Tirana’s Construction Boom and the Flow of Dirty Money
TIRANA, December 26, 2025 – Albania’s decade-long construction boom, long portrayed as a sign of growth and urban renewal, is increasingly being scrutinized as a vehicle for laundering illicit capital. A new study by the Friedrich Ebert Foundation, combined with years of investigative reporting and analysis by Tirana Times, points …
Secret tenders, violence and kidnappings, BIRN: The staggering profits of AKSH contractors
Tirana Times, 25 December, 2025 – On September 15, 2023, Ergys Agasi, 36, founded a company with a capital of 1 thousand lek (10 euros) with activity in the field of information technology. Under the name EA Solutions, the company had a rapid activity. In the balance sheet filed with …
Saudi Arabia Leads AI Readiness in MENA, Emerges as Global Governance Power
As artificial intelligence reshapes economic competitiveness and state capacity, indexes like the Government AI Readiness Index serve not merely as technical rankings, but as indicators of national strategic priorities. In this sense, Saudi Arabia has moved decisively from regional ambition toward global relevance, even as the global hierarchy of AI …
New Chief of Albania’s Anti-Graft Prosecution Vows ‘Tough Approach’
Despite political tensions sparked by high-profile corruption cases, Klodjan Braho tells BIRN that his main priority will be to guarantee Albanians that “no one is above the law”. Original post Here
Former Foreign and Defence Minister Olta Xhaçka Questioned by SPAK
By Tirana Times Tirana, December 23, 2025 – Former Minister of Foreign Affairs and Defence Olta Xhaçka appeared on Tuesday at the premises of the Special Anti-Corruption and Organized Crime Structure (SPAK), where she remained for approximately two hours before leaving without making any statement to the media. Xhaçka declined to …
Opposition Takes to the Streets Over State Capture and Blocked Justice
Tirana Times, December 22, 2025 – Tirana witnessed a major opposition-led protest on Saturday, as Albania’s main opposition force, the Democratic Party, together with allied groups, demanded the immediate resignation of Prime Minister Edi Rama and his government. The demonstration was framed not as a routine political rally, but as a …
Albanian Opposition Rallies for Premier’s Resignation Over Indicted Deputy PM
Supporters of the opposition Democratic Party demonstrated in Tirana against Edi Rama’s government after anti-corruption prosecutors indicted his deputy prime minister and raided officials at the National Information Agency. Original post Here
Security Beyond Soldiers: NATO’s Role in Strengthening Western Balkans Stability
Security in the Western Balkans is no longer defined only by borders and armies, but by the strength of institutions, public trust and the ability to withstand modern pressure. In an interview with the Albanian Institute for International Studies (AIIS), Arjan Starova, former Albanian foreign minister and President of the …
Monday Briefing from the Balkans: December 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
A Structured Criminal Group Inside a National Security Institution: The AKSHI Case
Tirana, Tirana Times, 20 December 2025 – The investigation launched by Albania’s Special Anti-Corruption Prosecution has revealed the existence of a structured criminal group operating within the leadership of the National Agency for Information Society, AKSHI. At the center of the case stand the agency’s director and deputy director, accused …
Durres decision puts sanctions enforcement under scrutiny after vessel had previously called at Albanian port. Tirana Times, September 01, 2026 – Albania’s decision to deny entry to a tanker identified by Ukrainian military intelligence as part of Russia’s so-called shadow fleet marks more than an isolated maritime enforcement action. It …
Italy’s Piedmont region faces a shortage of around 6,000 nursing professionals. Regional authorities are now seeking both short-term and long-term solutions. Italian newspaper La Stampa reported on the region’s efforts to address the growing healthcare workforce gap. Piedmont Health Councillor Federico Riboldi recently visited Uzbekistan after an earlier mission to …
National team coaches have selected the best XI of the second round of the Abissnet Superiore championship. They lined up the team in a 4-3-3 formation. Aldo Teqja of Dinamo City takes the goalkeeper position. Arlind Kurti of Laçi, Vasilios Zhongo of Teuta, Usni Ismaili of Dinamo City, and Yago …
TIRANA, September 2 – Prime Minister Edi Rama has expressed support for Germany amid rising tensions with Russia following Berlin’s confirmation of Russian involvement in an attempted drone attack at Leipzig airport in August. In a post on X, Rama described the incident as an act of aggression against Germany …
TIRANA, September 2 – The Military Meteorological Service forecasts another hot day on Wednesday, with mostly clear skies and clouds developing around midday. Light local rain may occur around midday and in the afternoon, mainly over mountainous areas. Meanwhile, winds will blow from the northeast to northwest at an average …
Albanian tradition and Italian culinary expertise come together at “Sacro e Profano,” a new agritourism destination in Kavaja. The destination combines gastronomy, hospitality, and local products. It also promotes rural tourism and Albanian produce. Prime Minister Edi Rama recently highlighted “Sacro e Profano” in Kavaja through a social media post. …
Tirana International Airport now falls under new Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) rules. These rules require high-traffic airports to connect with rail or other high-capacity, zero-emission public transport. TEN-T connects major European cities and countries through roads, railways, ports, and airports. In this way, the network aims to improve safety, capacity, …
TIRANA, September 2 – A wildfire has gone out of control in the high forests of Trodhna, in the Ulëz Administrative Unit of Mat Municipality, threatening homes and livestock shelters. Police and Mat municipal authorities evacuated two families as the flames spread. Two livestock shelters also remain at risk. Meanwhile, …
TIRANA, September 2 – Weightlifter Enkileda Carja, 18, won a bronze medal for Albania in the 69 kg snatch competition at the Taranto 2026 Mediterranean Games. Carja successfully lifted 98 kg and 100 kg in her first two attempts. She then tried 103 kg in her third attempt in an …
TIRANA, September 2 – The US Department of Justice Criminal Division and the Office of Overseas Prosecutorial Development, Assistance and Training have placed Albania’s Special Prosecution Office at the centre of global efforts against transnational organised crime. In Buenos Aires, SPAK head Klodjan Braho took part in IDEC40, a major …