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Albania’s TikTok Ban Widely Flouted, Even by Allies of PM

Halfway into a 12-month ban on TikTok in Albania, anecdotal evidence suggests the prohibition is being widely flouted while the government remains silent on promised filters to weed out ‘undesirable’ content. Original post Here

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Week in Review: Deadlocks, Unexpected Twists and New Approaches

Our selection of Premium stories this week looks at the challenges facing the region as the summer season winds down and business-as-usual resumes. Original post Here

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Kosovo Court Imposes New Ban on Parliament Over Deputy Speaker Logjam

Court again bans MPs from forming institutions deriving from the February elections while it considers a complaint about the failure to elect a deputy speaker from the Serb community, as guaranteed in the constitution. Original post Here

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Ambassador Faisal bin Ghazi Hafzi: Saudi Arabia Cultural Week, a Bridge of Communication Between the Two Countries

On the eve of Saudi Arabia’s Cultural Week, which will take place in Tirana from September 16–20 at the Palace of Congresses, the Ambassador of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques to the Republic of Albania, Mr. Faisal bin Ghazi Hafzi, through a press statement, praised this event as …

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Dirty Water: Albania’s Polluted Rivers Need Cleaning Now, Activist Says

When Denisa Kasa returned from abroad and saw the state of Albania’s filthy waterways, she was shocked. Now she has formed an independent collective of young people dedicated to the ‘dream of clean rivers’. Original post Here

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Saudi Cultural Week to Bring a Taste of Arabia to Tirana

Tirana will soon open its doors to the sights, sounds, and flavors of Arabia. From 16 to 20 September 2025, the Palace of Congresses will transform into a vibrant stage for Saudi Cultural Week, a five-day celebration of art, heritage, and creativity hosted by the Saudi Ministry of Culture. The festival promises to be more …

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Iranian Opposition Group’s Stay in Albania Turns Sour

Albania’s hosting of an exiled Iranian opposition group was never likely to be easy. Now it’s under criminal investigation. Original post Here

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Week in Review: Tricks and Surprises

Our selection of Balkan Insight Premium stories this week sheds light on police brutality, hidden influence, strained bilateral relations and other turbulent issues across the region. Original post Here

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Years After Discovery, Albania’s Roman-Era Mosaics Remain Hidden to Public View

The city of Durres on Albania’s Adriatic coast boasts a fine selection of Roman-era mosaics. But due to a lack of initiative by the local authorities, progress has been slow to preserve them and make them available for the public to view. Original post Here

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After Major Wildfires, Albania Warned to Boost Preparedness Urgently

As Mediterranean fire seasons grow in intensity, Albania’s government faces calls to invest in firefighting and reforestation. Original post Here

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National Opera and Ballet Theatre doubles cultural event revenue to ALL 19 million

TIRANA, August 27 – The National Opera, Ballet and Folk Ensemble Theatre increased its artistic activity during January-July 2026. Revenue from cultural events more than doubled to ALL 19 million, from ALL 9.44 million in the same period of 2025. The theatre staged 150 events in the first 7 months, …

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Léon Rey, the Frenchman who discovered and documented Apollonia’s archaeological heritage

TIRANA, August 27 – Léon Rey, the French archaeologist who discovered and documented Apollonia’s archaeological heritage, was born on August 27, 1887. Following a 1923 agreement between the Albanian and French governments, Rey led the French archaeological mission in Albania. He directed excavations at Apollonia for 14 years. The work …

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Property documents to be fully digitized by 2028, General Directorate of Archives, Rrokaj says

TIRANA, August 27 – Albania’s General Directorate of Archives has made digitization a priority in its efforts to preserve the country’s documentary heritage. The institution has also made its Study Room accessible online to the public. Meanwhile, General Director Auron Rrokaj said the archives had created a digitization centre and …

News
Kosova: Kurti and Abdixhiku move to specific names in presidential talks

TIRANA, August 27 – Albin Kurti and Lumir Abdixhiku have moved to specific names in talks on the next president of Kosova. The 2 leaders met for more than 2 hours as part of efforts to resolve the institutional crisis. Kurti said the meeting marked the first time they had …

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More than 19,000 foreign-owned companies registered in Albania

TIRANA, August 27 – More than 19,000 companies with fully foreign or joint foreign capital were registered in Albania by July 2026, according to data from the Albanian Investment Development Agency and the National Business Centre. The data showed that 19,370 such companies operated in Albania. Of these, 16,093 had …

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Albania ranks third among non-EU countries in Eurojust cooperation

