Kosovo Visitors Drive Summer Tourism Surge as Italian Arrivals Slip
Kosovo Visitors Drive Summer Tourism Surge as Italian Arrivals SlipTirana, September 26, 2025 — By Tirana Times Staff Albania’s summer tourism season ended on a stronger note in August, with a surge in visitors from neighboring Kosovo offsetting weak demand from other markets, particularly Italy. According to official data from …
Fourth estate’s useful idiots
(cases from Albania in which international media should had known better) The cashless dream This July, a Politico-Europe journalist texted me about comments regarding Albanian PM Edi Rama’s recent statement that he would abolish all cash payments by 2030. I replied that this would be a recurring attention-seeking stunt and …
Digital Rights Review: AI and Growing Uncertainty Over What’s Real Online
BIRN monitoring during August revealed widespread misuse of AI to impersonate citizens and politicians across Southeast Europe, while Albania appointed an AI as a government minister, and Turkey treated an AI chatbot as a criminal for insulting the President. Original post Here
Albanian Mayor’s Dismissal Seemingly Ends Rising Star’s Career
Erion Veliaj’s dismissal as Tirana mayor appears to have terminated the career of a man once seen as a possible successor to Edi Rama. Original post Here
Tirana Council Dismisses Mayor Erion Veliaj
Tirana, September 23, 2025 , Tirana Times– The extraordinary dismissal of Tirana’s mayor, Erion Veliaj, by the Municipal Council marks one of the most dramatic political upheavals in Albania’s recent history. Once celebrated as the rising star of the Socialist Party and widely perceived as a potential successor to Prime …
Building integrity and accountability in Albanian public universities: practical lessons from the United States
Aaron Savoy-Pasha | Albanian Institute for International Studies (AIIS) Albanian higher education faces documented integrity risks, particularly in grading, favoritism, and political influence. A 2024 peer-reviewed study highlights how these pressures shape assessment and weaken trust in degrees (Shahini, Zhllima, and Imami, 2024). Transparency International’s most recent Corruption Perceptions Index …
Veliaj’s Fall: Politics or Justice?
The detention and attempted dismissal of Tirana’s mayor raises fresh doubts over Albania’s rule of law and political maneuvering. Albania, Tirana Times, September 22,2025. The Socialist-controlled Tirana Municipal Council is expected to vote on Tuesday to dismiss Erion Veliaj from his post as mayor, formalizing a political downfall that has …
A modern writer of Saudi Arabian literature
The Critical Case of Patient K. by Aziz Muhamed By Jerina Zaloshnja “Let’s take a family photo,” suggested the prominent Saudi Arabian writer Yusuf ElMuhaimid, author of two of the latest books published in Arabic by Tirana Times (“A Man Chased by Rats” and “The Journey of the Najdi Boy”). …
Monday Briefing from the Balkans: September 22, 2025
Catch up on the weekend’s most important developments with Balkan Insight’s digest of news from countries across the region. Original post Here
Italian’s Tourist Resort Plan Trumps Triple Protection over Albanian Bay
Albania’s government has bestowed ‘strategic investor’ status to an Italian hotelier who wants to build a tourist resort in a nature reserve in southern Albania, on land rich in cultural heritage and home to a Cold War-era military base. Original post Here
TIRANA, August 24 – The Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs has reaffirmed Albania’s support for Ukraine on its Independence Day. The ministry said the Ukrainian people have the right to determine their future as a free nation. It also praised Ukraine’s courage and resilience in defending its sovereignty and …
Albania has celebrated a historic success at the Mediterranean Games “Taranto 2026” as wrestler Islam Dudaev won the country’s first gold medal of the Games. Dudaev claimed the title in the men’s freestyle 74-kilogram category. He reached the final and secured the gold after his opponent, Fati Vejseli of North …
Albania has celebrated a major success at the Mediterranean Games “Taranto 2026”, with wrestler Islam Dudaev winning the country’s first gold medal. Dudaev triumphed in the men’s freestyle wrestling event in the 74-kilogram category. He secured the title after his opponent, North Macedonia’s Fati Vejseli, withdrew from the final because …
Prime Minister Edi Rama said citizen protests can challenge the government and help improve governance and its relationship with the public. Speaking after a government cabinet meeting in Pogradec, Rama said the recent protests over a tourism project in Zvërnec had provided a real challenge for the government. He argued …
Prime Minister Edi Rama has outlined new government priorities focused on improving living standards and strengthening social policies across Albania. Following a cabinet meeting in Pogradec, Rama said the government will give particular attention to healthcare and education. He also called for stronger policies that directly improve the quality of …
President Bajram Begaj has called for stronger efforts to preserve the memory of the victims of Albania’s communist regime. During a visit to Lushnjë, Begaj paid tribute to people who suffered political persecution and internment. He laid flowers at the Memorial of Political Persecution and visited the former internment camp …
Albania has celebrated a strong start in wrestling at the 2026 Mediterranean Games in Taranto, winning three medals. Islam Dudaev secured the gold medal, giving Albania its first gold at the Games. Zelimkhan Abakarov followed with a silver medal, while Ardit Zeneli won bronze. President Bajram Begaj congratulated the Albanian …
The Tirana Traffic Police announced that it issued 11,420 administrative fines over the past week as part of checks aimed at preventing road accidents and managing traffic on major roads, as well as at the entry and exit points of the capital. During the inspections, 55 people were arrested or …
*]:pointer-events-auto R6Vx5W_threadScrollVars scroll-mb-[calc(var(–scroll-root-safe-area-inset-bottom,0px)+var(–thread-response-height))] scroll-mt-[calc(var(–header-height)+min(200px,max(70px,20svh)))]” dir=”auto” data-turn-id=”request-WEB:abd5f9c3-e6f6-4ffd-a368-acf87625c22f-7″ data-turn-id-container=”request-WEB:abd5f9c3-e6f6-4ffd-a368-acf87625c22f-7″ data-testid=”conversation-turn-16″ data-turn=”assistant”> Former U.S. Congressman Joe DioGuardi has said that Kosovo needs to elect a president as soon as possible. Speaking in Pristina, he said that the ongoing political crisis is putting Kosovo in a difficult situation. “I am here, as you know, …
This Monday, President Bajram Begaj honored the victims of internment under Albania’s communist regime in Lushnje, where he called for the preservation of historical memory as both a lesson and a responsibility to future generations. On the occasion of the International Day of Remembrance for the Victims of Totalitarian Regimes, …