Albania to centralize waste management under a national operator from 2026
The Albanian Government will send to Parliament for approval in the first week of September a draft law that transforms the current waste management agency into a state-owned joint-stock company...
Bashtova Castle reopens as modern cultural and tourism hub after EU-funded restoration
Bashtova Castle, a 15th–16th century fortress and one of Albania’s most important heritage sites, has officially reopened after an extensive restoration funded by the European Union through the €40 million...
Shkodra Jazz Festival brings international talent and musical diversity to northern Albania
The 16th edition of the “Shkodra Jazz Festival” is energizing the cultural life of this historic northern Albanian city with a rich blend of international and local musical talent. The...
Edi Rama returns to office with back-to-back meetings as September session, cabinet reset loom
After summer leave, the prime minister spent Monday and Tuesday in a round of in-person and Zoom meetings with senior officials. On Monday he met Speaker Elisa Spiropali, the minister...
Richard Grenell revives claim John Bolton pushed Kosovo ‘territory swap’ idea
President Trump’s Special Presidential Envoy for Special Missions, Richard Grenell has resurfaced a 2020 Fox News interview to argue that the territory-swap concept discussed in the Kosovo–Serbia dialogue was the...
Journalist and public intellectual Artur Zheji laid to rest in Tirana
Artur Zheji—journalist, analyst and publicist—was laid to rest in Tirana after passing away on Saturday from a heart attack, one week before his 64th birthday. Homages for one of the...
CEC certification clears final hurdle; single Nisma mandate awarded to political newby
More than 100 days after the 11 May elections, Albania’s Electoral College reviewed the last appeal, enabling the Central Election Commission (CEC) to finalize results. The CEC’s decision assigns the...
Albania’s businesses turn to foreign workers as immigration ticks up
Albania—long a country of emigration—is beginning to see the reverse flow. Nearly 22,000 foreign nationals held Albanian residence permits in 2024, up 2.2% from 2023, as companies fill labor gaps...
Albania eases bank capital rules to boost infrastructure lending; crisis buffer held at 0.5%
The Bank of Albania has adjusted capital-adequacy rules to give second-tier banks more room to lend to large infrastructure projects—roads, ports and airports—under strict regulatory supervision. The move is designed...
Rama lambasts another judge over order blocking public-space clearance
Prime Minister Edi Rama publicly criticized judge Klarent Demiri on Friday, alleging the magistrate issued two rulings that blocked the demolition of an illegal structure and the freeing of a...