Albania Battles Deadly Wildfires Amid Heatwave

TIRANA, Albania (Tirana Times) , August 13,2025— Fierce wildfires swept across Albania this week, killing one person, injuring

2 weeks ago

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News 24 Raid and Blackout: Press Freedom or Property Dispute?

Headline

Tirana Times, 11 August, 2025 The forcible shutdown of Albania’s leading all-news television channel, News 24, and the

2 weeks ago

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European Raids Hit Albanian Cartel, Millions Laundered in Resorts

Headline

Tirana Times,August 08,2025 — A massive Albanian-run cocaine trafficking syndicate, accused of moving 28 tons of the drug from Latin

3 weeks ago

3 mins read

Government Accused of Influencing OSCE Election Findings

Headline

Tirana , August 5, 2025– Allegations that Albania’s ruling Socialist Party is attempting to influence the final report of the

3 weeks ago

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EU Keeps IPARD III Frozen Over Corruption and Abuse

Headline

Albania, July 29,2025, While Albania’s government continues to project an image of rapid progress toward European Union membership—pledging to have

4 weeks ago

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Albanian Drug Cartel Dismantled in EU Crackdown

Headline

Seizure of six tons of cocaine reveals how criminal profits are laundered into Albania’s booming construction sector. TIRANA, July 27,

1 month ago

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Headline

Albania Battles Deadly Wildfires Amid Heatwave

2 weeks ago

TIRANA, Albania (Tirana Times) , August 13,2025— Fierce wildfires swept across Albania this week, killing one person, injuring at least 10 and forcing mass

Headline

News 24 Raid and Blackout: Press Freedom or Property Dispute?

2 weeks ago

Tirana Times, 11 August, 2025 The forcible shutdown of Albania’s leading all-news television channel, News 24, and the blockade of the Focus Media Group

“Challenges of Academic Integrity in Albanian Universities: An Interview with Migen Qiraxhi”

4 days ago

11 mins read

Anti-Mafia Law Is Only on Paper?

3 weeks ago

2 mins read

Albania’s Penal Code Draft Sparks Outcry

3 weeks ago

6 mins read

Opposition Alleges Vote Rigging via Building Permits

1 month ago

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Latest

“Challenges of Academic Integrity in Albanian Universities: An Interview with Migen Qiraxhi”

Features·Social Issues·Special

Interview with Migen Qiraxhi, Project Manager at Qëndresa Qytetare, July 17 In Albania, where higher education is often portrayed as a bridge to opportunity and European integration, the reality on the ground tells a darker story. Behind university gates, corruption, nepotism, and political interference have quietly hollowed out institutions that

4 days ago

11 mins read

Anti-Mafia Law Is Only on Paper?

Op-Ed

The dismantling of a 28-ton cocaine trafficking network, led by Albanian nationals and operating on a global scale, should have been a triumph for Albania’s justice system. Yet the uncomfortable truth is that this success was imported. It was European law enforcement — from Belgium to Italy — armed with

3 weeks ago

2 mins read

Albania’s Penal Code Draft Sparks Outcry

News

Tirana, August 5, 2025 — The Albanian government’s draft for a new Penal Code, presented in late July 2025, has ignited fierce debate across the political spectrum, the legal community, civil society, and international observers. Critics argue that the draft contains authoritarian-style restrictions on free speech while inexplicably reducing sentences

3 weeks ago

6 mins read

Albania’s Urban Illusion

Op-Ed

In 1997, Albania collapsed under the weight of fraudulent pyramid schemes that wiped out people’s life savings and nearly brought the state to its knees. Today, a different kind of pyramid is rising — this time, quite literally. All across Tirana and spreading to other cities and coasts, the country

1 month ago

4 mins read

Tirana Mayor Indicted in Corruption Probe

Headline·News

TIRANA, Albania , Tirana Time, July 23, 2025— Albania’s Special Anti-Corruption Prosecution Office (SPAK) has officially indicted Erion Veliaj, the mayor of Tirana, on multiple corruption charges in a sweeping criminal case that also implicates his wife, a ruling party lawmaker, two businessmen, and a prison official. The announcement, made

1 month ago

4 mins read

Bankers Petroleum Threatens Arbitration Amid Fraud Probe in Albania

Business & Economy·Headline

By Tirana Times | July 23, 2025 Albania’s most lucrative oilfield has become the epicenter of what could be the country’s most consequential investor-state confrontation to date, after Bankers Petroleum — its largest oil producer — threatened to sue the Albanian government in international arbitration courts. The company claims its

1 month ago

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Latest

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“Challenges of Academic Integrity in Albanian Universities: An Interview with Migen Qiraxhi”

Features·Social Issues·Special

Interview with Migen Qiraxhi, Project Manager at Qëndresa Qytetare, July 17 In Albania, where higher education is often portrayed as a bridge to opportunity

4 days ago

11 mins read

Anti-Mafia Law Is Only on Paper?

