Albania

BIRN office in Albania had criticised an apparent initiative to restore defamation as a criminal offence in Albania and has called on the government to immediately distance itself from any such move.

On Wednesday, media reports said the government was intending to restore defamation as a criminal offence in the law code.

Oil pollution that struck the beach of the Albanian port and resort of Durres a few days ago has revealed the negligence of institutions in preventing such situations.

Albania has also been slow in implementing regulations to ensure greater discipline regarding the waste management of ships anchored in the country's ports.

The 52nd International Antalya Film Festival announced 10 foreign films at the International Competition section of the festival. The films will be screened for the first time in Turkey, according to a written statement made by the festival committee. 

Kosovo's Special Prosecution Office on Monday issued an indictment against for Xhemshit Krasniqi for war crimes allegedly committed in Kukes in Albania.

Frontex has reported a total of 1.2 million illegal border crossings at the EU's external borders in the first ten months of this year, which is four times the 282 000 recorded for the whole of 2014.

More than 540 000 migrants have arrived on the Greek islands between January and October, which was 13 times more than in the same period last year.

The European Commission released on Tuesday its long-awaited progress report for the Countries of the Western Balkans.

While stressing that progress has been made in the past year, key reforms still need to adopted concerning the fight against corruption and organized crime, rule of law, protection of human rights, consolidation of democratic institutions and freedom of speech.

Albania's Minister of Justice resigned suddenly on Monday, in the middle of presiding over key judicial reforms that the EU considers vital for the country.

Nasip Naco, from the Socialist Movement for Integration, LSI, a coalition party in the Socialist-led government, resigned after two years in office on Monday.

Unknown individuals burned the Greek flag outside the office of the minority political organization “OMONOIA” at Agioi Saranta, Albania.

REJECTED Kosovo failed to become a member of UNESCO

UNESCO has not accepted Kosovo as a member; the proposal failed to gain a two-thirds majority at the organization's General Conference in Paris on Monday.

142 countries voted - 92 in favor, 50 against, while 29 abstained. Pristina's bid required 95 votes in favor to be successful.

Albania's parliament has voted to set up a National Council for Civil Society in an attempt to create an organized structure that includes the voice of civil society in the policy-making process.