TIRANA, August 27 – Albania ranked among the most active partners of the European Union Agency for Criminal Justice Cooperation, Eurojust, in 2025. According to Eurojust’s 2025 Annual Report, Albania took part in 121 cases. As a result, it ranked third among non-EU countries, after Switzerland and the United Kingdom. …

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Albanian Businessman Arrested in Information Agency Tenders Corruption Case

After being on the run for several months, businessman Ergys Agasi was arrested over his alleged involvement in a corruption scandal surrounding tenders for the national agency overseeing the development of state information systems. Original post Here

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Threatening bomb emails sent to institutions, police find no explosives

TIRANA, August 27 – The State Police said several institutions in cities across Albania had received threatening emails this morning claiming that bombs had been placed inside the buildings. Police said officers had immediately begun checks at the institutions named in the threats. So far, they had found no bombs …

News
387 new recruits join Albania’s State Police

TIRANA, August 27 – A total of 387 new recruits officially joined Albania’s State Police after completing the General Patrol training course. The certification ceremony took place at the Security Academy, where Interior Minister Besfort Lamallari and State Police Director General Skënder Hita stressed the need to strengthen crime prevention …

News
Theth among the most visited destinations in the Albanian Alps

TIRANA, August 27 – Prime Minister Edi Rama shared images of Theth on social media and described the mountain area as one of the most visited destinations by domestic and foreign tourists during the summer season. Theth lies about 70 kilometres from Shkodër. In recent years, the area has become …

News

National Opera and Ballet Theatre doubles cultural event revenue to ALL 19 million

TIRANA, August 27 – The National Opera, Ballet and Folk Ensemble Theatre increased its artistic activity during January-July 2026. Revenue from cultural events more than doubled to ALL 19 million, from ALL 9.44 million in the same period of 2025. The theatre staged 150 events in the first 7 months, …

News

Léon Rey, the Frenchman who discovered and documented Apollonia’s archaeological heritage

TIRANA, August 27 – Léon Rey, the French archaeologist who discovered and documented Apollonia’s archaeological heritage, was born on August 27, 1887. Following a 1923 agreement between the Albanian and French governments, Rey led the French archaeological mission in Albania. He directed excavations at Apollonia for 14 years. The work …

News

Property documents to be fully digitized by 2028, General Directorate of Archives, Rrokaj says

TIRANA, August 27 – Albania’s General Directorate of Archives has made digitization a priority in its efforts to preserve the country’s documentary heritage. The institution has also made its Study Room accessible online to the public. Meanwhile, General Director Auron Rrokaj said the archives had created a digitization centre and …

News

Kosova: Kurti and Abdixhiku move to specific names in presidential talks

TIRANA, August 27 – Albin Kurti and Lumir Abdixhiku have moved to specific names in talks on the next president of Kosova. The 2 leaders met for more than 2 hours as part of efforts to resolve the institutional crisis. Kurti said the meeting marked the first time they had …

News

More than 19,000 foreign-owned companies registered in Albania

TIRANA, August 27 – More than 19,000 companies with fully foreign or joint foreign capital were registered in Albania by July 2026, according to data from the Albanian Investment Development Agency and the National Business Centre. The data showed that 19,370 such companies operated in Albania. Of these, 16,093 had …

News

Albania ranks third among non-EU countries in Eurojust cooperation

TIRANA, August 27 – Albania ranked among the most active partners of the European Union Agency for Criminal Justice Cooperation, Eurojust, in 2025. According to Eurojust’s 2025 Annual Report, Albania took part in 121 cases. As a result, it ranked third among non-EU countries, after Switzerland and the United Kingdom. …

News

Albanian Businessman Arrested in Information Agency Tenders Corruption Case

After being on the run for several months, businessman Ergys Agasi was arrested over his alleged involvement in a corruption scandal surrounding tenders for the national agency overseeing the development of state information systems. Original post Here

News

Threatening bomb emails sent to institutions, police find no explosives

TIRANA, August 27 – The State Police said several institutions in cities across Albania had received threatening emails this morning claiming that bombs had been placed inside the buildings. Police said officers had immediately begun checks at the institutions named in the threats. So far, they had found no bombs …

News

387 new recruits join Albania’s State Police

TIRANA, August 27 – A total of 387 new recruits officially joined Albania’s State Police after completing the General Patrol training course. The certification ceremony took place at the Security Academy, where Interior Minister Besfort Lamallari and State Police Director General Skënder Hita stressed the need to strengthen crime prevention …

News

Theth among the most visited destinations in the Albanian Alps

TIRANA, August 27 – Prime Minister Edi Rama shared images of Theth on social media and described the mountain area as one of the most visited destinations by domestic and foreign tourists during the summer season. Theth lies about 70 kilometres from Shkodër. In recent years, the area has become …