Latest News from Albania
In Local Polls, Albania’s Socialists Face Opposition in Disarray
Campaign policies are in short supply ahead of Albania's May 14 local elections, in which the ruling Socialists face a Democratic Party split in two.
Joker Out are in
Slovenian entrants Joker Out made the cut in Thursday's second semi final of the Eurovision song contest alongside Albania, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Lithuania and Poland. This will be the first time since 2019 that Slovenia will be in the final.
LGBT Watchdog Chides Balkan, Central Europe Countries for Rights Setbacks
Europe's leading LGBT rights organisation, ILGA-Europe has criticised Serbia and Turkey for their handling of LGBT community rights in its latest Rainbow Map and Index.
The report says the pushbacks LGBT communities are facing in these countries "can also be seen in the challenge to freedom of assembly amid the rise of anti-democratic forces".
Where the heck is ‘Vrisvani’?
As MPs in Parliament overwhelmingly ratified a new law giving Greeks abroad the right to vote in national elections here back in December 2019, no one had imagined that the uptake would be as disheartening as it is today.
Elections Albanian Style: In Remote Town, Govt Flexes Muscles for Chosen Candidate
Dibra Municipality, in Albania's impoverished north, has a history of manipulated elections. The polls due on May 14 are no different, as the government throws everything behind its candidate.
Turkish contractors turning to Balkan countries
Turkish contractors are focusing more on the markets in the Balkan nations amid the war between Russia and Ukraine, projects in Romania in particular, business daily Dünya has reported.
Recently, Turkish companies won a tender worth 266 million euros to build a section of a highway in Romania.
Witnesses Recall Grim Conditions at Kosovo Guerrillas’ Detention Site
Two protected witnesses testified this week at the Kosovo Specialist Chambers in The Hague at the war crimes trial of former Kosovo Liberation Army member Pjeter Shala, alias 'Commander Wolf', describing the poor conditions at the Kukes Metal Factory in Albania, where detainees were allegedly held and mistreated by KLA fighters in 1999.
New Museum Portrays Albanian Women Throughout History
Ballauri won the "Women's Torch" prize from the Danish government in 2009, which is when she decided to embark on this initiative.
The museum called "Muzeu i Grave (Women's Museum) was opened in 2021 and is free for the public throughout the week from 10am to 5pm, except on Sundays.
Vanishing Foreign Workers Leave Albania’s Short-Staffed Businesses Frustrated
Lulu and Tutu left the hotel at the dead of night, leaving behind their passports along with their employment contract. Kryeziu notified the police, but they were unable to find out where they went.
Sea Change: Erosion Steadily Devours Albania’s Sandy Beaches
The coast in parts of northern Albania is losing about 2-3 meters a year to the advancing sea - and both locals and scientists say time is running out to address the threat.
The big history of Albania’s tiny Quran
The ritual is always the same. Mario Prushi carefully washes his hands and face before kissing and pressing one of the world's smallest Qurans to his forehead.
For generations, the postage stamp-sized book has been passed down in his family, surviving wars and one of the world's most fanatical "godless regimes."
Albania PM Denies Using Govt Funds to Blackmail Voters
Albania's Socialist Prime Minister, Edi Rama, has rejected opposition claims of blackmailing voters over access to government funds.
On Wednesday he said his threats to block funds to municipalities run by opposition mayors were a consequence of opposition leader Sali Berisha's designation by the US State Department as "being involved in significant corruption".
One request in the Council of Europe did not go through
As Elvira Kova, a member of the delegation of the Serbian Assembly to the Council of Europe and vice-president of the Parliamentary Assembly of the CoE, said, at yesterday's session of the PSSE Bureau, it was decided to create only information about Albania's initiative.
1,000 Albanians Returned from Britain Since Deal to Curb Migration
The Albanian and British authorities said on Tuesday in a joint statement that since December last year, 1,000 Albanian nationals have been returned to their home country - "a combination of failed asylum seekers, foreign national offenders and voluntary returns".
Man wanted by Interpol for child trafficking arrested in Athens
Police in Athens have arrested a 56-year-old fugitive wanted by the authorities in Albania for child trafficking.
The suspect, who was wanted on an Interpol arrest warrant, was tracked down in the central Athens district of Agios Nikolaos and taken into custody on Monday afternoon.