Tirana
Albanian Film Tells Stories of Suffering Under Communist Rule
A new documentary entitled 'Tirona's Unyielding Gentlemen', which tells the stories of the suffering of some of the Albanian capital's most prominent figures during the Communist period, was screened for the first time at the Millennium Cinema in Tirana on Friday.
Albania’s Rama Appoints Spokesperson to Run New ‘Information’ Agency
A BIRN Freedom of Information Request has revealed that Prime Minister Edi Rama on 29 September last year appointed his own former spokesperson, Endri Fuga, as head of the newly established Media and Information Agency, MIA. The appointment was not published and was disclosed only recently following the FOI request.
Albanian Football Federation Chief’s Home Hit by Explosion
The home of the head of Albanian football's governing body, Armando Duka, in the coastal town of Durres was targeted with explosives on Monday evening, causing damage but no casualties.
Police said on Monday night that the explosive device was placed at the gate of his apartment and that "an investigative unit is working to clarify the circumstances of the event".
Mayor Accused of Using Threats to Shape Albania Football Election
The Albanian Football Federation, FSHF, the country's football governing body, has accused Erion Veliaj, Socialist Party Mayor of Tirana, of using threats against board members ahead of a vote for the head of the Federation.
Afghan Refugees Repay Albania’s Hospitality in Colour
Afghans evacuated recently to Albania have painted two murals in Tirana and Shengjin to express gratitude for the warm reception they have received.
Berisha’s Antics Are Useful Distraction for Albanian Govt’s Failures
Unfortunately, for the past 30 years, both international and Albanian leaders have often tipped the scales of justice to serve their respective political agendas.
Italy Arrests Albania’s Fugitive Former General Prosecutor Llalla
Italian authorities arrested Albania's fugitive former General Prosecutor, Adriatik Lllalla, in Rome, on 10 December, Albania's Special Prosecution Against Organised Crime and Corruption, SPAK, confirmed to BIRN on Monday.
Albanian Leaders Strike Opposing Tone, Commemorating Communism’s Fall
Leaders of Albania's two main Socialist and Democratic parties, Prime Minister Edi Rama and Lulzim Basha, marked National Youth Day on December 8 with opposing messages about the state of the country today.
Missing Millions: Albanian Parties Underreport TV Election Ad Spending
The CEC, which is tasked with auditing the reports, is still crunching the numbers from the last election, which returned the Socialist Party of Prime Minister Edi Rama for an unprecedented third term in government.
But data from the financial reports seen by BIRN, compared with the going rate for political advertising on television, gives cause for suspicion.
Declassified Documents Show Power of Albania’s Communist Secret Police
Aferdita Dalliu was a child when her grandfather, Hafiz Ibrahim Dalliu, a Muslim scholar with a strong reputation for patriotism, was imprisoned by the Communist regime that ruled Albania with iron fist for more than 45 years until 1991.