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Minister: Thumane-Kashar road to be completed within next 12 months

Minister of Infrastructure and Energy, Belinda Balluku has vowed this Friday that the Thumanë-Kashar road segment, part of the Blue Corridor, will be accessible to citizens within 12 months. She issued this statement during the axis construction’s works, accompanied by Prime Minister Edi Rama, stating that this is a road …

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History made as College of Europe set to open Tirana campus

If Albania needed a sign that the European Union is still serious about its enlargement in the Western Balkans, it has received it in a special way: College of Europe, a renowned institution for training future European leaders, is set to open a campus in Tirana.  Following a lobbying campaign …

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A polish tourist dies after falling from sixth-floor hotel

A tragedy happened in the early hours of this morning in Durrës.  A Polish tourist, 55 years old, fell from the sixth floor of the hotel where she was staying, losing her life. The circumstances of this event are still unknown. Meanwhile, the police are at the scene to clarify …

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Belgrade School Shooting Has Online Ripple Effect in Balkans

A recent mass shooting at a school in Belgrade had a widespread impact online in the Balkans, sparking a series of copycat threats, misleading articles, fake video footage and insensitive reports in countries across the region. Original post Here

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Kosovo Cautious on Albania PM’s Plan for Serb Municipalities Association

Albanian PM Edi Rama has presented a proposal to France and Germany for the establishment of Kosovo’s Association of Serb-Majority Municipalities in a bid to break the deadlock between Pristina and Belgrade on the issue. Original post Here

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Albania PM joins pressure on Kosovo gov’t with unconsulted proposal 

TIRANA, June 8, 2023 – As Western pressure mounts on the Kosovo government to accept the creation of the Association of Serbian-majority Municipalities, Albania’s Prime Minister Edi Rama has announced he has sent a draft solution on the matter to French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.  Rama …

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Kamza, Saranda marked biggest growth of businesses in 2021

Number of businesses increased by a total of about 5.5% on a national scale, but in the municipalities of Kamza and Saranda the number of businesses increased by twice the national average. On the other hand, a series of small municipalities saw a decrease in the number of businesses, where …

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Anti-drug operation in Shkodër/ A 65-year old woman is declared wanted

The fifth phase of the “Alpet e Pastra” operation in Shkodër has been completed, where it was possible to destroy 510 seedlings and 2760 suspected cannabis sativa narcotic plants. 460 cannabis plants were found cultivated in Lotaj village of Shale administrative unit. 2300 cannabis plants and 510 seedlings planted in …

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Accused for abuse of duty/ Vangjush Dako to appear before the court

The former mayor of Durrës, Vangjush Dako, appears today before the Special Court. The session will take place at 10:00, where the security measure will be introduced. Along with Dako, several other officials of the Municipality as well as a builder were arrested, while three others were left under house …

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Alibeaj: Democratic Party must elect a chairman as soon as possible

Enkelejd Alibeaj says that the Democratic Party should take the full form of its operation, an hour earlier. In the outer premises of the Assembly, Alibeaj told the journalists that the chairman of the Democratic Party should be elected as soon as possible. “It will take an hour or so …

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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

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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

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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 …

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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

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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 …

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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 …