Archive
Wednesday, October 21, 2026
39 stories
Politics
Only Politics- GovernmentBalluku case: SPAK charges Igli Tare with money laundering over villa in PalasaThe special prosecutors suspect that the villa registered in Tare's name actually belongs to former Deputy Prime Minister Belinda Balluku, who was notified of five charges a day earlier.
- GovernmentRama puts the dialogue chairs back outside the Prime Minister's Office: no reason justifies violence, those who cause damage will payA day after protesters knocked them over and broke them, the prime minister set the chairs out again in front of the government building, calling on students and lecturers to distance themselves from violence.
Crime & Courts
Only Crime & Courts- PoliceDay 9 of the protest: Molotov cocktails at the Prime Minister's Office and burned chairs, but the evening passes without major clashesAfter hours of calm, several Molotov cocktails were thrown at the government building around 6 p.m.; the water cannon was used only once and protesters then moved toward Skanderbeg Square.
- PoliceTuesday's protest: 11 arrested, including two minors; 33-year-old held over attack on Police Station No. 3Tirana police also charged seven people without detention and identified one of the suspects in the attack with Molotov cocktails and stones on the police station, in which 10 officers were injured.
- CourtsKilling of two Islamaj brothers in Kamëz: Court keeps Ngushëllim Manzi in jailThe 40-year-old is accused of shooting dead Selam and Nazmi Islamaj and wounding their brother; the defense claims he acted in a state of shock after his family was attacked.
- PoliceReporters Without Borders: Journalists beaten, detained and footage deleted by police during protestsRSF lists cases of journalists attacked in Tirana, from a News24 reporter physically assaulted to an AP photojournalist taken away by force.
Economy
Only Economy- BusinessBusinesses required to obtain a certificate for their NVE code; financial statements only via e-AlbaniaNew entities have 30 days after registration, existing ones a year; some provisions take effect on Jan. 1, 2027.
- JobsIbrahimaj: 60 million euros for the Youth Guarantee, aiming to get 10,000 young people into jobs in 2027The program, designed with the EU, will be rolled out nationwide under next year's budget; the minister also promises thousands of rental homes and subsidized loans.
- JobsUnemployed people in vocational courses to receive 50% of the minimum wage per class hour and 1,800 lek for transportationThe government decision applies to jobseekers from special groups; payment stops if a trainee misses more than 20% of classes.
- MarketsEuro falls to 90.74 lek as the Bank of Albania records another all-time lowWednesday's official rate slipped another 3 qindarka from the previous day, while the dollar traded at 80.86 lek.
- BusinessRama meets bankers at the Bank of Albania: 45 branches and 53 ATMs damaged, 85% of Tirana branches operatingGovernor Sejko says deposits are not affected, while the tax authorities count about 90 businesses damaged in the protests, with initial losses of 18 million lek.
- MarketsERE: Electricity bills based on estimated consumption for no more than three monthsThe regulator's draft methodology sets out how bills are calculated when the meter is not working and how the difference is settled once actual readings arrive.
- MarketsEuropean Commission: Albania second-to-last in region for second-quarter growth as investment slows to 1.8%Albania's economy grew 3.6% in the second quarter, matching the regional average, but only Bosnia and Herzegovina did worse. Albania is the only Western Balkan country where investment growth slowed.
- BusinessPoverty line doubles in six years to 29,130 lek a month per person; average pension stays below itINSTAT data show the at-risk-of-poverty threshold for a person living alone reached about 315 euros a month in 2025. Pensioners on an average pension and families on social assistance remain far below it.
Region
Only Region- Presevo ValleyShiroka-Pula receives the Presevo Valley's “Albanian Coalition”: Vote en masse on Oct. 25 for a stronger voice in Serbia's ParliamentKosovo's president welcomed the union of eight Albanian parties from Presevo, Bujanovac and Medveđa in a single list, number 17.
- KosovoBedri Hamza resigns irrevocably as PDK leader; Vlora Çitaku takes over as acting headLess than a year after his election, Hamza steps down from leading the party but says he remains a member and voter “for as long as I live.”
- KosovoMillorad Gjokoviq sentenced to 10 years in prison for war crimes in Ozdrim, near PejaThe Basic Court in Pristina found the former reserve police officer guilty of crimes against the Albanian civilian population on May 7, 1999.
- KosovoRFE/RL: Kosovo Serbs describe pressure to vote for the SNS in Serbia's Oct. 25 electionsEmployees of Belgrade-run institutions in Kosovo say they get “orders” from their directors; more than 115,000 voters with addresses in Kosovo will vote at 60 polling stations in Serbia.
- KosovoVerdict due today for Millorad Gjokoviq, accused of war crimes in Ozdrim near PejaThe court in Pristina will announce its decision at 1:30 p.m. on the former member of Serbian forces accused of killing, torturing and expelling Albanian civilians in 1998–1999.
