Read the latest news from regional and global sources, presenting different voices and perspectives.
Judge challenges Albania’s payouts for wrongful jail time
Gazeta Tema
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June 19, 2025
An Albanian judge has taken the government to the Constitutional Court, calling the state’s €30-a-day compensation for wrongful imprisonment “unconstitutional, unfair, and economically meaningless.” Judge Bevis Shehaj filed the case after...
EU Document Urges Albania to Address Political Pressure on Judiciary
Balkan Insight
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June 18, 2025
Albanian PM, Edi Rama. Photo: EPA-EFE/MALTON DIBRA. An informal document produced by the Council of the European Union expresses concerns over the first “cluster” of areas being negotiated between Tirana and Brussels as part of Albania’s EU...
From Tehran to Tirana: Why Ukraine Should Care About Iran’s Next Chapter
Kyiv Post
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June 18, 2025
Echoes of 1990s Europe in 2020s Iran In the late summer of 1995, I was in Tirana, Albania, advising on the country’s fragile transition from its authoritarian past. Few could have imagined that Tirana would one day host members of the Iranian...
OPINION: From Tehran to Tirana: Why Ukraine Should Care About Iran’s Next Chapter
Kyiv Post
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June 18, 2025
Echoes of 1990s Europe in 2020s Iran In the late summer of 1995, I was in Tirana, Albania, advising on the country’s fragile transition from its authoritarian past. Few could have imagined that Tirana would one day host members of the Iranian...
EU launches migration governance project in Albania
Gazeta Tema
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June 18, 2025
The European Union has launched a new project to strengthen Albania’s capacity to manage migration and asylum, as part of its EU accession alignment. EU Ambassador Silvio Gonzato announced the start of the EU4Migration project at an event in...
10 million EUR of EU funds to upgrade Albania’s migration and asylum systems
Albanian Daily News
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The European Union, together with IOM and UNHCR and the Ministry of Interior, officially launched the EU4MIGRATION project today in Tirana. With a budget of EUR 10 million provided by the EU, this four-year initiative aims to support Albania in...
Jenny Berggren of the legendary group “Ace Of Base” delivers a magical concert in Tirana
Euronews Albania
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June 18, 2025
Spectacle, emotion, and nostalgia—this is what singer Jenny Berggren of the legendary group “Ace of Base” brought to the capital on Tuesday evening. In a concert held at Skanderbeg Square, Berggren electrified the crowd and her fans by performing...
25% of vehicles in Albania skip taxes, checks
Gazeta Tema
·
June 18, 2025
A quarter of all registered vehicles in Albania are not paying road taxes or passing technical inspections, with total debt reaching €140 million. Out of roughly 500,000 vehicles, 256,000 are non-compliant, according to official data. Authorities...
Albanian anti-corruption court keeps Tirana mayor in custody
Gazeta Tema
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June 17, 2025
Albania’s Special Court for Corruption and Organized Crime has declined a request for pretrial release for Tirana Mayor Erion Veliaj, who remains in custody as proceedings continue on corruption and money laundering allegations. TIRANA, 17 June...
Tourist Season in Vlorë: Lack of Public Beach Space as 150 Businesses Secure Permits
Euronews Albania
·
June 17, 2025
The tourist season in Vlorë has started with promises that citizens would still have access to public beach areas. However, despite regulations requiring that 30% of licensed beach space remain free of charge, this rule is not being enforced,...
FM: Albania to open fifth cluster in EU accession talks
Gazeta Tema
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June 17, 2025
Albania will open the fifth cluster in its EU accession negotiations in the coming days, Foreign Minister Igli Hasani said on Tuesday, calling the move part of the country's accelerated path toward European integration. The new step in talks with...
Tourism in Albania sees longer stays and rising arrivals
Gazeta Tema
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June 17, 2025
In April 2025, Albania experienced a surge in tourism, with overnight stays by foreign guests rising 23% compared to the same month last year and total border entries increasing by 6%. TIRANA, June 18 – Albania’s tourism sector continues to grow,...
Foreign‑owned firms employ nearly 13% of Albania’s workforce
Gazeta Tema
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June 17, 2025
Foreign-owned businesses account for just 5.3% of active companies in Albania but employ 12.8% of the country’s workforce, highlighting their outsized economic role. TIRANA, June 18 (TemA) – Data from Albania’s statistical office shows 7,007...
Western Balkan General and Special Chief Prosecutors meet in Tirana for the Second Consultative Forum
Albanian Daily News
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The second Regional Western Balkan Consultative Forum organised by the Western Balkans Criminal Justice Project in cooperation with the General Prosecution Office of Albania, took place on 17 June 2025 in Tirana. The Western Balkan General and...
Israeli ambassador warns Iran could target Albania
Gazeta Tema
·
June 17, 2025
Iran’s growing missile capabilities and history of cyberattacks suggest Albania could be in Tehran’s crosshairs, Israel’s ambassador warned, calling attention to broader regional threats posed by the Islamic Republic. Israel’s ambassador to...
Communist-Era Inmates Fight to Preserve Remains of Albania’s Dark Past
Balkan Insight
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June 18, 2025
The Stalinist regime of Enver Hoxha, which came to power with the end of World War Two, used prison labour, including political prisoners, extensively in construction, mining and agriculture. Labour camps were often overcrowded, and inmates denied...
GRETA report: Albania makes progress on human trafficking
Gazeta Tema
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June 17, 2025
A Council of Europe report welcomes Albania’s progress against human trafficking but calls for stronger victim protections, child safeguards, and legal remedies. STRASBOURG, June 17 (TemA) – The Group of Experts on Action against Trafficking in...
Are Albania and Montenegro on the fast track to EU membership?
Atlantic Council
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June 17, 2025
July 1 will mark a dozen years since Croatia joined the the European Union (EU), the most recent country to do so. In the years after Croatia’s accession, the bloc’s eastern enlargement process stalled almost entirely. The EU’s enthusiasm for...
Bulgaria, Romania, and Cyprus strengthen the EU while Albania’s democracy unravels
Vox Europ
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June 17, 2025
Although the official decision on Bulgaria’s adoption of the euro is expected on 8 July, the country’s entry into the eurozone is scheduled for January 1, 2026 — as announced by Nikolay Stoyanov on Capital at the start of June. However, this news...
Why Albania’s Beaches Are Disappearing and Who Is Paying The Price
TRT World
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Albania's coastline is rapidly changing due to erosion, rising sea levels and growing infrastructure. From the sunken island of France Joseph to Durrës' crumbling shores, Omer Seraci explores how natural and human forces are reshaping the coast,...