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Montenegro PM: Demarcation is a done deal, no international arbitrage

Montenegro Prime Minister Dusko Markovic says his country has no open issues with Kosovo, reiterating that the Agreement on demarcation between Kosovo and Montenegro is a done deal. He also said that addressing this issue to the international arbitrage court is impossible. Markovic is set to visit Kosovo on Tuesday. …

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Kosovo-Serbia dialogue to resume in late February

Chief of Kosovo delegation in technical talks with Serbia, Avni Arifi, told media that the dialogue is expected to resume by the end of February. Resumption of the dialogue is expected after cancellation of talks following killing of the Kosovo Serb politician, Oliver Ivanovic, on 16 January in Mitrovica North. …

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Kosovo set to play on Serbian soil for first time

“If the match is to be played in the first place, I think other than insults from fans during the anthem being played at the beginning, I do not anticipate that there will be any major problems,” said head of Kosovo Handball Federation, Leonard Cula. Original post Here

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New evidence on Ivanovic’s killing, says Kosovo Chief Prosecutor

Kosovo Chief Prosecutor, Aleksander Lumezi, said that they have new evidence related to the killing of Serbian leader Oliver Ivanovic in northern part of Mitrovica. He also said that Serbia is not exchanging information with Kosovo authorities related to this case Original post Here

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Hahn: Serbia to join EU only after normalising relations with Kosovo

The EU commissioner in charge of the bloc’s membership negotiations, Johannes Hahn, during an interview with the Vienna-based daily Kurir said that new members can join the European Union by 2025. Original post Here

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KFOR takes control over Air Traffic Tower of Kosovo’s International Airport

NATO peacekeeping troops – KFOR, is now in control of the Air Traffic Tower of Kosovo’s International Airport ‘Adem Jashari,” local media report. The move came following reports last year revealing breach of security protocols by Airport officials. Original post Here

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Financial Times: EU to accept six states, including Kosovo

The European Union will “hold out the prospect of membership” to six Western Balkan countries, including Kosovo, writes the Financial Times. Original post Here

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Vetevendosje’s faction to form new caucus in Parliament

A faction of Vetevendosje MPs are expected to register a new caucus in Kosovo Parliament. Ten Vetevendosje MPs have already sent a request to the Parliament’s administration asking registration of the new parliamentary group. The move came after internal factions within the biggest opposition party. Original post Here

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Ambassador Delawie comments on Pristina's pollution crisis

The United States Ambassador to Kosovo, Greg Delawie, posted a tweet yesterday commenting on Pristina’s air pollution situation. The conditions have become unbearable for some, leading to a temporary ban being put into effect that restricts cars from driving in the center from 6:00 to 22:00. Original post Here

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Thaci: Specialist Chambers will not be revoked

Kosovo President Hashim Thaci said on Thursday that the Law on Specialist Chambers and Specialist Prosecution Office will not be abolished. He made this comment when answering to journalists’ questions on the initiative of Kosovo MPs to abrogate the law on war crimes set to try alleged crimes of the …

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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 …

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‘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 …