- KosovoKonjufca's UN speech on Specialist Chambers verdict draws criticism: Haradinaj says “Shame, Glauk!”, Musliu-Shoshi decries “half a voice”Former AAK lawmaker Daut Haradinaj and PDK lawmaker Ariana Musliu-Shoshi accuse the foreign minister of failing to forcefully defend the KLA before the Security Council.
- KosovoTrendafilova: Specialist Chambers do not act under political influence; KLA veterans call the statement arrogantThe president of the Specialist Chambers spoke of disinformation about the court's independence, a week after Kosovo's Parliament passed amendments limiting its jurisdiction.
World
Only World- EuropeWitkoff meets Putin in St. Petersburg: Kremlin ready “in principle” for talks as Russia frees American teacher HubbardAfter a meeting of more than three hours at the Konstantin Palace, Moscow says it is ready to return to three-way negotiations with the U.S. and Ukraine, while Trump says peace is “closer than ever.”
- USU.S. Embassy accuses Canada of meddling in midterm elections; Joly: We would never interfereA fact sheet from the embassy in Ottawa names Minister Mélanie Joly, Ontario Premier Doug Ford and a Liberal MP, while Canada rejects the accusations.
- BalkansStudents reach Belgrade amid flares as Vucic rallies in Nis; six detained ahead of Sunday’s electionThousands of residents welcomed the marchers who crossed Serbia on foot; the Student List’s closing rally is held tonight at 6 p.m. in Slavija Square.
- Middle EastRubio says peace with Iran “extremely difficult” as Revolutionary Guards claim two tankers hit by mines in HormuzWashington vows economic pressure until Tehran stops attacks on merchant ships; Araghchi says the strait will stay closed until the U.S. accepts Iranian terms.
- EuropeFloods in southern France: one dead near Marseille, one missing in CorsicaTorrential rain from storm system “Adam” flooded roads and neighborhoods from Hérault to Bouches-du-Rhône; nearly 400 mm of rain fell in Corsica.
Sports
Only Sports- SuperligaGlen Daja officially named Elbasani coach: I couldn’t turn down my father’s first club, I’m aiming for three points in DurrësThe former Dinamo assistant takes charge of the yellow-and-blues after Ivan Gvozdenovic’s resignation and debuts Saturday against league leaders Teuta.
- International footballRice rescues Arsenal in Munich (2-2), Real crush Leipzig 4-1; Como humiliate Manchester United 4-1The third Champions League matchday brought a draw in the Bayern–Arsenal “early final,” Real’s third straight win and a deepening crisis at Carrick’s United.
- International footballAlbanian talents shine in the Youth League: Rexhepi double against Atlético, goals for Vukaj and Osmani tooThree young Albanians scored Wednesday in the under-19 Champions League, with Enis Rexhepi topping the scoring chart.
- National teamArmando Sadiku retires from football at 35: Thank you, I will miss youThe striker who scored the decisive goal against Armenia for the historic Euro 2016 qualification continues his career as sporting director of Bellinzona.
- International footballKvaratskhelia tears cruciate ligament and will have surgery; PSG also lose Dembélé and Marquinhos for several weeksThe 4-2 win over Barcelona came at a high price for the French champions: the Georgian will be sidelined for months.
Culture
Only Culture- HeritageDrenova’s old school becomes the “Mulberry House,” a museum and workshop for Korça’s traditional rakiThe new space, part of the “Routes of Taste” project, combines a raki museum with a fruit-processing lab and a market for local products.
- TheaterZana Hoxha’s “No Carmen” plays to a full house in Zagreb; audience calls actors back to the stage three timesAfter premiering at Ljubljana’s Mladinsko Theatre, the Kosovo director’s provocative reinterpretation of “Carmen” was staged in the Croatian capital and is expected to continue touring the Balkans.
- HeritageGeophysical survey in Trojas, Belsh: specialists search for archaeological structures undergroundThe Institute of Cultural Heritage and the Faculty of Geology and Mining aim to pinpoint areas with archaeological potential ahead of future excavations.
- TheaterNational Puppet Theater honored in Mostar: “The Circus Show” wins for best puppet articulationThe dialogue-free show by director Klajd Ymeri was recognized at the sixth International Puppetry Art Festival (FLUM) in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
- TheaterRestoration of Kosovo's National Theater moves ahead as investment tops 7 million eurosCulture Minister Saranda Bogujevci visited the site in Pristina and said work is moving at a fast pace, under the supervision of professors from the University of Pristina.
Opinion
Only Opinion- OpinionViolence should not be rewarded, and an investigation should not be put offA promise to compensate every convicted protester and silence over an independent investigation of the police are two ways of prolonging the same crisis.
- OpinionThe courts are not a party to the protestThe fire inside the Supreme Court and the prime minister's harsh words against judges strike the same institution from two sides.
- OpinionAn empty lecture hall is no victory for anyoneThe lecturers' open-ended boycott sends a strong signal, but a signal with no deadline and no clear address risks punishing the very students it claims to defend.