Read the latest news from regional and global sources, presenting different voices and perspectives.

Kosovo local elections test PM, EU leverage
PRISTINA – Kosovo’s local election results are complicating Prime Minister Albin Kurti’s political strategies and potentially giving the European Union fresh leverage to push for stalled normalisation with Serbia. The vote, held last Sunday, saw...

Albanian TV host seen as opposition’s man in Tirana
TIRANA, Oct. 14 (TemA) – A majority of Albanians see television presenter Florian Binaj, who is running as an independent in Tirana’s mayoral election with the support of opposition leader Sali Berisha, as politically aligned rather than neutral,...

Government to raise fines for environmental polluters
TIRANA, Oct. 14 (TemA) – The Albanian government plans to raise fines for environmental violations as part of new legislation to curb pollution and tighten waste-management rules, Tourism and Environment Minister Sofjan Jaupaj told parliament’s...

Albania anti-graft chief urges stronger police cooperation
TIRANA, Oct. 14 (TemA) — Albania’s special prosecutor for organised crime and corruption, Altin Dumani, urged stronger cooperation with the national police on Tuesday, saying few corruption cases are reaching his office despite ongoing...

The ABC of fighting corruption: How AI, blockchain, and cybersecurity can rebuild trust in government
Corruption remains the Philippines’ most persistent and corrosive challenge. It diverts resources from schools, hospitals, and roads; undermines investor confidence; and erodes the public’s trust in government. Year after year, scandals erupt —...

Sofia developer jailed for commissioning assault on former father-in-law
Matthew Joseph Schembri, 40, was sentenced on Tuesday to two years and six months in prison for orchestrating an assault on a jogger in Sliema. He had been arraigned in June 2022 and previously denied charges of complicity in attempted grievous...

Analyst calls Begaj’s presidency weakest in Albania’s history
TIRANA, Oct. 14 (TemA) – Albanian political analyst Mentor Kikia said President Bajram Begaj’s term will be remembered as the country’s weakest, accusing him of showing “complete institutional submission” by signing the decree setting Tirana’s...
SPAK’s ‘republic’ has no right to complain about the freedoms of the Republic of Albania
The main concern Altin Dumani raised about SPAK’s work this year was that SPAK has often been under political and media pressure. He also said it would be good if SPAK prosecutors could run again in 2028, when the terms of eleven of them end. On...

Rama urges Albanians to join Tirana rally for KLA leaders
TIRANA, Oct. 14 (TemA) — Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama on Monday urged Albanians across the region and the diaspora to join a rally in Tirana on Friday to demand justice for former Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) leaders on trial in The Hague....

Ruling party moves to launch election reform
TIRANA, Oct. 14 (TemA) – Albania’s ruling Socialist Party has formally requested the creation of a special parliamentary commission to prepare a new package of electoral reforms, aiming to address irregularities observed in recent elections. In a...

Democrats ask parliament for election inquiry
TIRANA, Oct. 14 (TemA) – Albania’s opposition Democratic Party has asked parliament to set up an inquiry committee to investigate alleged vote-buying, voter intimidation and manipulation of diaspora ballots in the May 11 general elections. The...

Justice minister plans AI use in investigations
TIRANA, Oct. 14 (TemA) – Justice Minister Besfort Lamallari said on Monday that his ministry plans to use artificial intelligence to assist prosecutors in proactive investigations and asset-seizure cases starting next year. Presenting his 2024...

IMF keeps Albania growth outlook steady at 3.4%
TIRANA, Oct. 14 (TemA) — The International Monetary Fund projects Albania’s economy to grow 3.4% in 2025 and 3.6% in 2026, showing stable momentum, its latest World Economic Outlook report said Tuesday. Average inflation is seen at 2.3% next year...

England clinch WC berth; Ronaldo sets staggering new record as giants rocked - International Wrap
Harry Kane scored twice as England secured qualification for the 2026 World Cup after a 5-0 thrashing of Latvia on Tuesday. Anthony Gordon opened the scoring in Riga before Kane took his tally for club and country this season to 21 goals in 13...

Failure to tackle migrant crisis is eroding trust in politicians, Mahmood warns
Failure to grip the migrant crisis is eroding the public’s trust in politicians, Shabana Mahmood is to warn. The Home Secretary will however insist that only through international co-operation can Britain stem the flow of migrants arriving in...

Enlargement, von der Leyen encourages investment in Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Urges governments on reforms
Brussels – Second stop on Ursula von der Leyen‘s Balkan tour. After Albania, yesterday evening (13 October), the President of the European Commission travelled to Montenegro. In Tivat, on the Adriatic coast, she met with the head of state, Jakov...

Protest for the KLA in Tirana: Rama to attend, speeches by Moisiu and Ahmeti
Albania’s Prime Minister, Edi Rama, will take part in the nationwide protest set to be held on October 17 in Tirana. The news was confirmed by the head of the KLA War Veterans’ Organization (OVL-UÇK), Hysni Gucati, during a press conference. He...

Italy-Albania migrant deal: Millions spent, few results
“I found myself in a maximum-security prison without ever having spent a day in prison in my life,” Mustafa recalls. He perfectly remembers the day he entered the migrant detention centre, opened by Italy in Gjadër, Albania. The sound of the gate...

Rama: AI, the key to strengthening the capacities of Albanian institutions
Prime Minister Edi Rama spoke on Tuesday from the Palace of Congresses during the WB6–European Union Investment Forum, which also hosted the 2025 Regional Artificial Intelligence Hackathon. According to the head of government, the forum brought...

Pope makes new plea during visit to presidential palace
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