Albanian court rules Turkish crypto scam kingpin can be extradited to his homeland to face trial
TIRANA, Apr. 18, 2022 – Albania’s High Court has court ruled to allow the extradition of Fatih Ozer to face a trial in his homeland of Turkey, where he is wanted for allegedly scamming nearly 400,000 people out of millions dollars through a cryptocurrency exchange. Ozer was arrested last year …
Albania Economists Slate PM’s ‘New Salaries’ Pledge as ‘Unrealistic’
PM Rama’s promise to hike wages, starting in the public sector, has been deemed totally unrealistic by a range of economic experts. Original post Here
Confidence Tricks: Tirana’s Place in an International ‘Investment’ Scam
Fake ‘call centres’ across Albania were part of a lucrative stock market investment scam operating across Europe; the suspects include an Albanian man with significant political connections. Original post Here
Svetlana Timofeeva: ‘My Passion for Ruins Landed me in Albanian Prison’
Through a written interview from her cell in the Ali Demi prison in Tirana, the Russian blogger accused of espionage tells about her ill-fated adventure in Gramsh, her months spent in isolation – and her fear of possible extradition to Putin’s Russia. Original post Here
How Fear of Albanians Went Mainstream in 1990s Italy
The anti-Albanian campaigns in the British media today are all too reminiscent of the targeting of Albanians in Italy and Greece 30 years ago – and need to be fought, not indulged. Original post Here
Society for Albanian Studies calls for nominations for the annual Stavro Skendi Book Prize
TIRANA, April 12, 2023 – Nominations are being sought for the Stavro Skendi Book Prize for Achievement in Albanian Studies, the organization that governs the award said in a statement. Awarded by the Society for Albanian Studies – an affiliate organization of the Association for Slavic, East European, and Eurasian …
Isolation is not a joke: Leaving the ICSID would be a bitter mistake
TIRANA TIMES EDITORIAL Albania’s troubles with the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) seem to be expanding well beyond the infamous case of settling over the closure of Agon Channel and the hefty fine of 120 million euros that the country has to pay up to Italian investor …
Albania to Honour Heroes Who Saved Jews from Holocaust
New museum will celebrate the Albanians who risked their lives to shield Jews from Nazi persecution – and whose story has remained largely untold. Original post Here
Faced with corruption and unpredictable tax system, top business associations demand comprehensive reforms
TIRANA, April 12, 2023 – Doing business in Albania is hard as the economic “environment is inefficient and requires significant improvement,” five chambers of commerce in Albania, including those representing American, German, French and Italian investors said in a joint statement issued on Tuesday. To attract more foreign investment, they …
Albania’s massive ICSID court loss has Tirana pondering exiting jurisdiction
TIRANA, April 11, 2023 – With Albania’s government losing its final appeal to reverse a €120-million penalty in the Francesco Becchetti affair case earlier this month, Tirana is mulling exiting the jurisdiction of the international arbitration court that issued the ruling, according to Prime Minister Edi Rama. The tribunal organized …
President Bajram Begaj visited Boston and met local authorities and members of the Albanian community. He praised strong Albanian-American ties and the contribution of the diaspora. During the visit, Massachusetts officials welcomed Begaj, while Worcester Mayor Joe Petty presented him with the Key to the City. The president also visited …
President Bajram Begaj strongly condemned the armed incident targeting U.S. President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump during the White House Correspondents’ Dinner at the Washington Hilton. In a post on X, Begaj said such attacks undermine democracy and fundamental values. He stressed that differences in democracies must be …
Prime Minister Edi Rama strongly condemned the armed attack in a hotel in Washington, D.C. during a presidential event with journalists. He described the incident as shocking and said it strikes at freedom and democratic values everywhere. Rama said he was relieved that U.S. President Donald Trump and all attendees …
The President of Kosovo, Vjosa Osmani, has reacted to the shooting reported during the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner. Osmani wrote that Kosovo believes in the resilience of the United States and its institutions, and that they remain steadfast partners in promoting peace, security, and stability around the world. She …
Prime Minister Edi Rama reacted through a post on X regarding the shooting reported during the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner at the Washington Hilton. Rama wrote that such an attack strikes at freedom and the democratic way of life everywhere. Among other things, he condemned the attack, emphasizing that …
The leader of the Democratic Party, Sali Berisha, reacted through a post on Facebook regarding the shooting reported during the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner. Berisha described the attack as a “horror act.” Among other things, he added that the Democratic Party strongly condemns the attack, which according to him …
A bomb threat was reported around midday this Sunday at a shopping mall in the capital, where all employees and citizens inside the premises were immediately evacuated. Following the alert, police forces arrived at the scene and began the necessary checks and verifications to determine whether it was a false …
The President of the Republic, Bajram Begaj, reacted following the shooting that occurred in the United States during an event attended by Donald Trump along with his wife, Melania Trump. Begaj condemned the incident, emphasizing that violence is unacceptable and goes against the fundamental values of democracy. According to him, …
Prime Minister Edi Rama took part this Sunday in the final of the National Science Festival. Rama awarded the three top prizes of the festival, which were won by the high schools “Zhani Ciko” (Patos), “28 Nëntori” (Shkodër), and “Asim Zeneli” (Gjirokastër). During his speech, Rama stated that the improvement …
Prime Minister Edi Rama said this Sunday during his podcast “Flasim” that he spoke about his visit to Greece as part of his participation in the Delphi Economic Forum. Rama emphasized that during his meeting with his Greek counterpart, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, they expressed confidence that they will properly address long-standing …