Two jewelery thieves arrested in Tirana
Two people have been arrested in Tirana as part of the police operation coded “Two times”, the police announced Monday. A 25-year-old and a 22-year-old man were arrested after, in collaboration with each other, on 15.05.2023 and 18.05.2023, they stole various gold jewelry and the amount of 1,000,000 new lek, …
Accused of vote-buying, Fredi Beleri set to appear before court today
Fredi Beleri, the winning candidate of Himara Municipality in the May 14 elections, will appear today before the Special Court Against Organized Crime and Corruption. The session is expected to be held at 13:00. Although behind bars, Beleri managed to win the battle for the Municipality of Himara. Beleri and …
Albania hosting ‘Defender Europe 2023’
Albania welcomes for the second time the “Defender Europe 2023” military exercise.During his speech, Prime Minister Edi Rama said that today Albania is higher than ever in terms of international respect. The head of the government said that the development of the exercise with the presence of American military troops …
Vehicle burned down on Arbri road
A car burned down this Sunday on Arbri Road. As can be seen from the images, the car is completely burnt. The event happened near the By-Pass of Murriz. According to the data, the Audi type vehicle caught fire in a mountainous area. Sources from the scene said that there …
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 …
TIRANA, April 28 – Albanian composer Aleksandër Lalo (1949–2017), born on 27 April 1949, remains a key figure in the country’s film music tradition. He would have turned 77 years old. His work shaped Albanian cinema across several decades. He developed a distinctive musical language that combined emotional depth with …
Rustem Gjata, former head of the Constitutional Court, has died. His son, lawyer Çlirim Gjata, shared the news on social media. Rustem Gjata won a seat as a Democratic Party MP in the first pluralist elections in 1992. He helped draft the law on the Constitutional Court as a member …
President Bajram Begaj attended the 11th Three Seas Initiative summit in Dubrovnik, Croatia. He called for tangible results to speed up regional economic development and EU integration. He said the Western Balkans is now a strategic front for Europe. Begaj described the initiative as a success story. He said it …
Environment Minister Sofjan Jaupaj and Chief Negotiator Majlinda Dhuka met German Environment Minister Carsten Schneider. They discussed Albania’s progress in EU negotiations. Talks focused on Chapter 27 – Environment and Climate Change. The German minister expressed full support for Albania’s EU path. He confirmed strong partnership in advancing reforms and …
Andreas Schieder praised Albania’s progress in EU integration. He said negotiations could close by 2027–2028. He highlighted major reforms, especially in justice. He described them as among the deepest in the Western Balkans. Schieder said Albania has changed dramatically for the better. He stressed the need to present this progress …
Speaker Niko Peleshi met Irish MP Barry Ward in Dublin. They discussed Albania’s achievements and challenges in the EU accession process. Talks also focused on Ireland’s continued support. The meeting addressed Ireland’s upcoming EU Council Presidency from July to December 2026. Peleshi said Albania’s visible progress strengthens confidence in EU …
Silvio Gonzato highlights EU–Albania cultural partnership in Durrës museum reopening Silvio Gonzato said the EU and Albania strengthened their partnership through the reopening of the Archaeological Museum of Durrës. He stated that the EU4Culture programme restored the museum. He added that the project supports cultural revival and post-2019 earthquake recovery. …
Edi Rama said the Archaeological Museum of Durrës reopens after major restoration under the EU4Culture programme. He stated that the European Union has supported the restoration of 23 cultural heritage sites in Albania. Moreover, he highlighted the strong cooperation between Albania and the EU after the 2019 earthquake. He said …
Speaking at the joint meeting of the High Judicial Council and the High Prosecutorial Council, Minister of Justice Toni Gogu warned that the justice system will be measured by the results it delivers for citizens, highlighting one of the main issues—delays of up to three years in providing reasoned court decisions. “There …
Prime Minister Edi Rama spoke this Tuesday from the premises of the Prime Minister’s Office regarding the agreement signed between the Albanian government—through ALBGAZ—Venture Global, a company active in liquefied natural gas produced in the United States, and Aktor LNG, a Greek company with experience in this sector. Rama said that the Albanian …