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Home/Archive/Monday, October 26, 2026

Archive

Monday, October 26, 2026

36 stories

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All36Politics6Crime & Courts5Economy5Region4World5Sports4Culture4Opinion3

Politics

Only Politics
  1. 21:44GovernmentRama tells Kathimerini he won't resign: Governments change by vote, not by Molotov cocktailsIn an interview with the Greek newspaper, the prime minister said he will serve out the mandate he won in 2025 and that the 2027 budget will bring additional measures for families and students.
  2. 21:33GovernmentElona Hoxha explains anti-violence package: Up to 2 years for weapons at rallies, fines for maskingDeputy Minister Elona Hoxha explained the six legal instruments proposed by Rama, while Minister Toni Gogu noted that criminal responsibility begins at age 14.
  3. 17:54DiplomacyTirana congratulates Serbia’s Student List; Begaj: The Presheva Valley’s win must bring more rightsThe Foreign Ministry and the president congratulated the Albanians of the Presheva Valley, whom preliminary projections give two seats, and urged Belgrade to engage in dialogue with Kosovo.
  4. 16:16DiplomacyFerit Hoxha meets EU ambassadors: Peaceful protest is a fundamental right, violence is not justifiedThe foreign minister briefed European diplomats on developments in the country and reaffirmed the government’s readiness for dialogue with anyone not involved in acts of violence.
  5. 13:20PartiesBerisha: There can be no parliament under these conditions; PD will publish a “blacklist” of police officersThe PD leader said the opposition will mobilize every day in support of the students and organize national protests, while its lawmakers only make statements in committees.
  6. 11:00ParliamentBalla after PS caucus: No Rama resignation, no snap elections; assembly law to pass by decreeThe head of the Socialist caucus said dialogue with students remains open, but not with those who commit violence, and announced that the government is expected to approve the 2027 draft budget this week.

Crime & Courts

Only Crime & Courts
  1. 17:26CourtsBehgjet Pacolli spends 7 hours at SPAK over Vlora airport: I filed a criminal complaintThe Kosovo businessman was questioned as a person with knowledge of the case; his lawyer said they cannot comment because the matter is also in arbitration.
  2. 14:24CourtsTirana prosecutors investigate police over Erjon Vishkulli’s eye injury, send request to ItalyInvestigators seized footage from Bank of Albania cameras and his trauma hospital records; about 20 medical records of injured protesters have been collected so far.
  3. 14:11CourtsAcademics and civil society report police violence to SPAK: 180 cases against students and citizensThe group of intellectuals, including Olsi Nika, said the complaint was filed on Friday and urged the special prosecutors to speed up the investigation.
  4. 09:46PoliceTirana protests: 9 arrested, including a German, 20 wanted; fireworks seller also detainedPolice announced arrests after weekend clashes outside institutions, while the “Fireworks 2” operation turned up 47 packs of fireworks in a home on Zela Street.
  5. 09:12PoliceRoskovec: 37-year-old arrested for firing a gun outside ex-partner’s home in LuarBesmir (Erjon) Mustaj is also suspected of domestic violence and of violating a court order; the case was sent to prosecutors.

Economy

Only Economy
  1. 18:30PropertySocial housing 2027: 4,000 home loans, half at 0% interest, and 3,000 subsidized rentalsNext year's program, according to the Agency for Media and Information, extends to young people, students, young couples, professionals and returning emigrants; Tirana Municipality names 1,500 new winners of soft loans.
  2. 14:20MarketsMalaj: September inflation at 2.9%, below the European Union averageFinance Minister Petrit Malaj called the figure proof of the economy's stability and pointed to the Transparency Board, the excise cut and the “Price Chart” as tools to curb pressure on prices.
  3. 11:40MarketsYzeiraj: Fuel excise drops automatically when diesel tops 220 lek and gasoline 200 lek a literDeputy Finance Minister Endrit Yzeiraj presented Parliament's law committee with an emergency decree on excise duties, a temporary mechanism that he said cuts the consumer price by 9.45 lek a liter.
  4. 11:15BusinessMusabelliu: New consumer law brings rules for online trade and a right to repairDeputy Minister of Economy and Innovation Enkelejd Musabelliu presented the European affairs committee with a bill that aligns 15 EU acts, alongside amendments to the law on traders and commercial companies.
  5. 10:50BusinessEnvironment Ministry drafts curbs on single-use plastic: obligations for bars, restaurants and hotelsThe draft decision requires reusable alternatives from food service businesses from Feb. 12, 2028, acceptance of customers' own cups from 2029 and most restrictions from Jan. 1, 2030.

