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Vucic: Joining the EU only after signing binding document with Kosovo

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic says the EU expects from Serbia “a legally binding document with Pristina, after which we could become a member of the EU.” Original post Here

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Ivanovic’s killing: Kosovo Prosecution asks Serbia’s help to identify the car

Chief Prosecutor of Mitrovica, Njazi Rexha, said on Wednesday that Serbia’s help is needed to track the origin of the car allegedly used by the killers of Kosovo Serb politician Oliver Ivanovic. Original post Here

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Srpska MPs honour fallen KLA martyrs in Kosovo Parliament

Serbian members of Kosovo Parliament joined their Albanian colleagues observing one minute of silence for the fallen heroes of the Kosovo Liberation Army: Zahir Pajaziti, Hakif Zejnullahu, and Edmond Hoxha. Original post Here

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Suspected Balkan drug boss Naser Kelmendi makes closing statement in criminal trial

Naser Kelmendi, the alleged Balkan drug baron, maintained his innocence in his closing statement Wednesday before a Pristina court where he is facing murder and narcotics charges. The verdict on Kelmendi’s case is expected on Friday. Original post Here

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Haradinaj suspends decision on pay rise

Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj has given up on his decision to increase salaries of the government cabinet, following harsh reaction by the citizens and the interpretation of the Anti-Corruption Agency which qualified the decision as illegal. Original post Here

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Pristina citizens protest heavy pollution levels

Environmentalists have staged a protest in Kosovo’s capital Pristina asking the government to fight extremely high pollution. Original post Here

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Delawie: I applaud those opposing revocation of the Special Court

The US Ambassador to Kosovo, Greg Delawie, keeps opposing the initiative of the ruling MPs to abrogate the Law on Specialist Chambers and Specialist Prosecution Office. Delawie in a Tweet on Wednesday said that also Kosovo’s citizens do not support the initiative to undo the war crimes court. Original post …

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TIME Magazine ranks Kosovo PM Haradinaj among ‘5 Most Wanted Geopolitical Fugitives of 2018’

The Time Magazine has ranked Kosovo Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj among the five most wanted “geopolitical fugitives of 2018”. Kosovo PM is in the same list with other world well-known fugitives, including Catalan regional president Carles Puigdemont, Turkish Fethullah Gulen, founder of WikiLeaks Julian Assange and former Georgia’s president, Mikheil …

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Prime Minister’s party rewards his cousin who insulted the US ambassador

The Municipality of Decan, run by Ramush Haradinaj’s party – the AAK, has on Tuesday appointed the Deputy Head of the Association of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) Veterans, Nasim Haradinaj, as municipal Director of Agriculture, Forestry and Rural Development. His appointment came only weeks after his controversial statements calling …

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US Blacklists Kosovo politicians, MPs

A travel ban on dozens of Kosovo citizens, including political leaders and MPs on the United States blacklist, has been extended by the administration of US President Donald Trump. Original post Here

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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

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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 …