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A Taste of Friendship: Turkish Diplomat Bridges Two Nations Through the Language of Food

Edibe Sinem Atay’s new cookbook on Turkish and Albanian cuisine is more than a culinary collection — it is a heartfelt celebration of history, identity, and shared heritage. TIRANA, May 24, 2025.When diplomacy meets the warmth of the kitchen, something deeply human and enduring is born. Edibe Sinem Atay, a …

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Tirana Pride Highlights Albania’s LGBT+ Progress Amid EU Hopes

TIRANA, May 25, 2025— Hundreds of people marched through the streets of Albania’s capital on Saturday during the annual Pride Parade, demanding equal rights, legal recognition, and dignity for the LGBT+ community under the motto “Side by Side.” The event, marked by colorful banners and strong calls for inclusion, received …

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Albania’s Vanishing Electorate: Emigration, Not a Boycott, Powered the Socialist Victory

TIRANA, Albania — Albania’s ruling Socialist Party secured another sweeping victory in the May 11 parliamentary elections, but analysts say the most significant result wasn’t who won—but who wasn’t there to vote. Official data from the Central Election Commission indicate that at least 200,000 fewer people voted in 2025 compared …

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Fight to Protect Albania’s ‘Wild River’ Isn’t Over, Say Environmental Prize-Winners

Activists Olsi Nika and Besjana Guri tell BIRN they see their prestigious international prize as fresh motivation to continue their campaign to save one of Europe’s last wild rivers from development. Original post Here

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Crime Crackdown Exposes Albania’s Deep State-Organized Crime Links

Joint Italy-Albania Crime Crackdown Exposes Deep Ties Between Organized Crime and State Structures in Albania TIRANA, Albania ,Tirana Times May 21 — A sweeping anti-drug operation conducted jointly by Italian and Albanian authorities has laid bare what critics describe as the entrenched links between organized crime and political power in …

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Narco-Politics and the Erosion of Democracy in Albania

In a country where democratic institutions are already fragile, a sprawling Italian anti-mafia investigation has thrown Albania’s political establishment into turmoil. At its heart lies the so-called Troplini Group, a narco-network accused of trafficking heroin and cocaine from Latin America through the Port of Durrës, laundering profits via the country’s …

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Italy-Albania Police Operation Nets 40 Suspected Drug Traffickers

Joint police investigation results in arrest of 40 members of three gangs allegedly involved in cocaine and heroin trafficking and money laundering, including one gang based in Durres, Albania. Original post Here

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Thwarting Opposition Hopes, Albania’s Socialists Win Big Abroad

Albania’s well-organised ruling party worked hard to mobilise voters abroad for an election that for the first time featured postal ballots. It paid off. Original post Here

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Tirana Emerges as Strategic Hub at FII PRIORITY Europe Summit

TIRANA, Albania Tirana Times , May 20,   — For the first time, Albania hosted the prestigious Future Investment Initiative (FII) Europe Summit, drawing a constellation of global leaders, tech innovators, and major investors to its capital. Coinciding with the 6th European Political Community (EPC) meeting, the summit positioned Tirana as …

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European Political Community Summit in Tirana – Substance, Symbolism, and Domestic Contradictions

Tirana, 17 May 2025 The Sixth Summit of the European Political Community (EPC), held in Tirana on 16 May 2025, convened 47 European leaders in a highly symbolic gathering that showcased continental unity in the face of geopolitical volatility. Under the banner “New Europe in a New World: Unity – …

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Businessman Luan Muça Reacts to Conflict in Vlora

Businessman Luan Muça has publicly responded to the conflict with Vasil Bedinaj, the owner of a hotel in Radhimë. In a statement, Muça gives his version of the confrontation, claiming that it concerns a property dispute and that he met with Bedinaj in an attempt to resolve it. Muça says …

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SafeJournalists: Meta must urgently clarify recent restrictions affecting media and public-interest accounts in Albania

The SafeJournalists Network expresses concern over a growing number of unexplained restrictions and account-access problems affecting media, activists and other public-interest voices on Meta platforms in Albania. On 5 September, the official Instagram account of Euronews Albania, a private main television and digital news outlet, became inaccessible. Later the same …

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US and EU: Mother Teresa’s legacy should inspire us

TIRANA, September 5 – The US Embassy and EU Ambassador to Albania Sofia Moreira de Sousa have paid tribute to Mother Teresa, highlighting her humanitarian legacy and message of service, solidarity and inclusion. Moreira de Sousa recalled one of Mother Teresa’s best-known messages, saying that people may not all do …

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Foreign Minister Hoxha receives new European Union ambassador

TIRANA, September 5 – Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Ferit Hoxha received new European Union Ambassador to Albania Sofia Moreira de Sousa for their first meeting. The two officials discussed Albania’s progress towards European Union membership. During the meeting, Hoxha stressed the importance of maintaining the pace and momentum …

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UGSH reacts to Euronews Albania’s Instagram account: Transparency sought over closure of Albanian accounts

The Association of Albanian Journalists (UGSH) has reacted following the blocking of access to Euronews Albania’s official Instagram page, expressing concern over the situation and calling for immediate clarification. In its statement,UGSH emphasized that the inability to access the media outlet’s account on one of the main platforms used to …

News
Union of Albanian Journalists reacts to closure of Euronews Albania’s Instagram account: Meta must provide explanations

