Week in Review: Opportunities and Setbacks
This week’s Balkan Insight Premium stories reflect the region’s ongoing push-and-pull between hopes of peace and the bitter weight of history. Original post Here
Week in Review: Failures and Flops
From Kosovo’s parliamentary stalemate to Montenegro’s rocky tourism season, our selection of Balkan Insight Premium stories this week sees several countries across the region failing to meet up to public needs. Original post Here
Airport Ordeal Sheds Light on Plight of Migrant Workers in Albania
Long hours, low pay and confiscated passports. Albania’s treatment of migrant workers bears all the hallmarks of modern slavery, experts say. Original post Here
Tirana Mayor Indicted in Corruption Probe
TIRANA, Albania , Tirana Time, July 23, 2025— Albania’s Special Anti-Corruption Prosecution Office (SPAK) has officially indicted Erion Veliaj, the mayor of Tirana, on multiple corruption charges in a sweeping criminal case that also implicates his wife, a ruling party lawmaker, two businessmen, and a prison official. The announcement, made …
Bankers Petroleum Threatens Arbitration Amid Fraud Probe in Albania
By Tirana Times | July 23, 2025 Albania’s most lucrative oilfield has become the epicenter of what could be the country’s most consequential investor-state confrontation to date, after Bankers Petroleum — its largest oil producer — threatened to sue the Albanian government in international arbitration courts. The company claims its …
Women Journalists in Albania Unprotected in Face of Online Abuse
As Albanian online portals spread falsehoods to discredit women in the media, a culture of silence and weak legal protections leave women journalists increasingly vulnerable. Original post Here
Albania’s Public Broadcaster Paying Price of Former Head’s Firing Spree
The former head of Albania’s public broadcaster abruptly fired some 150 of its employees; they went to court, and many are winning, at a growing cost to RTSH. Original post Here
UAE President’s Surprise Visit to Albania Underscores Strategic Diplomacy Beyond Friendship
TIRANA, Albania — July 17, 2025 Tirana Times. In a rare and tightly scheduled diplomatic mission, United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan made an unannounced visit to Albania on the evening of July 16, marking his second trip to the Balkan country in less than …
Week in Review: Surprises in Store
Our selection of Balkan Insight Premium stories this week brings some surprises – some good, some less so – while continuing to look back on 20 years of BIRN. Original post Here
Week in Review: Opportunities and Setbacks
This week’s Balkan Insight Premium stories reflect the region’s ongoing push-and-pull between hopes of peace and the bitter weight of history. 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 …