Albanian Premier Edi Rama’s Diaspora Tour: Outreach or Electioneering?
From New York to Thessaloniki, Prime Minister Edi Rama has been travelling the world to hold meetings with Albanian diaspora communities ahead of next year’s elections. Opponents say he’s trying to avoid discontent at home. Original post Here
UNED Campus in Gjirokastra: A European Hub in the Western Balkans
By Jerina Zaloshnja It is a beautiful, joyous day in Gjirokastra. October 30, 2024. The sun shines brightly in the warm, clear blue air. From the loudspeakers at the campus of UNED, Spain’s new university in the country, Spanish music reverberates slowly. Young students dressed in traditional Gjirokastra costumes …
The UNED Campus in Gjirokaster a gateway to global academic excellence and a bridge to Europe
By Ricardo Mairal Uson It is an immense honor and privilege for me to stand before you today, on this momentous occasion—the inauguration of the UNED Center in the historic and culturally significant city of Gjirokaster. This event marks the beginning of a new chapter in the strong relationship between …
Albania struggles with hazardous waste scandal as ship awaits clearance off Durres coast
DURRES, Oct. 31, 2024 – A cargo ship laden with over 100 containers of suspected hazardous waste, which arrived in Albania from Singapore, remains anchored off the coast of Durres for the fourth consecutive day. The ship’s entry into port has been delayed by authorities awaiting necessary safety preparations, intensifying …
Is Albania Slipping into a one part-system ?
Albania is now an efficient laboratory to prove how easy it is to rebuild a totalitarian society in the conditions when the country is open to the world. The head of Albania’s opposition, Sali Berisha Albania’s former President and a former two-term Prime Minister was arrested on Saturday, Dec. …
From Ant to Colony
The late 1870s and early 1890s ushered in the Gilded Age of the U.S., where rapid industrialization and free-flowing innovations were sweeping the nation. As I see it, successful ventures from the private sector played an interesting role in the development of the state during this period. The steel conglomerate …
File Not Found: Drive for Open Data Stalls in Western Balkans
Governments in the Western Balkans committed years ago to make official data open and transparent – but a BIRN survey suggests they sometimes supply only incomplete or out-of-date information. Original post Here
USA and Albania toast the 248th Anniversary of US Independence Day
Courtesy of New York Magazine Erjola Braha, recently celebrated by Forbes Italia, presents Robert Mondavi’s wines at the official ceremony organized in Tirana on the occasion of US Independence Day. The United States Embassy in Tirana celebrated the 248th Anniversary of US Independence with a prestigious event, which saw the …
Exhibition of Prisoners’ Letters Sheds Light on Albania’s Communist-Era Jails
‘Letters From Hell’, an exhibition in Tirana, explores the grim conditions in two of Communist Albania’s most infamous prisons, Spac and Burrel, showcasing correspondence from some of the prisoners. Original post Here
Open Data Deficit Hinders Green Transition in Kosovo and Albania
Experts say a lack of open data when it comes to the environment is hindering the green transition in Albania and Kosovo. Original post Here
It’s late July 2024 in Albania. An ever-present heat weighs down the air around you. Summers always get hot, but this time, it feels more draining than before. You’ve cranked the AC in your house, so the inside is safe. One step through those doors, however, and you’re right back …
From Budapest to Ankara, online freedoms are being compromised by government legislation, emerging technologies and tech giant algorithms, says BIRN’s new annual report on digital rights violations in Central and Southeast Europe. Original post Here
National laws may be compliant with international standards but weak oversight, corruption and cash economies hamper an effective battle against money-laundering, says the author of a new report on illicit finance in the Western Balkans. Original post Here
Catch up on the weekend’s most important developments with Balkan Insight’s digest of news from countries across the region. Original post Here
In his new book, political scientist Ermal Hasimja says Albanians have deliberately decided to ‘forget’ the criminal nature of the country’s former communist regime, as a kind of defence mechanism. Original post Here
After being freed from house arrest, the opposition Democratic Party leader Sali Berisha demanded the formation of a new ‘technical’ caretaker government to steer the country ahead of 2025 elections. Original post Here
The son of an army general in communist Albania, Robert Budina was part of the student protests that helped bring down the regime, only to flee to Italy on an overcrowded boat. The experience has informed his work ever since. Original post Here
Prosecutors are investigating an Elbasan-based organised crime group that trafficked drugs from Latin America and whose suspected members and associates include a former judge, a senior police official and two journalists. Original post Here
The state promised everyone left homeless by a 2019 earthquake a new home in 2020. Some are still living in squalor. Original post Here
ON THE OCCASION OF 10th ANNIVERSARY OF GALERIAKALO With the exhibition titled PROMENADE organized last week, FONDACIONI KALO ART and GALERIAKALO celebrated their 10th anniversary. A selected number of artworks by Masters, and other well-established artists were displayed on that occasion. GALERIAKALO was founded in November 2014 to support …