Op-Ed

The dismantling of a 28-ton cocaine trafficking network, led by Albanian nationals and operating on a global scale, should have been a triumph for

3 weeks ago

2 mins read

Opposition: The Prime Minister Must Go!

1 month ago

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From the Prime Minister’s Words to the State’s Bulldozers

2 months ago

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Greece Inaugurates New Consulate in Korça to Boost Bilateral Ties

2 months ago

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“Wherever I travel, Greece wounds me.”

2 months ago

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Business and Economy

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Bankers Petroleum Threatens Arbitration Amid Fraud Probe in Albania

Business & Economy·Headline

By Tirana Times | July 23, 2025 Albania’s most lucrative oilfield has become the epicenter of what could be the country’s most consequential investor-state confrontation to date, after Bankers Petroleum — its largest oil producer — threatened to sue the Albanian government in international arbitration courts. The company claims its

1 month ago

5 mins read

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Property prices on Albanian coast soar, partially driven by foreign buyers

Albania joins SEPA, marking tangible step in economic integration with the EU

Turkish consortium bids to build Vlora airport as Albania prepares to launch national carrier

Albania’s Food Safety Scandal Highlights Rule of Law Deficiencies Amid EU Accession Talks

Albania’s TikTok ban draws debate

Albania faces international scrutiny over suspected toxic waste trafficking

Kushner granted ‘strategic investor’ status for Sazan development ahead of Trump’s inauguration

Qatar Square to serve as Tirana’s newest hub and vital part of New Boulevard project

Will any other Western Balkans country join the Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA) on the same day as Montenegro?

Top four businessmen represent half of assets, earnings among Albania’s ten richest

OP-ED

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Op-Ed

Anti-Mafia Law Is Only on Paper?

The dismantling of a 28-ton cocaine trafficking network, led by

3 weeks ago

2 mins read

Op-Ed

Albania’s Urban Illusion

In 1997, Albania collapsed under the weight of fraudulent pyramid

1 month ago

4 mins read

Op-Ed

Opposition: The Prime Minister Must Go!

In a meeting held yesterday with local officials, the leader

1 month ago

1 min read

Op-Ed

One Man’s Rule: Governance by Ultimatum

by Vilson Blloshmi From the way it was announced to

2 months ago

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Op-Ed

Vidovdan: A Dangerous Myth Turned Political Weapon

By Syle Ukshini For more than a century, the Serbian

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Op-Ed

The Silent Collapse of the Tower Euphoria

By Klodian Tomorri The history of the global economy is

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Op-Ed

Rule of Law or Rule by Law? Albania’s EU Path Faces a Crisis of Credibility

Jerina Zaloshnja As Albania accelerates the formal process of European

2 months ago

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Op-Ed

Albania’s Demographic Time Bomb: A Silent National Emergency

By Lutfi Dervishi For decades, the most pressing keywords in

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OP-ED

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Anti-Mafia Law Is Only on Paper?

Op-Ed

The dismantling of a 28-ton cocaine trafficking network, led by Albanian nationals and operating on a global scale, should have been a triumph for

3 weeks ago

2 mins read

Albania’s Urban Illusion

Op-Ed

In 1997, Albania collapsed under the weight of fraudulent pyramid schemes that wiped out people’s life savings and nearly brought the state to its

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The Israel – Iran conflict in our perspective

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Confronting Corruption Through Voice and Protest: The Albanian Student Example

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The Cost of Embezzlement: Lessons from Albania’s Grant Scandals

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Italy and Albania: Building a Shared Future Through Action and Partnership

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Features and Culture

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“Challenges of Academic Integrity in Albanian Universities: An Interview with Migen Qiraxhi”

Features·Social Issues·Special

Interview with Migen Qiraxhi, Project Manager at Qëndresa Qytetare, July 17 In Albania, where higher education is often portrayed as a bridge to opportunity and European integration, the reality on the ground tells a darker story. Behind university gates, corruption, nepotism, and political interference have quietly hollowed out institutions that

4 days ago

11 mins read

“Wherever I travel, Greece wounds me.”

