A 39-year-old convicted of murder is arrested in Durres
A 39-year-old man in Manzë was arrested by the police after the decision of the Court of First Instance of the General Jurisdiction of Durrës, for his sentence of 18 years in prison. Citizen Afrim Kila, was recently under “House Arrest” security measures and was convicted for the murder of …
Elections in Greece, Malaj: Albanians should vote for their rights
The Albanian candidate Fatos Malaj from PASOK, one of the 7 Albanian candidates in the Greek elections, in an interview with ABC News stated that he expects the Albanians to vote for him. In his speech, Malaj expressed that it is important for Albanians to go to the polls and …
CEC approves results of May 14 elections in Tirana, Durrës
The Central Election Commission has approved the results of the May 14 elections for the Municipality of Tirana and that of Durrës. Thus, the chief commissioner Ilirjan Celibashi declared that Erion Veliaj is officially the winning candidate for the Municipality of Tirana, showing the valid votes that each of the …
OTP Bank Albania: Establishing a firm foundation to serve Albania’s dynamic economy and society
OTP Bank Albania CEO Bledar Shella Hungary’s largest OTP Bank Group entered Albania’s market four years ago, and its subsidiary OTP Bank Albania has recently grown further through a merger, positioning itself to to serve a greater portion of Albania’s economy, which it sees as a dynamic and promising. The …
Is Albania’s new dominant-party system here to stay?
By ANDI BALLA The ruling Socialist Party scored a sweeping victory in Albania’s May 14, 2023 municipal elections. SP won 54 out of 61 municipalities, including every single large city. Socialist mayors will govern more than 94 percent of the country’s population, adding to the SP domination at the national …
Mother, daughter prosecuted for trying to smuggle EUR 40,000 through Rinas
Rinas Police has seized 40,000 euros in the airport checks, while the mother and daughter who tried to cross the border were prosecuted in connection with the incident. The police informs that the large amount of money was hidden in the body of the two citizens, while the materials were …
Jailed Himara’s mayor to appear at court, might lose mandate
Candidate of the “Together We Win” coalition for the Municipality of Himara, Fredi Beleri, was arrested a day before the elections, after being caught buying votes, but was able to win the battle for the Municipality of Himara behind jail. Vlora’s Court imposed the measure of “prison arrest”, while he …
No settlement deal between Berisha, Veliaj on defamation Trial
Mayor of Tirana, Erion Veliaj, filed a defamation lawsuit against the former Prime Minister, Sali Berisha, after the latter accused him of ties to Iran and first session with the representation of the two parties was held this Friday. This session lasted only 20 minutes, where the lawyers of Berisha …
Electric scooters’ serial thief arrested in Tirana
A 20-year-old man has been arrested this Friday by the Tirana police after allegedly stealing electric skateboards in Tirana. According to the police, 20-year-old Emiljan Guraj and his minor accomplice, 16 years old, are suspected of being the authors of at least 7 cases of theft of skateboards. His arrest …
Accused of “concealing and non-declaration of assets”, SPAK demands a year in prison for the former head of C. Court
The Special Prosecutor’s Office requests a year in prison for Bashkim Deda, the former head of the Constitutional Court, according to Ermal Vija, ABC News journalist. According to Article 59, is required the suspension of the execution of the sentence and placement on probation for 2 years. Deda is accused …
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
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
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
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
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 …
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
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 …
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 …
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
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 …