SPAK takes over vote-rigging probe against jailed Himara’s mayor
Special Prosecution against Corruption and Organized Crime (SPAK) has registered this Wednesday a criminal proceeding against Fredi Beleri, candidate of “Together We Win” for the municipality of Himara, who is accused of buying votes. Beleri is accused of having bought eight votes for 400.000 ALL, while according to the official …
Rama at the Summit of the Council of Europe: Thaçi’s judgment baseless
Prime Minister Edi Rama this Wednesday is participating in the summit of the Council of Europe that is taking place in Iceland. Rama started his speech at this summit by bringing to attention the unfair trial that is being done to the leaders of the Kosovo Liberation Army in The …
Elections/ Meta: We will start the process of legal dispute
“Together We Win” coalition warns of not recognizing the results of the May 14 elections. Ilir Meta seems to have no intention of giving up in the face of the deep defeat on May 14, as he warned that he will start the process of legally contesting the result. Meta …
Kadare’s ‘Chronicle in Stone’ published in Polish through Marek Jeziorski translation
The book’s translator and former Polish ambassador to Albania, Marek Jeziorski. TIRANA, May 16, 2023 – One of the most famous novels of renowned Albanian author Ismail Kadare is now available to Polish readers through the translation of Marek Jeziorski, Poland’s former ambassador to Albania. Jeziorski, who spent more than …
Socialists leading with number of municipal council’s members in Durres
Socialist Party (SP) has gained an initial advantage regarding the number of Durres Municipality Council’s members that have been voted during the May 14 local elections. Central Elections Commission’s (CEC) data showed that in the municipality of Durres, 12 of the 342 polling stations for the municipal councils have been …
Tirana, man arrested for extorting EUR 70,000 from businessman
A 52-year-old man has been handcuffed this Tuesday by Tirana Police, on the charge of taking large sums of money from businessmen through fraud. Within the coded operation “Architect”, it became possible to arrest 52-year-old Shpëtim Hida, who was caught in the act of deceiving a businessman to extort him …
Assault rifles found in Vau i Dejës’ house
Police officers located and seized this Tuesday inside a house in Vau i Dejës two firearms, which are suspected to have been used in criminal events. Law enforcement said that the weapons were found hidden in an apartment, which was used by a citizen with the initials P.GJ., who was …
Veliaj wins 3rd mandate as Tirana’s mayor by huge difference
Erion Veliaj has won a third mandate as Mayor of the Albanian capital, Tirana in the local elections of 14 May 2023. Veliaj has deeply defeated his opponent of the “Together We Win” coalition, Belind Kelliçi, with a difference of 60 thousand votes. From the official data of the Central …
Teen stabbed in Kamza school knife fight
A 15-year-old has been stabbed this Tuesday noon in the outer premises of a school in Kamza area of Tirana. According to the police, the incident took place outside the “Ahmet Zogu” school. During the physical clash, citizen K. Gj., 18 years old, stabbed a 15-year-old with a cutting tool. …
Analysis: With low turnout, local elections give insights into grim demographic forecasts
Migration and demographics playing increasing role in Albanian elections TIRANA, May 16, 2023 – Albania’s latest administrative elections marked the lowest turnout ever for a competitive voting process in post-communism, with only about one in three eligible voters casting votes. The number of people who had the right to vote …
TIRANA, May 4 – Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Ferit Hoxha said Albania’s EU accession process continues normally. He rejected claims of any blockage or veto from member states. He made the remarks during a hearing in the Committee for Europe and Foreign Affairs on the IBAR report and …
TIRANA, May 4 – The National Center for Children’s Culture closed the year’s largest painting event with the participation of around 500 children from Albania, Kosova, and North Macedonia. Meanwhile, Director Melsi Qirici described the second edition of the National Children’s Painting Competition as successful. She noted that children from …
TIRANA, May 4 – President Bajram Begaj attended the 70th anniversary of the priestly ordination of Cardinal Ernest Simoni at the Florence Cathedral “Santa Maria del Fiore”. He described Simoni as a symbol of resilience, faith, and sacrifice, and as a “living martyr”. In his message, Begaj said Simoni’s life …
TIRANA, May 4 – The Unified Chambers of the Supreme Court, composed of 16 judges, set new standards for the use of the security measure “arrest in prison” and required concrete, individualized reasoning for its imposition and continuation. The president of the Supreme Court initiated the review to address inconsistencies …
TIRANA, May 4 – The Bank of Albania reported that the Economic Sentiment Indicator fell by 1.5 points in April. The bank said weaker confidence in services, trade, and among consumers drove the decline. Despite this drop, the indicator remained 6.4 points above its historical average, signaling a generally positive …
The Traffic Police have published their weekly report, highlighting a number of violations and criminal offenses identified and addressed. During this period, 33 criminal incidents were recorded. Of these, 16 drivers were prosecuted while remaining at liberty for “Violations of road traffic rules.” Additionally, 9 drivers were prosecuted for “Driving …
Prime Minister Edi Rama has shared images on social media from the 8th Summit of the European Political Community, currently being held in Armenia. He posted part of the “family photo,” featuring leaders from across Europe. Shortly after arriving at the summit venue, Rama spoke to the media present about …
Vulnerable groups continue to be the most discriminated against in Europe, according to data from Eurostat. The situation is similar in Albania. In 2024, people born outside their country reported higher levels of discrimination compared to natives. About 9.7% said they felt discriminated against when interacting with public administration, compared …
Albania and Kosovo are not only using AI, but are increasingly mastering it, going beyond simple analysis and text generation to create videos, audio, and software. The latest data from the European Working Conditions Survey show that around 12% of employees in the EU use generative AI in their work. …
President Bajram Begaj attended the 70th anniversary of the priestly ordination of His Eminence, Cardinal Ernest Simoni. At the ceremony held at the Santa Maria del Fiore Cathedral in Florence, President Begaj praised Cardinal Simoni as a symbol of resilience, faith, and sacrifice—a “living martyr.” “Your story is living proof …