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Tahiri: Kosovo shared information with Serbia related to Ivanovic’s killing

Minister of Justice Abelard Tahiri says Kosovo has sent four requests to Serbian authorities asking evidence related to the killing of Kosovo Serb politician, Oliver Ivanovic. He also confirmed that Kosovo shared information with Serbia related to this case. Ivanovic was gunned down while entering his party’s premises in Mitrovica …

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EU is not asking Serbia to recognise Kosovo

The EU Enlargement Strategy on Western Balkans, which is expected to be published on Tuesday, has many references to Kosovo and Serbia. The European Commission requests the normalisation of relations between the two countries as the only way to move towards EU integration. However, the EU will ask Serbia to …

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LDK MPs and Head of EU Office in Kosovo discuss demarcation

Parliamentary Group of the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) received on Monday the Head of the EU Office in Kosovo, Nataliya Apostolova. During the meeting they discussed overall sicution in Kosovo, focusing on the Agreement on border demarcation with Montenegro, Gazeta Express reports. Original post Here

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Thaci addresses the Government, asks fulfilment of EU obligations

President Hashim Thaci has on Monday addressed the Government of Kosovo reporting of the country’s achievements and challenges on 10th anniversary of Kosovo’s Independence which will be celebrated on 17 February. Original post Here

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Lack of political consensus postpones vote on Demarcation, again

The Parliament’s Presidency has on Monday decided not to proceed to the plenary session the Draft Law on ratification of the Agreement on order demarcation between Kosovo and Montenegro, citing lack of political consensus. Ratification of the disputed border deal is one of the last criteria for Kosovo to get …

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EU’s Enlargement Strategy Offers No 'European Perspective' To Kosovo

The new EU Enlargement Strategy for the Western Balkans set to be approved on Tuesday offers no clear perspective for Kosovo. The European Commission has been more focused to offer clarity for Serbia’s and Montenegro’s membership by 2025. According to the draft-strategy that Gazeta Express got hold of, Kosovo is …

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New CNN affiliate TV N2 to open in Albania

The twenty four hour news channel and CNN affiliate called TV N2 is expected to open in Albania. The news has been confirmed by the local partner of CNN, Gener 2. The new TV station will be based in Tirana, and will cover also Albanian speaking areas in the region. …

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Kosovo participating Winter Olympics for the first time

Kosovo is participating in the Winter Games for the first time with only one athlete. Alpine skier Albin Tahiri, 28, who was born and raised in Slovenia, is representing Kosovo, the home country of both of his parents. Original post Here

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Kosovo hopes new EU Enlargement Strategy to offer clear integration timeline

Kosovo hopes the new European Commission Enlargement Strategy for Western Balkans, expected to be approved on Tuesday, will offer the country a clear timeline on joining the EU family. Original post Here

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Lunacek to publish a book on Kosovo on 10th anniversary of Independence

On 14 February, former member of the European Parliament and former rapporteur for Kosovo, Ulrike Lunacek, is expected to promote her book on Kosovo. The book, according to Lunacek, will be published ahead of tenth anniversary of Kosovo’s Independence. Kosovo celebrates tenth anniversary of its Independence on 17 February. Original …

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U.S. designates Muslim Brotherhood branches as terrorist organizations

Saudi Arabia welcomes Washington’s decision and reaffirms joint stance against extremism Tirana Times, January, 14, 2026 – The United States has officially designated branches of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, Jordan and Lebanon as terrorist organizations, marking a major shift in Washington’s approach toward political Islamist movements. The announcement immediately drew …

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Washington suspends visas for Albania

Albania included among weak or failing states despite being a NATO member Tirana, Tirana Times, 14 January 2026 – Washington’s decision to suspend U.S. visa processing for Albania, effective January 21 and for an indefinite period, marks one of the strongest diplomatic signals sent to Tirana in years. Albania has …

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NATO Values as Security Infrastructure: Evidence From Student Conversations

In the Western Balkans, “security” is rarely an abstract concept. It is encountered as a lived condition, shaped by memory, geography and a persistent awareness that stability can erode when trust is thin. Security, in this context, is not discussed only in strategic documents or institutional language, but reasoned through …

News
‘Fiscal Peace’: Albanian Amnesty for Tax-Dodging Businesses Branded Unfair and Opaque