Books·Culture·Features

Ὅπου κι ἂν ταξιδέψω, ἡ Ἑλλάδα μὲ πληγώνει. Jerina Zaloshnja This is what Giorgos Seferis wrote — and thus, before I even truly knew who Seferis was, I began to love Greece. That verse — simple, clear, ablaze with love and pain — was, for me, once a gateway to

2 months ago

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Confronting Corruption Through Voice and Protest: The Albanian Student Example

Features·Headline·News·Op-Ed·Social Issues·Special

The Albanian Student Protests 2018–2019 – A Generation’s Call for Justice and Democratic Reform The student protests in Albania during 2018 and 2019 represent an important chapter in the country’s gradual process of political change towards a more democratic system. Almost thirty years after the student protests in 1990 that

2 months ago

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Corruption in Albanian Higher Education: The Silent Crisis Undermining a Generation

Editorial·Features·News·Social Issues·Special

By Vilson Blloshmi In a country where education is often seen as a ticket out of poverty and a bridge toward European integration, the higher education system in Albania is quietly unraveling under the weight of corruption, nepotism, and institutional indifference. Migen Qiraxhi, a well-known civic activist and Project Manager

3 months ago

12 mins read

The Book “The Journey of the Najdi Boy” as a Literary Bridge Between Saudi Arabia and Albania – The First Saudi Novel in the Albanian Language

Culture

By Jerina Zaloshnja The Albanian edition of “The Journey of the Najdi Boy” (Tirana Times, 2025) appears to mark an important milestone in the cultural history between Saudi Arabia and Albania: it is the first work of Saudi literature to be translated into Albanian. This publication results from the collaboration

3 months ago

5 mins read

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

Culture

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

3 months ago

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Features and Culture

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“Challenges of Academic Integrity in Albanian Universities: An Interview with Migen Qiraxhi”

Features·Social Issues·Special

Interview with Migen Qiraxhi, Project Manager at Qëndresa Qytetare, July 17 In Albania, where higher education is often portrayed as a bridge to opportunity and European integration, the reality on the ground tells a darker story. Behind university gates, corruption, nepotism, and political interference have quietly hollowed out institutions that

4 days ago

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“Give me a Laboratory and I Will Move the World”

Why the world calls us ‘Albania’ and the origin of ‘Shqiperi’

Privatization of Butrint: How Albania is Selling Off Its Archaeological Heritage

Analysis: Bells toll for Albania’s demographics as census results confirm corrosive effects of massive emigration

Qatar Square to serve as Tirana’s newest hub and vital part of New Boulevard project

1980s icon Simaku returns to the spotlight after decades of emigration hardship

Regional Youth shares a vision of Peace, Development and European Integration

Ruling Socialists score sweeping victory in Albania’s municipal elections

Kadare’s ‘Chronicle in Stone’ published in Polish through Marek Jeziorski translation

Cultural project brings literary exchange between Saudi Arabia and Albania

Western Balkans

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Serbia on Edge as Vučić’s Legitimacy Crumbles

Western Balkans

As Serbia grapples with one of its most volatile moments in recent political history, the warning signs of regime decay are hard to ignore.

2 months ago

4 mins read

Western Powers Push to Turn Balkans into Migrant Buffer Zone, Stirring Rights Alarm

Western Balkans

TIRANA TIMES, May 27, Albania — A growing wave of Western efforts to outsource the handling of rejected asylum seekers is turning the Western

3 months ago

4 mins read

News Analysis: Kosovo Parliament Fails Again to Elect Speaker, Highlighting Deepening Partisan Divides and Institutional Fragility

Main·Western Balkans

Tirana, Tirana Times, April 27 — Kosovo’s political deadlock deepened further on Sunday as the Parliament failed once again to elect a Speaker and

4 months ago

7 mins read

Trump’s New Tariffs and Their Impact on Albania and the Western Balkans

Headline·Western Balkans

TIRANA, April 4, 2025 — President Donald Trump’s sweeping new tariffs on global trade partners have sparked concern and debate across Europe and the

5 months ago

4 mins read

What is the aim of the Declaration on military cooperation between Croatia, Albania and Kosovo?

Western Balkans

Albania, Croatia and Kosovo signed a joint declaration of cooperation on defence on 18 March in Tirana, which sparked anger among the Serbian officials,

5 months ago

12 mins read

News Analysis: A Geopolitical Shift in the Western Balkans?