The Union of Albanian Journalists (UGSH) has reacted to the problems affecting access to Euronews Albania’s official Instagram page, describing the situation as an alarm for freedom of communication and access to information. In a public statement, UGSH said that the inability to access the media outlet’s Instagram page constitutes …

News
AEJ Condemns Closure of Euronews Albania’s Instagram Account: Meta Must Restore the Page and Provide an Official Explanation

The Association of European Journalists, Albanian Section (AEJ), has condemned Meta’s closure of Euronews Albania’s Instagram page, describing the decision as unprecedented and unacceptable. In a statement, the AEJ said the page had been shut down without any official explanation from Meta. “The Association of European Journalists, Albanian Section, strongly …

News
PM Rama: Albania does not need veto power to join European table

TIRANA, September 5 – Prime Minister Edi Rama said Albania does not necessarily need veto power to take part in European processes and discussions. He spoke about Albania’s European Union perspective and the rise of nationalist trends in several European countries. Speaking at the “Intelligence on the World, Europe and …

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Euronews Albania’s Instagram Account Shut Down: What Is Happening on Social Media in Albania?

Euronews Albania’s Instagram page is no longer accessible, raising further alarm over what has been happening to Albanian accounts on social media in recent days. Without any prior notice or warning, Euronews Albania woke up today to find its Instagram page displaying the message: “User not found.” Just last night, …

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Hours After MEP’s Interview on Closed Accounts, Euronews Albania Disappears from Instagram

Just hours after MEP Sandro Gozi spoke in the Euronews Albania studio about the shutdown of Albanian Instagram accounts and called for transparency from Meta, Euronews Albania’s own page is no longer accessible on the platform. Last night, appearing as a guest on the program “Review,” Gozi addressed the wave …

News

Businessman Luan Muça Reacts to Conflict in Vlora

Businessman Luan Muça has publicly responded to the conflict with Vasil Bedinaj, the owner of a hotel in Radhimë. In a statement, Muça gives his version of the confrontation, claiming that it concerns a property dispute and that he met with Bedinaj in an attempt to resolve it. Muça says …

News

SafeJournalists: Meta must urgently clarify recent restrictions affecting media and public-interest accounts in Albania

The SafeJournalists Network expresses concern over a growing number of unexplained restrictions and account-access problems affecting media, activists and other public-interest voices on Meta platforms in Albania. On 5 September, the official Instagram account of Euronews Albania, a private main television and digital news outlet, became inaccessible. Later the same …

News

US and EU: Mother Teresa’s legacy should inspire us

TIRANA, September 5 – The US Embassy and EU Ambassador to Albania Sofia Moreira de Sousa have paid tribute to Mother Teresa, highlighting her humanitarian legacy and message of service, solidarity and inclusion. Moreira de Sousa recalled one of Mother Teresa’s best-known messages, saying that people may not all do …

News

Foreign Minister Hoxha receives new European Union ambassador

TIRANA, September 5 – Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Ferit Hoxha received new European Union Ambassador to Albania Sofia Moreira de Sousa for their first meeting. The two officials discussed Albania’s progress towards European Union membership. During the meeting, Hoxha stressed the importance of maintaining the pace and momentum …

News

UGSH reacts to Euronews Albania’s Instagram account: Transparency sought over closure of Albanian accounts

The Association of Albanian Journalists (UGSH) has reacted following the blocking of access to Euronews Albania’s official Instagram page, expressing concern over the situation and calling for immediate clarification. In its statement,UGSH emphasized that the inability to access the media outlet’s account on one of the main platforms used to …

News

Union of Albanian Journalists reacts to closure of Euronews Albania’s Instagram account: Meta must provide explanations

The Union of Albanian Journalists (UGSH) has reacted to the problems affecting access to Euronews Albania’s official Instagram page, describing the situation as an alarm for freedom of communication and access to information. In a public statement, UGSH said that the inability to access the media outlet’s Instagram page constitutes …

News

AEJ Condemns Closure of Euronews Albania’s Instagram Account: Meta Must Restore the Page and Provide an Official Explanation

The Association of European Journalists, Albanian Section (AEJ), has condemned Meta’s closure of Euronews Albania’s Instagram page, describing the decision as unprecedented and unacceptable. In a statement, the AEJ said the page had been shut down without any official explanation from Meta. “The Association of European Journalists, Albanian Section, strongly …

News

PM Rama: Albania does not need veto power to join European table

TIRANA, September 5 – Prime Minister Edi Rama said Albania does not necessarily need veto power to take part in European processes and discussions. He spoke about Albania’s European Union perspective and the rise of nationalist trends in several European countries. Speaking at the “Intelligence on the World, Europe and …

News

Euronews Albania’s Instagram Account Shut Down: What Is Happening on Social Media in Albania?

Euronews Albania’s Instagram page is no longer accessible, raising further alarm over what has been happening to Albanian accounts on social media in recent days. Without any prior notice or warning, Euronews Albania woke up today to find its Instagram page displaying the message: “User not found.” Just last night, …

News

Hours After MEP’s Interview on Closed Accounts, Euronews Albania Disappears from Instagram

Just hours after MEP Sandro Gozi spoke in the Euronews Albania studio about the shutdown of Albanian Instagram accounts and called for transparency from Meta, Euronews Albania’s own page is no longer accessible on the platform. Last night, appearing as a guest on the program “Review,” Gozi addressed the wave …