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Haradinaj is first Kosovo PM to visit US Military Base of Bondsteel

Ramush Haradinaj, is the first Kosovo Prime Minister who visited on Wednesday the US Military camp – Bondsteel, when he met Col. Nick Ducich, commander of the US military presence in Kosovo. Original post Here

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UK removes from the agenda UN Security Council discussion on Kosovo

The United Kingdom (UK) took over the Presidency of the UN Security Council this August and based on the agenda published by the UK mission to the United Nations, the UNMIK’s regular quarterly report on Kosovo discussed by the UNSC has been completely removed. Original post Here

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Serbia needs reconciliation with Kosovo to join the EU, says Albin Kurti

Leader of the opposition party of Vetevendosje, Albin Kurti, has turned down the offer of ruling coalition parties to create a joint team in dialogue with Serbia. Original post Here

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Serbia ‘has no offer’ for Kosovo

Marko Djuric, Director of Serbia’s Office for Kosovo, talking on the dialogue between Pristina and Belgrade said that Serbia has no any new offer, adding that there is still no solution for the issue of Kosovo. Original post Here

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Thaci has no comment on Kosovo-Serbia ‘exchange of territories’ idea

Kosovo President Hashim Thaci addressing media on Monday has not commented when asked whether partition or exchange of territories is one of the options for reaching a final legally-binding agreement with Serbia. He called media reports on this topic as “fake news” noting that such reports are confusing public opinion. …

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Mogherini’s Office asks realistic agreement between Kosovo and Serbia, did not comment on partition

The US Ambassador to Kosovo, Greg Delawie, said Friday that he was misunderstood when during a televised interview avoided commenting whether partition of Kosovo would be acceptable to Washington, sparking speculations that the US stance on Kosovo issue has changed. The Office of the EU High Representative, Federica Mogherini, who …

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Serbia bans entry of Kosovo's First Deputy Prime Minister, Behgjet Pacolli

Serbia’s authorities have not approved the request of the Kosovo’s Foreign Minister Behgjet Pacolli to visit the Sandzak region in Serbia. Pacolli was invited by the Bosniak National Council (BNV) to attend their debate on regional cooperation in Balkans. Original post Here

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Veseli and Fajon discuss further steps on visa liberalisaiton

Speaker of Parliament Kadri Veseli spoke on the phone on Friday with the European Parliament Rapporteur for visa liberalisation process with Kosovo, Tanja Fajon. Original post Here

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Reports of a change in US policy on partition of Kosovo are simply wrong, says Daniel Serwer

Daniel Serwer, a former State Department official who served as a U.S. special envoy in the Balkans, analysing the statements of the US Ambassador Greg Delawie, who was asked whether Washington supports partition of Kosovo, said that the Ambassador in his interview with Kosovo TV channel KTV did not mention …

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Pacolli to visit Sandzak as Kosovo Foreign Minister

Kosovo’s Foreign Minister Behgjet Pacolli received an official invitation to visit Sandzak in western Serbia. But Serbian Minister of Interior, Nebojsa Stefanovic, said that Pacolli has been informed that his visit has not been granted by authorities in Belgrade. However Jetlir Zyberi, advisor to Foreign Minister, says Pacolli will visit …

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Toxic Smoke and Broken Promises: Albania’s Waste Crisis Exposes Deep Rot in Governance

ELBASAN, Albania, July 5,— For days, thick plumes of toxic smoke have risen from the burning landfill on the outskirts of Elbasan, one of Albania’s largest industrial cities. The stench of melting plastic, rotting waste, and scorched earth now hangs over entire neighborhoods. But this is not an isolated accident. …

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Serbia on Edge as Vučić’s Legitimacy Crumbles

As Serbia grapples with one of its most volatile moments in recent political history, the warning signs of regime decay are hard to ignore. The recent student-led protests, marred by repression, nationalist hijacking, and social unrest, are more than a youth revolt—they are a reckoning. Sonja Biserko, the longtime chair …

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Albanian MPs Adopt National Anti-Disinformation Strategy Amidst Opposition

Opposition parties and media unions condemn new strategy adopted by parliament, claiming the government wants to use it to exert more control over the media. Original post Here

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Week in Review: Anniversaries, Challenges and Conflicts

As BIRN celebrates two decades of work, there never seems to be a dull moment in the region, as our selection of Premium stories this week shows. Original post Here

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Arrests at Bankers Petroleum Spark Questions Over Albania’s Oil Industry and Accountability

By Tirana Times Staff FIER/TIRANA, July 2, 2025 — In a stunning development that has shaken Albania’s oil sector, police arrested the current CEO of Bankers Petroleum, Chinese national Hongping Xiao, and the company’s former director, Leonidha Çobo, during a surprise raid on the company’s headquarters in Fier on Tuesday. …

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Massive Fraud Uncovered: Bankers Petroleum Under Fire for Decades of Tax Evasion and Billions in Untaxed Oil Revenues