Op-Ed·Premium·Western Balkans

Trilateral Defense Pact Between Albania, Croatia, and Kosovo Redefines Regional Security Architecture? A new security alignment is taking shape in Southeastern Europe, as three

5 months ago

7 mins read

Albania, Croatia, and Kosovo Sign Defense Agreement: A New Military Alliance in the Balkans?

Headline·Main·Western Balkans

By Tirana Times TIRANA, Albania, March 19th— Albania, Croatia, and Kosovo have signed a joint declaration aimed at strengthening defense and security cooperation, marking

5 months ago

5 mins read

Vetvendosje wins Kosovo elections, loses comfortable majority

News·Region·Western Balkans

Feb 10, 2025 The Vetvendosje Party led by Prime Minister Albin Kurti has claimed victory in the round of general elections held in Kosovo

7 months ago

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From staunch enemy to strategic partner: Albanian-American relations in transition

Premium

In 1919, Vatra, a pan-Albanian association functioning as something of a shadow Albanian government in the United States, made an unprecedented request to Secretary

3 months ago

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In a depopulating Albania, why is the PM campaigning on a promise to make it easier for young people to leave?

Op-Ed·Premium

If Rama wants to be the prime minister who ushers Albania into the European Union, he must first be the leader who makes Albania

5 months ago

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United Arab Emirates ‘s Expanding Influence in Albania – Financial and Political Concerns

Headline·Op-Ed·Premium

By Tirana Times TIRANA, March 20th (Tirana Times ) The Albanian government has nearly doubled the projected cost of its “Smart City” initiative, now

5 months ago

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News Analysis: A Geopolitical Shift in the Western Balkans?

Op-Ed·Premium·Western Balkans

Trilateral Defense Pact Between Albania, Croatia, and Kosovo Redefines Regional Security Architecture? A new security alignment is taking shape in Southeastern Europe, as three

5 months ago

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Op/Ed: Is Albania slipping into a one-party system?

Features·Op-Ed·Premium

The head of Albania’s opposition, Sali Berisha(1), Albania’s former President and a former two-term Prime Minister, was arrested on Saturday, Dec. 30, 2023. Mr.

2 years ago

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Is Albania’s new dominant-party system here to stay?

Op-Ed·Premium

By ANDI BALLA The ruling Socialist Party scored a sweeping victory in Albania’s May 14, 2023 municipal elections. SP won 54 out of 61

2 years ago

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Why tensions between Serbia and Kosovo are flaring

Op-Ed·Premium

By Veton Surroi The first lesson of the events of these days in the four northern municipalities of Kosovo is that the conflict between

2 years ago

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What do Albania’s upcoming municipal elections mean for foreign investors?

Business & Economy·Features·Main·Premium

NEWS ANALYSIS TIRANA, April 19, 2023 – Albania’s political parties have started campaigning across the country for the upcoming May 14 municipal elections, which

2 years ago

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Premium

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From staunch enemy to strategic partner: Albanian-American relations in transition

Premium

In 1919, Vatra, a pan-Albanian association functioning as something of a shadow Albanian government in the United States, made an unprecedented request to Secretary

3 months ago

16 mins read

In a depopulating Albania, why is the PM campaigning on a promise to make it easier for young people to leave?

Op-Ed·Premium

If Rama wants to be the prime minister who ushers Albania into the European Union, he must first be the leader who makes Albania

5 months ago

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Concerns raised as Tirana mulls exiting ICSID over Becchetti affair €120-million judgement

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Why Albania’s domestic PR wars are being fought abroad

2 years ago

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Albania’s demographic bill comes due

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Deconstructing myths in Albanian-U.S. relations

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Albanian-Turkish relations: The perils of change

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Albanian-Greek relations hunted by paradoxes

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Books

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“Wherever I travel, Greece wounds me.”

Ὅπου κι ἂν ταξιδέψω, ἡ Ἑλλάδα μὲ πληγώνει. Jerina Zaloshnja This is what Giorgos Seferis wrote — and thus, before I even truly knew

2 months ago

5 mins read

New Book “The Lisbon Treaty and Transatlantic Dialogue: Significance and Inefficiencies”

A new book, The Lisbon Treaty and Transatlantic Dialogue: Significance and Inefficiencies, recently published by the EU Publications Office, provides a unique insight into

6 months ago

4 mins read