Week in Review: Schemes and Interventions
Flashbacks from old habits, past failures, challenges and interventions are what link our selection of Premium stories together this week. Original post Here
Personal Data Misuse Tops Albanian Cybercrime List: Police
Head of cybercrime directorate says computer fraud and related offences – often for the purpose of financial gain – are the main cybercrimes committed in Albania. Original post Here
‘Tragicomic’: Ex-Political Prisoners in Albania Still Awaiting Compensation
More than three decades since communism fell in Albania, only six per cent of former political prisoners or their family members have received the full compensation they are entitled to. Original post Here
EU Keeps IPARD III Frozen Over Corruption and Abuse
Albania, July 29,2025, While Albania’s government continues to project an image of rapid progress toward European Union membership—pledging to have negotiated all accession chapters by 2027—the reality on the ground tells a very different story. A recent reaffirmation by the European Commission that €112 million in IPARD III agricultural development …
Unprotected, Women in Albania, Kosovo Face ‘Toxic Coexistence’ with Digital Abuse
Weak laws and institutional indifference mean women in Albania and Kosovo are largely unprotected against often devastating levels of gender-based digital violence. Original post Here
Albanian Drug Cartel Dismantled in EU Crackdown
Seizure of six tons of cocaine reveals how criminal profits are laundered into Albania’s booming construction sector. TIRANA, July 27, 2025 (Tirana Times) — Albania’s political crisis deepened this week asopposition leader Sali Berisha launched a sweeping series of accusations against PrimeMinister Edi Rama, claiming the May 11 local elections …
Dirty Money Fuels Albania’s Construction Boom
Tirana, Albania – July 28, 2025 A sweeping European-led crackdown on a transnational Albanian drug cartel, culminating in the seizure of six tons of cocaine valued at over €400 million, has reignited concerns that Tirana’s high-rise construction boom is being bankrolled by illicit wealth from organized crime and corruption. The …
Opposition Alleges Vote Rigging via Building Permits
TIRANA, July 27, 2025 (Tirana Times) — Albania’s political crisis deepened this week as opposition leader Sali Berisha launched a sweeping series of accusations against Prime Minister Edi Rama, claiming the May 11 local elections were rigged through an elaborate vote-buying scheme involving 450 illegal construction permits awarded to criminal …
Albania’s New Pyramid: Towers, Dirty Money, and an Emptying NationBy Tirana Times
In 1997, Albania collapsed under the weight of fraudulent pyramid schemes that wiped out people’s life savings and nearly brought the state to its knees. Today, a different kind of pyramid is rising — this time, quite literally. All across Tirana and spreading to other cities and coasts, the country …
Italy’s Tirana-Cairo Deportation Flight Sets ‘Dangerous Precedent’
With the direct deportation of five Egyptians from Tirana to Cairo, rights groups and legal experts say Italy’s offshore migration strategy has taken an ominous turn. Original post Here
The High Scardus Trail is emerging as a major mountain tourism destination in the Western Balkans. The cross-border route connects Albania, Kosovo and North Macedonia. The German Embassy in Albania says the trail offers more than spectacular mountain landscapes. It also creates economic opportunities for local communities and helps protect …
Economy and Innovation Minister Delina Ibrahimaj said the “Pasqyra Albania” platform will allow citizens to compare product prices and find where they can buy them more cheaply. At the same time, the government will use the platform to analyze how prices form across the entire value chain. Ibrahimaj told ATSH …
Agriculture and Rural Development Minister Andis Salla said the government is finalizing a new agricultural insurance scheme to protect farmers and crops from damage caused by natural disasters. The scheme responds to concerns farmers have raised across the country about losses from frost, hail, floods and fires. Salla said authorities …
Emeritus Academician Mark Tirta, one of Albania’s most respected scholars of ethnology and anthropology, died today at the age of 88. The Academy of Sciences said his death represents a major loss for Albanian science and culture. For more than six decades, Tirta dedicated his life to researching, documenting and …
Interior Minister Besfort Lamallari visited “Qemal Stafa” High School, one of the educational institutions where the implementation of the “Smart City” program has begun, with the aim of improving security in schools. *]:pointer-events-auto R6Vx5W_threadScrollVars scroll-mb-[calc(var(–scroll-root-safe-area-inset-bottom,0px)+var(–thread-response-height))] scroll-mt-[calc(var(–header-height)+min(200px,max(70px,20svh)))]” dir=”auto” data-turn-id=”request-WEB:6a7b9724-3db3-4346-a838-daae6198353f-1″ data-turn-id-container=”request-WEB:6a7b9724-3db3-4346-a838-daae6198353f-1″ data-testid=”conversation-turn-4″ data-turn=”assistant”> According to reports, Lamallari inspected the camera system installed …
A devastating tragedy has shaken the Albanian community in Jacksonville, Florida, where three children lost their lives and four other people were seriously injured after a massive fire engulfed a two-story home. Relatives of the family, who arrived at the scene following the incident, confirmed that the family is of …
Democratic Party leader Sali Berisha was invited on Thursday by the International Democracy Union (IDU) to join the organization’s official delegation to the Republican Party’s National Convention. The event is expected to take place in Dallas, Texas, on September 9 and 10, 2026. In an official letter dated August 7, …
The sounds of jazz returned to the “Migjeni” Theatre for another evening of the 17th edition of the “Shkodra Jazz Festival.” The festival, which over the years has become one of the city’s major musical events, brought the quartet of artist Kejdi Barbullushi to the stage. Through improvisation, rhythm and …
A 53-year-old man of Albanian origin in Rhodope, Greece, confessed on Thursday to killing his 44-year-old wife, who was also of Albanian origin. A forensic examination of the victim’s body revealed that a single stab wound to the neck caused her death. The man has been hospitalized after attempting to …
Businesses and individuals engaged in short-term rentals of accommodation units through the Booking platform will be subject to inspections by the tax administration. As part of the tourism operational plan, the tax authorities have begun inspections of businesses and individuals that have generated income through Booking.com. The tax administration said …