As Western Balkans seek more financial assurances, EU Commission requests 2 billion euros in additional funds
TIRANA, June 30, 2023 – The European Commission, EU’s executive arm, has requested additional funds for the Western Balkan region during the review of the medium-term financial framework, looking for 2 billion euros more to supplement its already hefty financial contribution to a region that is slowly moving toward EU …
Woman stabbed by husband dies in hospital
Marjola Myrtollari, who was injured on June 4 of this year in Korça, by her husband Aleko Myrtollari, has passed away. The perpetrator Aleko Myrtollari stabbed his wife and then left the scene. He surrendered after two days. It is now expected that the prosecution will also change the charge …
Battle for Balkan Cybersecurity: Threats and Implications of Biometrics and Digital Identity
A surge in cyberattacks, particularly phishing and ransomware, has left Balkan countries to improve their defences against cybercrime, BIRN research shows. Original post Here
Two injured in Lezhë-Milot triple car crash
A triple accident happened this Friday morning on the Lezhë-Milot highway. Due to the crash, two people were injured, who were sent to Lezha hospital for check-up. As a result of the accident, traffic was created on this road axis. On its part, the investigative group is at the scene …
Youth dies due to heart attack
A 20-year-old man died in the Korça Hospital this Friday morning. According to the information, the young man had felt bad in a bar in Bilisht and was rushed to Korça Hospital, where he died. Meanwhile, forensic expertise is awaited to determine the cause of the 20-year-old’s death. Police sources …
Shkodra house engulfed by flames
A house was engulfed in flames this Friday morning in Shkoder. According to the information, it is learned that the incident took place on the fourth floor of a building in the Parruca neighborhood. Meanwhile, it is known that the house was rented by a family with four members who …
Bribery for the tender to the Ministry of Health, GJKKO leaves in prison the engineer
The Court of Special Appeals, this Friday, has upheld the security measure of prison arrest for Silvi Shehu, the engineer of Vladimir Topi’s company, who was arrested on suspicion of corrupting the secretary of the Ministry of Health, Joana Duro. Three days after the arrest, the court released its owner, …
Double murder in Dukagjin, causes still a mystery
A tragedy happen yesterday in Dukagjin, where father and son were executed with firearms in their native village. Journalist Simon Shkreli reports for ABC News that the police are on the scene and are working to collect information related to the clues regarding the murder of the father and son, …
Court session on man who punched ex-PM postponed
Hearing in the Court of Tirana for Gerti Shehu, who punched former Prime Minister Sali Berisha on December 6 of last year, the day the EU Summit was held in Tirana, has been postponed to July 20. Reason for the postponement was the absence in the session of the victim …
Rama: Cadastre services only online since 3rd July
From July 3, there will be no more counters for services in the Cadastre, Prime Minister Rama announced Friday, revealing that the Cadastre will now be a window through e-Albania where everyone will be able to be equal and receive the services they need. In his speech, the Head of …
Remembering Janusz Bugajski: Scholar, Mentor, and Lifelong Friend of the Balkans Janusz Bugajski (1954–2025) The international academic and analytical community has lost one of its most lucid and principled voices. Janusz Bugajski, the distinguished American analyst of Eurasian and Balkan affairs, passed away on October 18, 2025, at the age …
Organised crime networks are using call centres in Albania to defraud people across Europe, conning them with promises of big profits from scam investments and employing sophisticated social-engineering techniques. Original post Here
The UK’s ambitious agenda for the London summit of the Berlin Process reflects its commitment to the Western Balkans region but also its own domestic priorities, starting with illegal migration. Original post Here
By Marjana Doda, This feature draws on exclusive insights from an interview with Ambassador Tayyar Kagan Atay, the Ambassador of the Republic of Türkiye to Tirana. On the occasion of the 102nd anniversary of diplomatic relations, Ambassador Atay reflects on the unique depth of Albanian–Turkish ties—links shaped by shared history …
Catch up on the weekend’s most important developments with Balkan Insight’s digest of news from countries across the region. Original post Here
The courtroom killing of a judge in Tirana has prompted calls from Albanian judges and prosecutors for authorities to get serious about their ‘almost non-existent’ security. Original post Here
The Rama–Kurti clash over the war crimes tribunal highlights deeper structural tensions, from unimplemented agreements to competing regional agendas. The latest clash between Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama and Kosovo’s Albin Kurti is more than another exchange of political insults. It reflects the fragile state of relations between Albania and …
Hundreds of protesters rallied in the Albanian capital on Friday demanding justice for former leaders of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) on trial in The Hague, denouncing the proceedings as an attack on the wartime struggle against Serbian forces. The demonstrators, many waving KLA flags and chanting slogans such as …
Protesters in the Albanian capital expressed anger at the ongoing trial of wartime Kosovo Liberation Army officers at the Specialist Chambers in The Hague, saying the defendants were freedom fighters, not criminals. Original post Here
By Bernd Fischer It is becoming increasingly difficult to justify yet another book dealing with some aspect of World War II. Of all the armed conflicts of past centuries, World War II has engendered the most interest as well as an exhausting amount of written material. The opening of the …