Latest News from Albania

Oil Well Blast Forces Albania Villagers to Flee

Published by Balkan Insight on Wed, 04/01/2015 - 18:38

Albanian authorities ordered the evacuation of an entire village in southern Albania after two uncontrolled leakages of natural gas occurred during drilling works for a new well owned by Bankers Petroleum, the main petroleum extraction company in Albania.

Albania Police Chief Quits Over Extradition Fiasco

Published by Balkan Insight on Tue, 03/31/2015 - 16:24

Albania's police chief has resigned, saying in a letter to Prime Minister Edi Rama and Interior Minister Saimir Tahiri that he felt responsible for the Tirana Interpol office's failure to forward an extradition request from Belgium to the prosecutor's office.

Ex-Minister Sets Sights on Mayoralty of Tirana

Published by Balkan Insight on Tue, 03/31/2015 - 09:21

Launching his campaign to become the next mayor of the capital, Bojaxhi challenged Albania's two big political parties, the Socialist and Democrats, arguing that they had little to offer the city.

"We have no security in Tirana, are without air and are without clean, unclogged streets," the former minister said.

Albanian MP Wanted in Belgium for Murder

Published by Balkan Insight on Mon, 03/30/2015 - 13:39

Frroku, who is already under house arrest on different charges, has been convicted by Brussels' first-instance court of the premeditated murder of Albanian citizen Aleksander Kurti in March 1999, in collaboration with three others.

Albania Zoo Closed Over Animal Cruelty Row

Published by Balkan Insight on Mon, 03/30/2015 - 10:57

The zoo in the Albanian capital was shuttered after the video was published online last week by Animal Rescue Albania, a Tirana-based campaign group.

In an open letter to the city's mayor Lulzim Basha, Animal Rescue Albania called on the authorities to close the zoo down and end the cruelty towards the animals kept there.

Serbia loses to Portugal in Lisbon

Published by Tanjug on Mon, 03/30/2015 - 10:12

LISBON - Serbia lost to Portugal 2-1 in Lisbon on Sunday in a match of Group I of the qualifications for the UEFA European championship.

Carvalho scored the first goal 11 minutes into the match, Matic equalised in the 61st minute and Coentrao scored the decider in the 63rd.

Serbia now has a very slim chance of qualifying for the European championship in France next year.

Lawyers in region ink memorandum of cooperation

Published by Tanjug on Sun, 03/29/2015 - 13:17

BELGRADE - The presidents of the Bar Associations of Serbia, Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Kosovo-Metohija and Macedonia have inked a memorandum of understanding with an eye to mutual cooperation and support.

Violent Football Fans Wreck Montenegro-Russia Qualifier

Published by Balkan Insight on Sun, 03/29/2015 - 12:10

UEFA is expected to start disciplinary proceedings against Montenegro after Friday's Euro 2016 qualifier with Russia was abandoned amid battles on the pitch.

The Group G game in Podgorica was hit by trouble from the start after Russia's goalkeeper, Igor Akinfeev, was struck on the head by a flare thrown from the stands and had to be taken to hospital.

Serbia, Italy considering improving regional infrastructure

Published by Tanjug on Fri, 03/27/2015 - 20:46

BELGRADE - Serbian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Infrastructure Zorana Mihajlovic on Friday discussed with Italy's Ambassador to Serbia Giuseppe Manzo and Raffaele Tiscar, who heads a working group on implementing a Serbia-Italy energy agreement, improvements to the regional transport and energy infrastructures.

Consortium set up for short-range weather forecasting

Published by Tanjug on Fri, 03/27/2015 - 17:29

BELGRADE - The meteorological services of Serbia, Montenegro, Macedonia, Republika Srpska, the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Albania established at a meeting in Belgrade on Friday a consortium for short-range weather forecasting.

Detained Albanian MPs Challenge Arraignment

Published by Balkan Insight on Fri, 03/27/2015 - 14:48

The lawyers for two Albanian MPs, Tom Doshi and Mark Frroku, who were arrested on Thursday on charges of faking testimonies, have filed briefs with Albania's Supreme Court seeking their immediate release.

The lawyers said the arraignment orders signed by General Prosecutor Adriatik Llala were illegal and out of line with the criminal procedural code.

Albania Parliament Backs Arrest of Two MPs

Published by Balkan Insight on Thu, 03/26/2015 - 17:14

Eighty of Albania's 140 legislators on Thursday voted to back a request from the general prosecutor for the arrest of MPs Tom Doshi and Marku Frroku.

The opposition centre-right Democratic Party boycotted the vote, calling the prosecutor's probe against Doshi and Frroku a farce.

Montenegro Fines 'Informer' Editor For Hate Speech

Published by Balkan Insight on Thu, 03/26/2015 - 15:03

A court in Montenegro on Wednesday found Novak Uskokovic, editor-in-chief of the tabloid newspaper Informer, guilty of "allowing the publication of offensive articles about the Albanians."

Uskokovic, who edits the Montenegrin editions of the Belgrade-based daily, was fined 3,000 euros - the minimum penalty for such offences. The maximum prescribed fine is 10,000 euros.

Italy and Albania Arrest Three ISIS Recruiters

Published by Balkan Insight on Thu, 03/26/2015 - 09:47

Albanian police on Wednesday said they had arrested 38-year-old Alban Haki Elezi, from the village of Frakull, near the town of Kavaja in central Albania, acting on an Interpol warrant issued by the Italian authorities.

"His arrest was carried out based on a warrant issued by Interpol Rome and a ruling issued by a court in Brescia, on suspicion of terrorist acts," the statement said.

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