Region

Only Region
  1. 18:50KosovoKosovo Assembly passes resolution against violence toward women with 67 votes after Vitomirica killingThe resolution calls for every report to be taken seriously, concrete prevention measures and protection for victims; President Shiroka-Pula seeks an urgent investigation into how institutions handled the victim's requests.
  2. 13:30RegionSerbia after the Student List's win: EU says “the door is open,” Tirana calls for normalization with KosovoWith over 96% of polling stations processed, the Student List has 52.54% against 39.29% for Vučić's list; von der Leyen, Costa, Kos and Merz congratulate the winners, while Albania's Foreign Ministry calls for engagement in the dialogue with Pristina.
  3. 12:10KosovoHaxhiu: President's return of the Specialist Chambers law is a veto, Assembly must vote on itKosovo Assembly Speaker Albulena Haxhiu says the law on the Specialist Chambers must be handled under the Constitutional Court ruling and the Rules of Procedure, while PDK's request for a third reading will be addressed through procedure.
  4. 10:30KosovoThe Student List and Kosovo: Constitution in hand, a review of agreements and status back at the UNThe winners of Serbia's elections treat Kosovo as an inseparable part of Serbia; analysts quoted by RFE/RL expect no quick change of position but say Belgrade cannot leave the dialogue without risking ties with the EU.

World

Only World
  1. 21:30BalkansSerbia's election commission: Student List wins 140 seats and an outright majority, Vučić's list 104The Republic Electoral Commission on Monday evening adopted preliminary results of the Oct. 25 election: 52.71% for the Student List and 39.17% for “Ujedinjena Srbija.”
  2. 17:30EuropeEuropean gas hits 97.64 euros per MWh, the highest price in almost four yearsOn the Amsterdam exchange, natural gas for next-month delivery rose nearly 3% in a day and has tripled since the start of the year, while traffic through Hormuz has almost stopped.
  3. 15:00Middle EastEgypt authorizes Sisi to give Saudi Arabia military support, potentially including troopsEgypt's parliament approved by a two-thirds majority President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi's request to help Riyadh defend its territory, following a wave of Houthi attacks.
  4. 12:30EuropeUkraine extends martial law and mobilization until Jan. 29, 2027, with 293 lawmakers in favorUkraine's parliament approved President Zelensky's proposal to extend martial law and general mobilization, the 21st such vote by the current legislature.
  5. 10:30EuropeSweden restricts ChatGPT and Claude on government computers, steering staff to Microsoft CopilotAs of Oct. 26, staff at the Swedish Government Offices can no longer use the two artificial intelligence platforms through a browser on work computers, due to data security concerns.

Sports

Only Sports
  1. 23:50International footballHarry Kane wins the 2026 Ballon d'Or, the first Englishman since Michael Owen in 2001; Mbappé second, Yamal thirdThe Bayern and England striker was named winner of the 70th Ballon d'Or in London, while Alexia Putellas won the women's award for the third time.
  2. 19:45National teamAlbania U-15 finish their group with five wins in Azerbaijan and reach the top 32 of the FIFA tournamentCoach Armand Dama's side also beat Ivory Coast 2-0 with two goals from Santiago Perkola and advanced to Tier A of the FIFA U-15 World Cup & Festival 2026.
  3. 19:00International footballUzuni scores twice for Austin, Asani and Bajrami also on target; Muçi sets up two for TrabzonsporThe Albania striker scored in the 64th and 86th minutes of Austin's 2-1 win, Nedim Bajrami got his first goal for Al Taawoun, and Ernest Muçi helped Trabzonspor fight back against Rizespor.
  4. 18:15National teamIranian media: Jasir Asani expected to return to the national team in November after missing two call-upsJournalist Erfan Hoseiny reports that the Esteghlal winger will be called up by coach Maran for the Nations League matches; the return has not been officially confirmed.

Culture

Only Culture
  1. 17:00HeritageGjon Mili and the art of the frozen moment: the Korça-born photographer's retrospective continues at the Marubi MuseumThe exhibition “Gjon Mili. Retrospective” presents the work of the pioneer of motion photography, with a special place for sports photography; it is open daily from 09:00 to 19:00.
  2. 15:30FilmKO:SH Film Fest opens tonight in Korça with Blerta Basholli's “Dua”: 100 short films from 40 countriesThe festival's 13th edition runs for six days at Kinema Majestik and the Digital Arts Gallery, under the motto “What we ignore, remains.”
  3. 13:45HeritageTepelena Historical Museum has its busiest autumn, with many foreign tourists since mid-SeptemberMuseum head Klejda Gaba says many visitors are foreigners and that the institution has asked the Regional Directorate of Culture for new objects.
  4. 11:00BooksAcademy of Sciences commemorates Alfred Uçi, founder of Albanian aesthetics, 10 years after his deathThe Korça-born philosopher and aesthetician, author of works such as “Aesthetics, Life, Art” and “Shakespeare in the Albanian World,” died on Oct. 26, 2016.

Opinion

Only Opinion
  1. 19:00OpinionAn excise tax with a trigger: fair relief, but with a deadline and public accountsThe mechanism that automatically cuts the excise tax on fuel could soften the blow of the Middle East crisis. To keep it from becoming an endless subsidy, it needs a deadline, transparency and oversight.
  2. 18:45OpinionHomes for more people, but who goes first?The 2027 social housing program expands significantly, to young people, students and returning emigrants. The expansion is welcome, but only if the families most in need are not pushed back in the line.
  3. 18:30OpinionBelgrade changes its government, not yet its stance on KosovoThe Student List's victory is good news for Serbian democracy. But Tirana and Pristina should read its program, not just the congratulations.

Calendar

October 2026

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