Farewell, Pope Francis
By Jerina Zaloshnja Rakipi — Reporting from Vatican City Tirana Times, April 26, 2025 In 1967, a Catholic priest in Tirana—whose name I never managed to learn—quietly came to our home to baptize me. I was only two years old, born to a Bektashi father and a Muslim mother, who, …
Digital Divide: The Albanians Left Behind by Move to Online Public Services
Albania has moved almost all of its public administration online, yet the elderly, those with disabilities, and others who lack the necessary digital skills risk being locked out if authorities do not step up support. Original post Here
Challenging Justice: Albanian Parties Field Candidates Facing Corruption Charges
Promises to clean up politics – and not run candidates with suspected or proven crime links – seem to have been dumped by both main parties contesting next month’s parliamentary election. Original post Here
Balkan Leaders Express Sorrow After Death of Pope Francis
Balkan leaders and Catholic believers across the region voiced their condolences after the death of Pope Francis, who died at the age of 88 on Easter Monday after a period of ill-health. Original post Here
Albanians Remember ‘Extraordinary Woman’ Who Endured Torture for Her Faith
A Catholic nun who was persecuted as an enemy of the Communist regime in her short lifetime, Marie Tuci is today widely honoured in Albania as both a saint and a symbol of courage. Original post Here
Monday Briefing from the Balkans: April 14, 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
BIRN Fact-Check: Is Albanian PM’s Promise of 2030 EU Accession Realistic?
Experts say the Albanian prime minister’s pledge to secure membership of the EU by 2030 is little more than a “fairytale” for the electorate ahead of elections in May. Original post Here
Italy Sends More Migrants to Albania After Change of Plan
A new shipload of migrants from Italy arrived in Albania on Friday after the Rome government changed the rules on the use of its detention centre in the Balkan country after previous legal setbacks to the offshoring project. Original post Here
Albania’s ‘Elite Tourism’ Pits David Against Goliath in Fight for Water
In southwestern Albania, a government plan to harness a village’s natural springs for the needs of a luxury tourism development has locals up in arms. Original post Here
Albanian TikTok Shutdown Tool Raises Privacy Concerns
Albania’s cyber security authority said it will use Deep Packet Inspection to enforce the government’s TikTok ban – but experts say the use of the technology has no legal basis in Albania and could be used for censorship. Original post Here
The wildfire situation across the country remains problematic, although improvements have been reported in several affected areas over the past 24 hours. Of the 35 fires reported, five remain active, while three others are being kept under control. A total of 382 operational personnel and 40 fire engines have been …
The Central Election Commission (CEC) has decided to provide the standard form to the initiative group seeking to collect 50,000 signatures for a referendum on repealing Law No. 21/2024 on protected areas. The initiative follows continued opposition from environmental organizations and activists to the law, which they say could facilitate …
The Maliq Municipal Council meeting was marked by tensions and heated debate on Thursday, as councillors were expected to make a decision on a proposal to dissolve the Municipality of Maliq and merge it with the Municipality of Korça. Opposition councillors called for a unanimous vote against the dissolution of …
Residents of Prrenjas have once again taken to the streets to protest against the new administrative-territorial reform, which proposes the dissolution of 15 municipalities, including the Municipality of Prrenjas. They are demanding that Prrenjas retain its status as a municipality, arguing that the merger would affect citizens’ representation, the provision …
Inflation in Albania reached 3.4% in July, standing 0.4 percentage points above the European Union average. Rising prices were mainly driven by food, transport and tourism-related services. Inflation in Albania, measured according to the harmonised methodology used to compare European countries, reached 3.4% in July 2026, placing the country above …
Foreign exchange trading in Albania reached a historic high, with around €4.5 billion exchanged in the second quarter alone. Despite the increased supply of foreign currency, the lek continues to strengthen against the euro, which has fallen to record-low levels. Foreign exchange trading volumes in the domestic market reached a …
Kosovo Police have announced the seizure of a significant quantity of weapons in northern Kosovo during several operations. According to images released ahead of an extraordinary press conference, police seized weapons, ammunition and uniforms. The post Weapons arsenal sized in Northern Kosovo appeared first on Euronews Albania. Original post Here
Kosovo’s Ministry of Internal Affairs, together with the Kosovo Police, has displayed in Mitrovica a large quantity of weapons seized during several operations carried out in Serb-majority villages in northern Kosovo. Addressing the media, Interior Minister Xhelal Sveçla said the weapons arsenal was found near the village of Kalludër e …
The Albanian Riviera remains one of the country’s most popular summer destinations. Qeparo continues to attract local and foreign visitors with its coastline, natural beauty and distinctive southern atmosphere. Prime Minister Edi Rama shared footage of the “Te Stefi” accommodation facility in Qeparo. He described it as “a beautiful address …
Prime Minister Edi Rama shared footage of the “Golden Voyager” show from the Paris Olympic Games, which created a unique atmosphere along Vlora’s Lungomare as part of “DansMusik Fest.” “Towards the Moon,” Rama wrote alongside the footage of the seaside performance. Music, dance and artistic choreography combined with a spectacular …