Albania’s government is poised to waive business tax debts more than a decade old, as part of what it says is a reset in relations between the tax authorities and businesses. Critics say it is unfair on those who have played by the rules. Original post Here

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Monday Briefing from the Balkans: January 12, 2026

Catch up on the weekend’s most important developments with Balkan Insight’s digest of news from countries across the region. Original post Here

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How Albanian Organized Crime Conquered Europe’s Cocaine Market

On a locked down November afternoon in 2020, as Europe grappled with Covid 19 restrictions, two Albanian men based in Belgium exchanged a handful of encrypted messages. Deciphered years later from the Sky ECC platform, their words captured a watershed moment in Europe’s cocaine trade. A shipment measured not in …

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Port-to-Port: How Albanians Conquered the European Cocaine Market

BIRN reporters trace the rise of Albanian crime gangs to the top of the European cocaine trafficking ladder, from remote parts of Paraguay to European Union ports. Original post Here

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Albania in 2026: Battles With Anti-Graft Prosecutors Risk Slowing EU Progress

Political polarisation and government pressure on the judiciary – sparked by investigations of top politicians – could hinder Albania’s rapid progress towards European Union membership. Original post Here

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Heavy Rains Cause Evacuations and Discontent in Albania

Dramatic situation reported in several towns, while some locals complain of being abandoned. Original post Here

News
Albania Under Water: A Return to a Hobbesian State of Nature

TIRANA TIMES, December 6, 2025 – Albania is once again under water. Torrential rains over the past days have triggered massive flooding across almost the entire country, exposing not only the fragility of urban infrastructure but, more fundamentally, the long-term failure of governance. From the northern plains to the southern …

News

U.S. designates Muslim Brotherhood branches as terrorist organizations

Saudi Arabia welcomes Washington’s decision and reaffirms joint stance against extremism Tirana Times, January, 14, 2026 – The United States has officially designated branches of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, Jordan and Lebanon as terrorist organizations, marking a major shift in Washington’s approach toward political Islamist movements. The announcement immediately drew …

News

Washington suspends visas for Albania

Albania included among weak or failing states despite being a NATO member Tirana, Tirana Times, 14 January 2026 – Washington’s decision to suspend U.S. visa processing for Albania, effective January 21 and for an indefinite period, marks one of the strongest diplomatic signals sent to Tirana in years. Albania has …

News

NATO Values as Security Infrastructure: Evidence From Student Conversations

In the Western Balkans, “security” is rarely an abstract concept. It is encountered as a lived condition, shaped by memory, geography and a persistent awareness that stability can erode when trust is thin. Security, in this context, is not discussed only in strategic documents or institutional language, but reasoned through …

News

‘Fiscal Peace’: Albanian Amnesty for Tax-Dodging Businesses Branded Unfair and Opaque

Albania’s government is poised to waive business tax debts more than a decade old, as part of what it says is a reset in relations between the tax authorities and businesses. Critics say it is unfair on those who have played by the rules. Original post Here

News

Monday Briefing from the Balkans: January 12, 2026

Catch up on the weekend’s most important developments with Balkan Insight’s digest of news from countries across the region. Original post Here

News

How Albanian Organized Crime Conquered Europe’s Cocaine Market

On a locked down November afternoon in 2020, as Europe grappled with Covid 19 restrictions, two Albanian men based in Belgium exchanged a handful of encrypted messages. Deciphered years later from the Sky ECC platform, their words captured a watershed moment in Europe’s cocaine trade. A shipment measured not in …

News

Port-to-Port: How Albanians Conquered the European Cocaine Market

BIRN reporters trace the rise of Albanian crime gangs to the top of the European cocaine trafficking ladder, from remote parts of Paraguay to European Union ports. Original post Here

News

Albania in 2026: Battles With Anti-Graft Prosecutors Risk Slowing EU Progress

Political polarisation and government pressure on the judiciary – sparked by investigations of top politicians – could hinder Albania’s rapid progress towards European Union membership. Original post Here

News

Heavy Rains Cause Evacuations and Discontent in Albania

Dramatic situation reported in several towns, while some locals complain of being abandoned. Original post Here

News

Albania Under Water: A Return to a Hobbesian State of Nature

TIRANA TIMES, December 6, 2025 – Albania is once again under water. Torrential rains over the past days have triggered massive flooding across almost the entire country, exposing not only the fragility of urban infrastructure but, more fundamentally, the long-term failure of governance. From the northern plains to the southern …