, a shipment of containers with suspected hazardous waste was returned to Albania. But prosecutors haven’t yet managed to analyse their contents because they say they’re unable to find the necessary laboratory services. Original post Here

News
Expensive Lesson: Italy Weighs Costs of Offshore Migrant Centres in Albania

Already repurposed due to legal challenges, Italy’s asylum centres in Albania cost more than originally planned and much more than similar facilities in Italy itself, offering a potential lesson for other European governments tempted to take the same route. Original post Here

News
NATO Summit in The Hague Reaffirms Alliance Unity

Tirana announced as host city for 2027 NATO Summit The Hague, June 25, 2025 — NATO leaders convened today in The Hague for a pivotal summit that reaffirmed the Alliance’s unity amid intensifying global security threats and adopted a transformative new commitment to defense investment, resilience, and innovation. In a …

News
Activists Condemn Secret Migrant Deportations from Albania

Activists have condemned as “illegal” the deportation back to Egypt of five people from an Italian-run migrant holding camp in Albania. Original post Here

News
Albania Aligns Firmly with U.S. in Iran Standoff, Reflecting Decades-Long Strategic Alliance

June 23, 2025 – Tirana Albania has expressed unequivocal support for the United States following its militar.y strikes on three key nuclear sites in Iran, marking a rare moment of bipartisan consensus among the ruling Socialist majority and the opposition Democratic Party. Prime Minister Edi Rama and former Prime Minister …

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Iran Hacks Tirana Municipality in Retaliation Over MEK

By Tirana Times TIRANA, Albania  20 June, 2025— A sophisticated Iranian cyber group has claimed responsibility for a major attack on the official website of Tirana Municipality, disabling online services and disrupting the city’s public registration system for kindergartens and nurseries, authorities confirmed Friday. The hacking group “Homeland Justice,” believed …

News
Week in Review: SLAPPs, Surveillance and Smuggling Networks

Our selection of Premium stories this week takes a look at the region’s slow-burning political crises, smuggling networks, digital surveillance and a whole lot more. Original post Here

News
The Israel – Iran conflict in our perspective

by Genc Pollo President of the Pan-Europe Albania   Former Minister and MP 18 June 2025 In the Albanian public debate on the armed conflict between Israel and Iran, a prevailing notion has been the contrast between Israel, a democracy where state power is under constitutional constraints and accountable to …

News

Week in Review: Boom and Bust

From politics to the media business, high expectations often go hand-in-hand with disappointments big and small, as our selection of Balkan Insight Premium stories this week shows. Original post Here

News

Battling Graft Charges, Tirana Mayor Stages Online Charm Offensive

When Tirana mayor and Socialist Party rising star Erion Veliaj was arrested on corruption charges, he lashed out against the judiciary. Now he’s running a social media PR campaign to charm the public. Can it work? Original post Here

News

BIRN Reality Check: Albanian Prosecutors Still Can’t Identify ‘Hazardous Waste’ Cargo

In October 2024, a shipment of containers with suspected hazardous waste was returned to Albania. But prosecutors haven’t yet managed to analyse their contents because they say they’re unable to find the necessary laboratory services. Original post Here

News

Expensive Lesson: Italy Weighs Costs of Offshore Migrant Centres in Albania

Already repurposed due to legal challenges, Italy’s asylum centres in Albania cost more than originally planned and much more than similar facilities in Italy itself, offering a potential lesson for other European governments tempted to take the same route. Original post Here

News

NATO Summit in The Hague Reaffirms Alliance Unity

Tirana announced as host city for 2027 NATO Summit The Hague, June 25, 2025 — NATO leaders convened today in The Hague for a pivotal summit that reaffirmed the Alliance’s unity amid intensifying global security threats and adopted a transformative new commitment to defense investment, resilience, and innovation. In a …

News

Activists Condemn Secret Migrant Deportations from Albania

Activists have condemned as “illegal” the deportation back to Egypt of five people from an Italian-run migrant holding camp in Albania. Original post Here

News

Albania Aligns Firmly with U.S. in Iran Standoff, Reflecting Decades-Long Strategic Alliance

June 23, 2025 – Tirana Albania has expressed unequivocal support for the United States following its militar.y strikes on three key nuclear sites in Iran, marking a rare moment of bipartisan consensus among the ruling Socialist majority and the opposition Democratic Party. Prime Minister Edi Rama and former Prime Minister …

News

Iran Hacks Tirana Municipality in Retaliation Over MEK

By Tirana Times TIRANA, Albania  20 June, 2025— A sophisticated Iranian cyber group has claimed responsibility for a major attack on the official website of Tirana Municipality, disabling online services and disrupting the city’s public registration system for kindergartens and nurseries, authorities confirmed Friday. The hacking group “Homeland Justice,” believed …

News

Week in Review: SLAPPs, Surveillance and Smuggling Networks

Our selection of Premium stories this week takes a look at the region’s slow-burning political crises, smuggling networks, digital surveillance and a whole lot more. Original post Here

News

The Israel – Iran conflict in our perspective

by Genc Pollo President of the Pan-Europe Albania   Former Minister and MP 18 June 2025 In the Albanian public debate on the armed conflict between Israel and Iran, a prevailing notion has been the contrast between Israel, a democracy where state power is under constitutional constraints and accountable to …