Blog
News

Mitrovica Mayor announces massive concert to open the bridge diving the city in ethnic lines

Mayor of the Mitrovica South Agim Bahtiri says the main bridge which symbolically and physically separates Albanians in the south and Serbs in the north will open soon. He promises the opening ceremony of the reconstructed bridge with the European Union money will be done with a concert of world’s …

Read More
News

Kosovo’s Thaci on correction of Border: I withdraw if better solution is proposed

Kosovo President Hashim Thaci in an interview with T7 said his proposal on “correction of border” between Kosovo and Serbia is “constitutional, legal and indisputable.” The proposal is being strongly opposed by the opposition parties. Original post Here

Read More
News

Ekrem Mustafa is officially minister of Internal Affairs

Ekrem Mustafa has been appointed Minister of Internal Affairs. The decision was taken by Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj, a day after former minister Bejtush Gashi was dismissed at the proposal of his party, the AKR. Original post Here

Read More
News

Kosovo opposition wants election first, dialogue with Serbia later

Chief of parliamentary group of the opposition party, LDK, Avdullah Hoti, in a Facebook post said they want early election first and continue the dialogue with Serbia later. Hoti says it is impossible to work on normalisation of relations with Serbia and have abnormal institutional relations within Kosovo. Original post …

Read More
News

Kosovo junior coalition party replaces Minister of Interior

Behgjet Pacolli’s party Alliance New Kosova (AKR), the junior party in the ruling coalition, in unexpected move on Monday has decided to replace minister of Integral Affairs, Bejtush Gashi, only five months after his appointment. The AKR proposed Ekrem Mustafa as new minister of Interior who has to be confirmed …

Read More
News

Specialist Prosecution Office asks Basic Courts in Kosovo transfer of war crime files

The Hague-based Kosovo Specialist Chambers and Specialist Prosecution Office set up to prosecute alleged war crimes committed by the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) during 1998-2000 has asked basic courts to hand over some of the war crime files dealt by Kosovo judiciary, T7 has learned. Original post Here

Read More
News

Kosovo Army to be created this year, says Speaker of Parliament

Kosovo Parliament Speaker, Kadri Veseli, after meeting chiefs of parliamentary groups on Monday morning said the Army of Kosovo will be created this year. The Parliament’s Presidency proceeded this morning to plenary session a package of laws enabling transformation of the Kosovo Security Force (KSF) into Army of Kosovo. Procedures …

Read More
News

Parliament’s Presidency to decide today on Kosovo Army

Today, the Parliament’s Presidency is expected to proceed to plenary session a package of laws enabling transformation of the Kosovo Security Force (KSF) into Army of Kosovo. Procedures for final adoption of this legislation package are expected to be concluded by the end of November. Original post Here

Read More
News

Kosovo ready for Malta game tonight

Kosovo national team will play tonight against Malta at the “Fadil Vokkrri” stadium in Pristina. Coach Bernard Challandes and captain Samir Ujkani appearing in a press conference on Wednesdaystated that Kosovo can beat Malta this evening. Original post Here

Read More
News

Kosovo Government pledges to build new coal power plant without World Bank support

A day after the World Bank President Jim Yong Kim confirmed that they would not support a planned 500-megawatt (MW) power plant in Kosovo because it would use coal rather than cheaper renewable fuels, the Government of Kosovo is firm to continue implementation of this project. Original post Here

Read More
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 …

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 …