Albanian and North Macedonian parliamentary committees focus on climate cooperation
TIRANA, May 13 – The parliamentary Committee for Culture, Tourism and Diaspora of Albania and the Committee for Natural Resources, Infrastructure and Sustainable Development of Albania held a joint meeting in Struga, North Macedonia, on May 12–13. The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe supported the event. Lawmakers from …
Infrastructure Minister Karakaçi: Government approves fuel subsidy for public transport operators
TIRANA, May 13 – The Albanian government approved a new subsidy scheme for public transport operators following higher fuel prices. The measure provides 50 lek per litre of fuel for transport companies. After the government meeting, Minister of Infrastructure and Energy Enea Karakaçi said the subsidy covers urban, intercity and …
Rossmann & Lala Continues Expanding Price Reductions Across More Categories!
As part of its strategy to make personal and family care more affordable for every consumer, Rossmann & Lala is further expanding its price reductions to some of the most frequently used everyday categories: oral care, household cleaning products, and international chocolate brands. This step follows the successful price repositioning …
Albania–Italy Migration Deal Continues
Tirana Times, May 13, 2026 — The Albania–Italy migration agreement remains in force, despite a brief but politically sensitive controversy triggered by comments from Albanian Foreign Minister Ferit Hoxha on whether the protocol could continue beyond its initial five-year term. The debate began after Hoxha, in an interview with Euractiv, was asked …
The Forgotten Synagogue and the Belated Love for Jewish Culture
By Auron Tare These days, in the noisy marketplace of Albanian opinions, a new theme is being articulated: the “love” of certain Albanian public gentlemen for Jewish culture and, beyond it, for Israeli politics. Some say it is pure love; others suspect it is interest; and others see it as …
Localised light rain showers with alternating clear spells
TIRANA, May 13 – The Military Meteorological Service said the country will face relatively unstable atmospheric conditions on Wednesday. It said the weather will feature alternating clear spells and periods of moderate to dense cloud cover, especially over the eastern and southern areas. In these regions, it said, localised light …
Yzeiraj: Albania Remains Attractive for Foreign Investment
Endrit Yzeiraj said Albania is strengthening economic cooperation with North Macedonia through joint initiatives aimed at increasing trade and investment. He made the remarks at the Business Forum “North Macedonia–Albania: Beyond Borders” held in Skopje. The forum was organized by the Albanian Embassy in Skopje in cooperation with the Economic …
“Double Your Entrepreneurship”, Finance Minister Malaj: 250 mln euro loan and sovereign guarantee for SMEs
TIRANA, May 13 – Finance Minister Petrit Malaj said small and medium-sized enterprises form a key pillar of the Albanian economy. He made the statement at the signing ceremony for the partnership between the state, the banking system, and businesses under the “Double Your Entrepreneurship” programme. He said SMEs account …
“Clean Trails, Protected Forests”, youth join initiative on Kune Island
TIRANA, May 13 – The national programme “Clean Trails, Protected Forests” continued across the country with a focus on environmental protection and maintenance of tourist trails. This time, a group of students from Lezha joined the initiative on Kune Island. They responded to calls for broader civic engagement, as authorities …
Eurovision 2026 Bulku: Today we will hold the main rehearsal, it will be a serious and dignified competition
TIRANA, May 13 – The 70th Eurovision Song Contest opened on Tuesday in Vienna. Albania will compete in the second semi-final on May 14. Speaking live on “Mirëmëngjes Shqipëri” [Good Morning Albania], Rajmonda Bulku, part of the Albanian delegation supporting singer Alis, said the team will hold its main rehearsal …
Albanian and Turkish naval forces held a joint exercise in the Bay of Vlora and the naval base in it. The activity took place under NATO’s Neptune Strike 26-4 programme. The exercise involved Turkish warships TCG Anadolu and TCG Gaziantep, aircraft and the Albanian Boarding Team. According to the Ministry …
Kosova remains at Tier 2 in the US State Department’s 2025 report on human trafficking. The report notes more funding for victim assistance and more convictions, but highlights gaps in law enforcement, identifying children forced to beg and providing long-term support. Police investigated four trafficking cases in 2025, down from …
Ahmet Prençi, commissioner of the Ombudsman’s National Mechanism for the Prevention of Torture, presented preliminary findings from monitoring police stations, the Security Block and the University Trauma Hospital on October 19. He said the investigation continued. Police escorted 50 people to stations, including 18 minors. The Security Block held 109 …
Demand for loans from businesses and individuals increased in the third quarter of 2026. Banks expect this trend to continue in the final quarter, according to the Bank of Albania’s lending survey. Businesses increased borrowing across all size categories for investment and liquidity needs. Higher investment needs, inventory financing and …
Assembly of Albania Deputy Speaker Evis Kushi and Secretary General Genci Gjonçaj met a delegation from the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance, led by Kevin Casas Zamora. The talks focused on continuing cooperation under the European Union-funded STEP-EU project. The initiative aims to strengthen the Assembly’s legislative, oversight …
The OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) expressed concern over reports of violence during student and high school protests in Albania. It called for immediate and independent investigations into every reported case of unlawful use of force. In a statement published on X, ODIHR urged all sides …
Irregular border crossings into the European Union fell by almost one-third in the first nine months of 2026, with preliminary data recording just over 91,000 crossings, according to Frontex. The Central Mediterranean route saw the sharpest decline, with detections down 56% year on year. However, the Western Mediterranean route recorded …
As part of NATO’s “Neptune Strike-26” exercise, the Albanian and Turkish Naval Forces conducted a joint military exercise in Vlora Bay and at the Pashaliman Naval Base. The exercise involved the Albanian patrol vessel “Oriku” P-132 and its boarding team, alongside the Turkish naval vessels TCG Anadolu and TCG Gaziantep. …
Albania’s Supreme Court has announced the postponement of court hearings, except for urgent cases, following property damage and damage to judicial files caused by a fire during the protests on October 17. In a public statement issued on October 20, the court said that damage to its premises and infrastructure …
The United Nations Security Council will hold its next meeting on the situation in Kosovo today, with discussions expected to focus on political developments, the security situation, and the dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia. The meeting is scheduled to begin at 3:00 p.m. New York time, corresponding to 9:00 p.m. …