Albania 2026: Power Under Investigation
As Albania enters 2026, the country stands at a political and institutional crossroads shaped decisively by the shocks of 2025. What initially appeared to be a year of electoral routine and managed stability evolved instead into the most serious confrontation between executive power and the justice system since the launch …
Saudi Arabia’s Yemen Action: Between Deterrence, Diplomacy, and Regional Responsibility
The latest Saudi action in Yemen should be understood not as escalation for its own sake, but as part of a broader strategic approach that combines deterrence with diplomacy, aimed at safeguarding regional stability and preserving internationally recognized state authority. Riyadh’s move comes in response to concrete security concerns arising …
Exposing Scams, Probing the Powerful: A Year of BIRN Investigations
As 2026 begins, we look back on some of the most important investigations published by BIRN in its 20th anniversary year – from brutal migrant-smuggling gangs and arms deals with Israel to state surveillance of protesters and online frauds. Original post Here
Letter From Washington: The US Just Blasted Balkan Authoritarians – Or Did It?
The recently-passed Western Balkans Democracy and Prosperity Act shows that some US lawmakers still care about the region. But it doesn’t mean that Donald Trump is going to tell Aleksandar Vucic to be nicer to student protesters. Original post Here
PM Kurti claims victory in Kosovo vote, no clear majority
Tirana Times PRISTINA, Kosovo December 29, 2025. Acting Prime Minister Albin Kurti secured another clear electoral victory in Kosovo’s repeat parliamentary election on Sunday, with his left wing Vetëvendosje movement significantly expanding its lead over rivals but once again failing to secure the parliamentary majority needed to govern alone, according …
Deputy PM Balluku Arrest Bid Shakes Albania’s Rule of Law
Will Parliament Lift the Deputy Prime Minister’s Immunity? Tirana Times, December 28 th , 2025. Albania has entered one of the most serious institutional confrontations since the launch of its justice reform, as the Special Anti-Corruption Structure (SPAK) formally requested parliamentary authorization to arrest Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of …
Tirana’s Construction Boom and the Flow of Dirty Money
TIRANA, December 26, 2025 – Albania’s decade-long construction boom, long portrayed as a sign of growth and urban renewal, is increasingly being scrutinized as a vehicle for laundering illicit capital. A new study by the Friedrich Ebert Foundation, combined with years of investigative reporting and analysis by Tirana Times, points …
Secret tenders, violence and kidnappings, BIRN: The staggering profits of AKSH contractors
Tirana Times, 25 December, 2025 – On September 15, 2023, Ergys Agasi, 36, founded a company with a capital of 1 thousand lek (10 euros) with activity in the field of information technology. Under the name EA Solutions, the company had a rapid activity. In the balance sheet filed with …
Saudi Arabia Leads AI Readiness in MENA, Emerges as Global Governance Power
As artificial intelligence reshapes economic competitiveness and state capacity, indexes like the Government AI Readiness Index serve not merely as technical rankings, but as indicators of national strategic priorities. In this sense, Saudi Arabia has moved decisively from regional ambition toward global relevance, even as the global hierarchy of AI …
Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Ferit Hoxha said that Albania has entered a decisive phase in the process of joining the European Union. Hoxha attended the informal meeting of Ministers for European Affairs in Dublin, where discussions focused on EU enlargement, reforms, and strengthening administrative capacities. The minister stressed …
Tirana International Airport ranked first among airports in the region in terms of passenger numbers during the first six months of 2026, recording more than 6 million travelers. The figures were published by Prime Minister Edi Rama through a chart shared on his Facebook page. According to the data he …
“Good to be here, Albania!” With this greeting in Albanian, the new Ambassador of the European Union Delegation to Albania, Sofia Moreira de Sousa, has begun her mission in the country. In a video posted on social media from Tirana, Moreira de Sousa expressed the European Union’s support for Albania’s …
The cost of imported products recorded a slight decline during the second quarter of the year, while domestic production prices continued to rise. Data from INSTAT show that in the second quarter, the Import Price Index reached 107.5 points, marking an annual decrease of 0.1%. The decline in prices was …
The number of cars entering Albania for the first time is declining. In August, around 8,100 vehicles were registered, 10% fewer than in August last year, while the number of vehicles on the road in Albania has grown at a slower pace compared with the past two years. The slowdown …
Prime Minister Edi Rama has announced the launch today of the Socialist Party’s new initiative, “Prania Besnike,” which will take place every Friday at 5:00 p.m. across Albania. Rama explained that through this initiative, they aim to create a space where citizens can directly present their complaints, concerns, and requests, …
TIRANA, September 4 – Six years have passed since Kosova and Serbia signed the Washington Agreement, mediated by the United States. On September 4, 2020, then-Kosova Prime Minister Avdullah Hoti and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic signed commitments on economic normalisation at the White House. Then-US President Donald Trump attended the …
TIRANA, September 4 – Work on the Elbasan–Rrogozhina road, part of Trans-European Corridor VIII, has reached 87% across the first six phases of the project. Asphalt work is currently underway along around 15 kilometres of the route. The Albanian Road Authority said crews are laying asphalt across the segment. In …
TIRANA, September 4 – Authorities will impose no traffic restrictions on trucks weighing more than 20 tonnes on Friday, according to the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport. The ministry said the latest official temperature forecast does not meet the conditions for temporary restrictions on heavy goods vehicles. Authorities introduce these …
TIRANA, September 4 – Import prices fell by 0.1% in the second quarter of 2026 compared with the same period a year earlier, according to the Institute of Statistics. The decline reflected lower prices for electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning, which fell by 2.2%. Extractive industry prices dropped by …