One dead and three injured in a car accident in Elbasan
A 70-year-old man died and three others were injured, including two minors, in an accident in Elbasan. The police proceeded to release a 39-year-old man who, while driving the vehicle, lost control and as a result the vehicle collided with the side barrier of the road. The authorities have started …
Analysis: Continued detention of elected mayor strains Albanian-Greek relations
TIRANA, Aug. 16, 2023 — The arrest and three-month-long pretrial detention of Fredi Beleri, the elected mayor of Himara, a coastal town in southwestern Albania, has ignited a diplomatic row between Albania and Greece and has prompted scrutiny on political influence on Albania’s justice system. Beleri is a key figure …
Multiple arrests made in high-profile corruption case linked to hospital sterilization concession
TIRANA, Aug. 17, 2023 – In a significant move that follows years of public accusations on ruling party officials, Albania’s Special Structure Against Corruption and Organized Crime (SPAK) has made several arrests connected to a contentious hospital sterilization concession granted eight years ago. Among those arrested were former Deputy Minister …
Op/Ed: The Beleri case as bellwether for democracy in Albania
By GENC POLLO The standard definition of a political prisoner is “someone imprisoned for their political activity. The political offense is not always the official reason for the prisoner’s detention”. If it still holds Albania might have gotten one. Fredi Beleri, who ran on an opposition ticket in the local …
Father and son arrested for cannabis cultivation
Father and son were arrested this Wednesday morning for cannabis cultivation in Lazarat village. The 51-year-old and the 28-year-old were caught by drones used in the operation, tending to the 50 cannabis plants they had planted in the yard of their apartment. The drug was seized as material evidence while …
SPAK-Guardia di Finanza Operation, six arrested on drug trafficking
New details have been revealed from the international anti-drug operation developed by the Albanian police in cooperation with the Italian Guardia Di Financa and the American DEA. Journalist Xhensila Kodra reports that the 4 rafts left on Tuesday afternoon from Patoku, while the sailboat left from Montenegro. More than 20 …
Teen died as two Jet Skis collide in Himara
A 16-year-old man who was driving one of the two Jet Skis that collide on Tuesday afternoon on the beach of Llamani in Himare has died. The 16-year-old was transported to Tirana but could not survive. Initially, it was reported that they jumped from the cliff into the sea, but …
“We will punish anyone who violates the law”, Balla visits injured policeman in Himara
The Minister of the Interior Taulant Balla and the Director DVP Vlora Ermal Muçaj were present at the Vlora Regional Hospital, to visit the Police officer, who is receiving treatment at this hospital, after he was stabbed yesterday evening during the out-of-hours intervention to prevent the escalation of a conflict. …
A policeman was stabbed by a 60 year old
A police officer was stabbed after he intervened to stop a conflict between several people in Himare. The incident took place around 11:00 pm on Tuesday near Pilur village turn. The 28-year-old, on duty as a police inspector in the Lukovo area, was crossing the street outside of working hours …
SPAK sends the file for trial for former mayor Fran Tuci
The Special Anti-Corruption Structure has completed the investigations and sent the file for trial of the former mayor of Fushe-Arrezi Fran Tuci, who is accused of abuse of office and destruction of property. According to SPAK, the former mayor, in violation of the law, has allowed the opening of a …
Outside programme contributors to Albania’s indebted public broadcaster say they haven’t paid for months and are in the dark as to when they will receive the money they are owed. Original post Here
The latest China Index analysis, published by a civil society network that includes BIRN, suggests that Beijing’s influence declined in most of the Balkans in 2024, with only Bosnia and Herzegovina bucking that trend. Original post Here
Instead of stimulating investment in agriculture or energy, critics say a 2015 ‘special law’ on strategic investment in Albania has simply made it easier and more profitable for certain privileged businesspeople to build luxury villas on the coast. Original post Here
Halfway into a 12-month ban on TikTok in Albania, anecdotal evidence suggests the prohibition is being widely flouted while the government remains silent on promised filters to weed out ‘undesirable’ content. Original post Here
Our selection of Premium stories this week looks at the challenges facing the region as the summer season winds down and business-as-usual resumes. Original post Here
Court again bans MPs from forming institutions deriving from the February elections while it considers a complaint about the failure to elect a deputy speaker from the Serb community, as guaranteed in the constitution. Original post Here
On the eve of Saudi Arabia’s Cultural Week, which will take place in Tirana from September 16–20 at the Palace of Congresses, the Ambassador of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques to the Republic of Albania, Mr. Faisal bin Ghazi Hafzi, through a press statement, praised this event as …
When Denisa Kasa returned from abroad and saw the state of Albania’s filthy waterways, she was shocked. Now she has formed an independent collective of young people dedicated to the ‘dream of clean rivers’. Original post Here
Tirana will soon open its doors to the sights, sounds, and flavors of Arabia. From 16 to 20 September 2025, the Palace of Congresses will transform into a vibrant stage for Saudi Cultural Week, a five-day celebration of art, heritage, and creativity hosted by the Saudi Ministry of Culture. The festival promises to be more …
Albania’s hosting of an exiled Iranian opposition group was never likely to be easy. Now it’s under criminal investigation. Original post Here