Arrest warrant for Bulqiza’s mayor on corruption charges
Mayor of Bulqiza, Lefter Alla will be remanded into police custody, as he is accused of corruption and abuse of public tenders. Arrest warrant has been issued by the Special Prosecutor’s Office Against Corruption and Organized Crime (SPAK). Police and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) in Bulqiza have conducted …
Albanian Opposition Faces Obstacle to Entering Local Election Race
The official opposition Democratic Party has been blocked from running in the May local elections over a legal technicality – which can only help Prime Minister Edi Rama’s governing Socialists. Original post Here
Vjosa officially National Park/Rama: We will protect forever the wildest river in Europe
The Prime Minister Edi Rama and the Minister of Tourism, Mirela Kumbaro are in Tepelena, where they are participating in an activity for the presentation of the Vjosa River as a National Park. During his speech, the head of government described the declaration of Vjosa as a National Park as …
Albania commemorates Gerdec blast victims
Albania commemorates this Wednesday 15 years since the tragedy of Gerdec, where 26 people lost their lives and more than 300 others were injured after a powerful explosion in a warehouse for the dismantling of ammunition. As a result of this explosion, hundreds of houses around the area in Gerdec …
Meeting of the Association and Stabilization Council, Borrell and Varhelyi in Tirana
The High Representative of the European Union, Josep Borrell, and the European Commissioner for Neighborhood and Enlargement, Oliver Varhelyi, will visit Tirana today. The visit will last two days, March 15 and 16. After Tirana, Skopje will be the next stop for Borrell and commissioner Várhelyi. Initially, Borrell is expected …
New temporary SPAK prosecutor appointed
Olsi Dado has been appointed this Wednesday as a temporary prosecutor of the Special Prosecutor’s Office Against Corruption and Organized Crime (SPAK). This was confirmed by the High Prosecutorial Council (HPC), as Dado has been ordered at the request of the head of SPAK, Altin Dumani for work needs. In …
Arrested RENEA officer involved in heroin trafficking
New details have come to light this Wednesday regarding the arrest of RENEA operative Altin Morina, who yesterday was caught in his car with 113,000 EUR, 290,000 new ALL and 80 GBP. Morina is suspected of being involved in the trafficking of heroin and cocaine, with criminal groups in Tirana, …
Albania’s ‘Wild River’ Vjosa Declared a National Park
After years of campaigning by environmentalists, Albania’s Culture Minister Mirela Kumbaro declared that the free-flowing River Vjosa and the land around it are now a national park and protected by law. Original post Here
Manastirliu at the UN: Albania advances in digital services and towards improving the status of women in society
The Minister of Health and Social Protection, Ogerta Manastirliu, is participating in the 67th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women that is conducting its work at the United Nations Organization in New York. During her speech at the UN, Minister Manastirliu emphasized the progress that Albania has …
President’s message for summer day
President of the Republic, Bajram Begaj has congratulated this Tuesday the Albanian citizens on Summer Day. Through the social networks, Begaj wished that the season, with its colors and warmth, will be a source of renewal for every Albanian! “Happy summer day! I wish that the season, with its colors …
A new cyberattack by Iran-linked Homeland Justice group targeting Albania’s parliament revealed the continued vulnerability of state digital systems and failures to implement basic security measures. Original post Here
Our selection of Premium stories this week takes a look at the changing fortunes, power dynamics and neighbourly relations of countries and actors in South-east Europe. Original post Here
TIRANA, March 12, 2026 – Albania’s Parliament, dominated by Prime Minister Edi Rama’s Socialist Party, has refused to authorize the arrest of former Deputy Prime Minister Belinda Balluku, blocking a request by the Special Prosecution Against Corruption and Organized Crime, SPAK, and triggering one of the gravest confrontations yet between …
Survey of women who gave birth recently reveals a “pervasive yet often hidden crisis of obstetric violence” and a widespread dissatisfaction with medical care. Original post Here
Ruling Socialist Party uses its majority in parliament to vote down a prosecution request to lift former Deputy Prime Minister Belinda Balluku’s immunity, allowing for her arrest. Original post Here
Brussels has already gone cold on a scheme to allow some aspirant countries like Albania and Serbia second-tier membership – but that doesn’t mean that other creative approaches to European enlargement are off the table. Original post Here
Journalists’ union welcomes ruling that says government-imposed one-year ban on social media platform was a ‘violation of freedom of expression and freedom of the press’. Original post Here
Tirana Times, March 10, 2026 – A cyberattack targeting Albania’s Parliament has revived one of the country’s most serious national security concerns, underscoring the return of a threat that Albanian institutions have come to associate with Iran linked retaliation. The breach, confirmed by Parliament on Tuesday, involved unauthorized access to …
The criminal charges facing former Deputy Prime Minister Belinda Balluku have dominated headlines in Albania for months – prompting her boss, Edi Rama, to pick a fight with the judiciary. Original post Here
Shielding Balluku Could Cost Albania More Than a Court Case. Tirana Times, March 09, 2026 – Albania’s ruling Socialist majority moved Monday to block the arrest of former Deputy Prime Minister Belinda Balluku, in a decision expected to be ratified by parliament this week and one that is rapidly becoming …