Albania Ruling Party Postpones Controversial Lustration Legislation
After an EU intervention, ruling Socialist Party MPs postponed the approval of legal changes that critics claim are intended to target former President Ilir Meta for alleged collaboration with the Communist-era intelligence service. Original post Here
Albania Prosecutors Seek Former Deputy PM Arben Ahmetaj’s Arrest
Prosecutors want parliamentary immunity lifted so that former Deputy PM Arben Ahmetaj can be arrested on charges of corruption and money laundering. Original post Here
Op/Ed: The sacrifice of a spotless shirt
By DEMUSH SHASHA While 20 seconds of Ambassador Hill’s tweets shatter 20 years of illusion in Kosovo, they are also useful starting points for reassessing our way forward. Our way forward is the quagmire, where Kurti’s political clean shirt must be submerged to pull us out of the deluge in …
Socialist MP resigns following vicious beating perpetrated by MP’s family members, MoI sacked
TIRANA, July 8 – A controversial ruling party MP in Albania has resigned after his son and two brothers were detained by police in connection with the vicious beating of two men near their home town of Fushë Krujë. The beating, filmed and distributed on social media by the assailants, …
Tirana mayor attends environment conference in Budapest
The Mayor of Tirana Erion Veliaj has travelled to Hungary to participate in the Conference on Environment and Health that is being held in Budapest. Veliaj, in a post on social networks, writes that he shares the experience of Tirana at the conference. While he added that he visited the …
Korça university will not be closed
The Minister of Education, Evis Kushi, in a statement to the media, clarified that the University of Korça, “Fan Noli” will not be closed and will continue its work in the new academic year. Kushi said that there have been proposals for its closure but no definitive decisions, where she …
MP of the Socialist Party, Rrahman Rraja hands over his mandate
SP Deputy Rrahman Rraja hands over his mandate. The decision comes after the equal violence that the Rraja family exerted against two cousins in Borizana, part of which was the brother and son of the SP deputy. “I have no words to express the embarrassment towards all those who have …
Numerous officers engaged in FNSH operation in Nikel
Numerous police forces have landed this Saturday in Nikel. According to information for ABC News, it is known that checks are being carried out in Nikel and in the surrounding villages since the early hours of the morning, where a large number of officers and police vehicles are on the …
Today 78th anniversary of the annexation of Kosovo by Serbia
After the re-occupation and annexation of Kosovo in 1945 and after the building of the separation wall between Albania and the Albanians in Kosovo, the issue of Kosovo and the other territories that had remained under the former Yugoslavia would remain unresolved. In the Assembly of Prizren, held on July …
Escobar: Vucic ready to accept EU’s 3-point plan, Kurti not yet
The special envoy of the United States of America for the Western Balkans, Gabriel Escobar, declared that the best solution for Kosovo and Serbia is to accept the three-point plan proposed by the European Union. Escobar said there are indications that Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic is ready to accept this …
During last week’s visit to Israel, Albania’s Prime Minister used a private jet once owned by Sam Bankman Fried, now-jailed owner of crypto exchange FTX – but it’s unclear who footed the bill. Original post Here
The suspects are among 33 people accused of involvement in shipping a cargo of dangerous industrial waste from Albania to Thailand. Original post Here
The US president’s son-in-law wants to build a tourism development in southern Albania, but residents of the unspoilt strip around Zvernec say a dispute over ownership of the land is being ignored. Original post Here
Tropojë Mayor Indicted for Illegal Roadworks Tirana Times, 02 February 2026 – In a case related to alleged abuse of office, Albania’s Special Court has sent Tropojë’s mayor Rexhë Byberi and his deputy Abedin Kërrnaja to trial on charges of “abuse of office” related to local infrastructure projects. The officials are …
The Italy-Albania asylum ‘offshoring’ scheme is being studied by other Western European governments wanting to look tough on migration. But the case of Hamid Badoui, who took his own life after being held at an Albanian migrant detention camp, highlights the human cost. Original post Here
Balkan LGBTQ+ people, both in the region and in the diaspora, are often told that their identities are incompatible. It’s time to hear a different story – and learn more about the region’s pioneers. Original post Here
Plans by relatives of U.S. President Donald Trump to build a luxury resort in the scenic coastal area of Zvërnec have sidelined local residents and their property claims, while intersecting with a long-running court battle involving controversial real estate businessman Artur Shehu. By Vladimir Karaj Tirana Times, 02 February 2026 …
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 Murrizi Tunnel was opened to much fanfare in March last year, not long before a parliamentary election. Now the Albanian Road Authority says it has yet been certified for use. Original post Here
Tirana Times, 01 February 2026 – The release of more than three million pages of documents linked to the Jeffrey Epstein case by the United States Department of Justice has expanded the scope of one of the most disturbing scandals of the past decade far beyond the United States. The …