CEO Arrested, €4 Billion in Oil Sales Revealed, and Zero Profit Tax Paid to the Albanian State FIER/TIRANA, Albania (Tirana Times) — Albania’s largest oil producer, Bankers Petroleum, is at the center of a sweeping scandal that prosecutors say involves one of the most egregious cases of tax fraud and …

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Rama Rebukes Farage: Albanian PM Slams “One-in-50” Prison Claim as Post-Brexit Scapegoating

 While Turning UK Migration Debate into Personal Stagecraft TIRANA TIMES — July 2, 2025 — A fiery public exchange between Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama and British right-wing populist Nigel Farage has brought the issue of Albanian migration into the political spotlight once again — but this time with a …

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Skopje Summit Revives EU Enlargement Hopes — But Ignores the Democratic Erosion in the Balkans

The participants of the Growth Plan Summit, 1 July 2025, Skopje; Photo: European Commission By Tirana Times SKOPJE, July 2, 2025 — The European Union’s renewed enthusiasm for enlargement took center stage at this week’s Growth Plan Summit in Skopje, where EU Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos joined the leaders …

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Albania’s ‘Lads of London’ Create Bigger Problems for Their Home Country

A social media row between British right-winger Nigel Farage and Albania’s premier Edi Rama over the level of crime committed by Albanians in the UK misses the main point. Original post Here

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The Silent Collapse of the Tower Euphoria

By Klodian Tomorri The history of the global economy is filled with well-documented episodes of collective madness. Often, these episodes have culminated in crises that brought even the greatest empires to their knees—such as the Mississippi Bubble or the South Sea Bubble. In other cases, they have devastated the lives …

News

Toxic Smoke and Broken Promises: Albania’s Waste Crisis Exposes Deep Rot in Governance

ELBASAN, Albania, July 5,— For days, thick plumes of toxic smoke have risen from the burning landfill on the outskirts of Elbasan, one of Albania’s largest industrial cities. The stench of melting plastic, rotting waste, and scorched earth now hangs over entire neighborhoods. But this is not an isolated accident. …

News

Serbia on Edge as Vučić’s Legitimacy Crumbles

As Serbia grapples with one of its most volatile moments in recent political history, the warning signs of regime decay are hard to ignore. The recent student-led protests, marred by repression, nationalist hijacking, and social unrest, are more than a youth revolt—they are a reckoning. Sonja Biserko, the longtime chair …

News

Albanian MPs Adopt National Anti-Disinformation Strategy Amidst Opposition

Opposition parties and media unions condemn new strategy adopted by parliament, claiming the government wants to use it to exert more control over the media. Original post Here

News

Week in Review: Anniversaries, Challenges and Conflicts

As BIRN celebrates two decades of work, there never seems to be a dull moment in the region, as our selection of Premium stories this week shows. Original post Here

News

Arrests at Bankers Petroleum Spark Questions Over Albania’s Oil Industry and Accountability

By Tirana Times Staff FIER/TIRANA, July 2, 2025 — In a stunning development that has shaken Albania’s oil sector, police arrested the current CEO of Bankers Petroleum, Chinese national Hongping Xiao, and the company’s former director, Leonidha Çobo, during a surprise raid on the company’s headquarters in Fier on Tuesday. …

News

Massive Fraud Uncovered: Bankers Petroleum Under Fire for Decades of Tax Evasion and Billions in Untaxed Oil Revenues

CEO Arrested, €4 Billion in Oil Sales Revealed, and Zero Profit Tax Paid to the Albanian State FIER/TIRANA, Albania (Tirana Times) — Albania’s largest oil producer, Bankers Petroleum, is at the center of a sweeping scandal that prosecutors say involves one of the most egregious cases of tax fraud and …

News

Rama Rebukes Farage: Albanian PM Slams “One-in-50” Prison Claim as Post-Brexit Scapegoating

 While Turning UK Migration Debate into Personal Stagecraft TIRANA TIMES — July 2, 2025 — A fiery public exchange between Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama and British right-wing populist Nigel Farage has brought the issue of Albanian migration into the political spotlight once again — but this time with a …

News

Skopje Summit Revives EU Enlargement Hopes — But Ignores the Democratic Erosion in the Balkans

The participants of the Growth Plan Summit, 1 July 2025, Skopje; Photo: European Commission By Tirana Times SKOPJE, July 2, 2025 — The European Union’s renewed enthusiasm for enlargement took center stage at this week’s Growth Plan Summit in Skopje, where EU Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos joined the leaders …

News

Albania’s ‘Lads of London’ Create Bigger Problems for Their Home Country

A social media row between British right-winger Nigel Farage and Albania’s premier Edi Rama over the level of crime committed by Albanians in the UK misses the main point. Original post Here

News

The Silent Collapse of the Tower Euphoria

By Klodian Tomorri The history of the global economy is filled with well-documented episodes of collective madness. Often, these episodes have culminated in crises that brought even the greatest empires to their knees—such as the Mississippi Bubble or the South Sea Bubble. In other cases, they have devastated the lives …