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Tirana, 20-year-old stabbed to death over trivial motives

A serious incident happened a few minutes after Tuesday midnight on the “4 Martyrs” street of the Albanian capital, Tirana. During a conflict for trivial motives, citizens E.M., 18 years old, and A.H., 18 years old, injured the citizen, Steven Toshkesi, 20 years old, with a cutting tool. As a …

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Tirana Blast was on notorious gang leader father’s residency

In the early hours of Tuesday morning, a quantity of explosives exploded at the door of Muhamet Duka’s apartment, which is located on the fourth floor of a building in Fresk area of Tirana. As a result of this explosion, there was only material damage, while Muhameti is the father …

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P.M, Rama leaves the hospital

A day after the surgery at QSUT, Prime Minister Edi Rama left the hospital premises today. n a report for ABC News, journalist Ajgena Korbi said that the head of the government left the hospital in the early hours of the morning today and that according to the doctors, his …

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Boss of cryptocurrency to be extradited

The Supreme Court has allowed the extradition to Turkey of citizen Faruk Ozer, arrested for fraud with cryptocurrencies. He was detained in August last year following an arrest warrant issued by Turkish authorities. Farukt Ozer was arrested in Albania on August 30. He was found in a restaurant in Palasa, …

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The European Parliament agree on EU visa liberalization with Kosovo

This Tuesday, the European Parliament said yes to the liberalization of visas for citizens of Kosovo. The members of the European Parliament voted in favor of visa liberalization for Kosovo, and on April 19, the ceremony for signing the legal act is expected. The President of the European Parliament, Roberta …

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Electronic voting is tested, head of CEC: The device is 100% safe

In three municipalities, namely in Kamëz, Vorë and Elbasan, voting will be done electronically in the May 14 elections. The head of the CEC, Ilirjan Celibashi, guaranteed from Elbasan that the device ensures 100% secrecy of the vote, so he invited the citizens not to hesitate to vote on May 14. …

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Q&A: Emigration is a regional issue and long-term effort is needed to address it, says Croatian Ambassador to Albania Zlatko Kramaric

Tirana Times interviews the Ambassador of Croatia to Albania, Zlatko Kramaric, on Croatia’s decade in the EU, relations with Albania and Western Balkans integration prospects. Q: Albania and Croatia enjoy a very good bilateral relation with collaboration in many fields. How do you find the relations at the moment of …

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Albanian court rules Turkish crypto scam kingpin can be extradited to his homeland to face trial 

TIRANA, Apr. 18, 2022 – Albania’s High Court has court ruled to allow the extradition of Fatih Ozer to face a trial in his homeland of Turkey, where he is wanted for allegedly scamming nearly 400,000 people out of millions dollars through a cryptocurrency exchange.  Ozer was arrested last year …

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Albania Economists Slate PM’s ‘New Salaries’ Pledge as ‘Unrealistic’

PM Rama’s promise to hike wages, starting in the public sector, has been deemed totally unrealistic by a range of economic experts. Original post Here

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Confidence Tricks: Tirana’s Place in an International ‘Investment’ Scam

Fake ‘call centres’ across Albania were part of a lucrative stock market investment scam operating across Europe; the suspects include an Albanian man with significant political connections. Original post Here

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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

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 …

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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

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 …

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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 …

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 …

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 …