Italy Queried Over Fate of 16 ‘Missing’ Migrants Outsourced to Albania
Opposition MP demands answers after a visit to the Italian-run Repatriation and Detention Centre in Albania revealed that 16 out of 41 migrants sent there two weeks ago had gone. Original post Here
Surveillance and Censorship Worsening in Western Balkans: BIRN Report
New report shows governments in the region increasingly use technology to suppress dissent, filter content, restrict access to digital platforms and carry out mass and targeted surveillance. Original post Here
In a depopulating Albania, why is the PM campaigning on a promise to make it easier for young people to leave?
If Rama wants to be the prime minister who ushers Albania into the European Union, he must first be the leader who makes Albania worth staying in. It means building a country where the EU passport is a gateway — not an escape route. Because freedom is not just the …
Call to Arms for the ‘Next Generation’
Albania is in a precarious situation at the moment. We are faced with a prevailing cultural acceptance of complacency and corruption. This reality had periodically made itself known to me during my summer trips back to Albania. Truthfully, however, this had no bearing on my life back then. I was …
Is AI worsening the mental health crisis in journalism?
Mental health remains a relatively under-discussed issue for those working in journalism, a profession that is often precarious for many. AI has now been added to this situation. Instability and precariousness, low salaries, the “obligation to stay connected” and the pressure to keep up the pace: these are the factors …
Newsanalysis: Kosovo Parliament Fails Again to Elect Speaker, Highlighting Deepening Partisan Divides and Institutional Fragility
Tirana, Tirana Times, April 27 — Kosovo’s political deadlock deepened further on Sunday as the Parliament failed once again to elect a Speaker and officially constitute the Assembly, despite seven attempts. The candidate proposed by the winning party, Vetëvendosje (VV), acting Justice Minister Albulena Haxhiu, did not secure enough votes, …
Elmar Brok: Berisha calls for liberation – Rama’s power crumbles
A new chapter is dawning in Albania. For the first time in years, Edi Rama’s iron-fisted ruleis beginning to totter. The country is facing a historic decision: Freedom or downfall. And inthe midst of this moment, an old fighter rises up – Sali Berisha, the symbol of Albania’s firstliberation, is …
Farewell, Pope Francis
By Jerina Zaloshnja Rakipi — Reporting from Vatican City Tirana Times, April 26, 2025 In 1967, a Catholic priest in Tirana—whose name I never managed to learn—quietly came to our home to baptize me. I was only two years old, born to a Bektashi father and a Muslim mother, who, …
Digital Divide: The Albanians Left Behind by Move to Online Public Services
Albania has moved almost all of its public administration online, yet the elderly, those with disabilities, and others who lack the necessary digital skills risk being locked out if authorities do not step up support. Original post Here
Challenging Justice: Albanian Parties Field Candidates Facing Corruption Charges
Promises to clean up politics – and not run candidates with suspected or proven crime links – seem to have been dumped by both main parties contesting next month’s parliamentary election. Original post Here
Women’s rights groups hailed adoption of the new equality law as a historic move – while the opposition Democratic Party and ‘pro-family’ groups called it an attack on traditional values. Original post Here
A leaked file, apparently from an anti-corruption prosecutors’ probe, suggests deputy prime minister Belinda Balluku played an active role in predetermining the winner of a major construction tender. Original post Here
Tirana Times | November 5, 2025 Berlin/Tirana – Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama has downplayed growing Western fears of a possible Russian expansion of aggression in Europe, declaring that Moscow would “not attack Albania or any other European country” and that NATO remains fully capable of deterring any threat. In …
By Tirana Times November 5, 2025 Albania’s draft budget for 2026 marks a significant milestone in the country’s defense modernization and strategic alignment with NATO objectives. The government has announced a €100 million increase in defense funding, raising total expenditures to €589 million or approximately 2.1% of GDP surpassing the …
Encrypted platforms and secure devices have helped crime gangs in the Balkans to coordinate trafficking and payments – but while police have cracked several of them, the criminals quickly adopt new tools. Original post Here
The Albanian Prime Minister’s suggestions have largely and consistently proven not to be in Kosovo’s best interest October 29, 2025 By Veton Suroi Last week, Albania’s Prime Minister Edi Rama offered a new recommendation for Kosovo in the process of normalizing relations with Serbia: “In my view, Kosovo should completely …
Intimidation of journalists working for independent media in Albania is getting worse, as state-level and local officials attempt to silence critical voices, both online and face-to-face. Original post Here
Tough European Commission report takes Serbian democratic backsliding to task – while saying Montenegro will probably be the first among the current candidate countries to join the EU. Original post Here
By Zef Preçi The recent decision of Albania’s Special Prosecution Office Against Corruption (SPAK) to formally indict Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Infrastructure Belinda Balluku on charges related to abuse of office and corruption has sent shockwaves through the political establishment. Balluku widely regarded as the government’s second-in-command and …
Delays and drug shortages in the public healthcare system force hundreds of Albanian women every year to seek expensive, private treatment for breast cancer. Original post Here