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

Image of the day: Wildfire engulfs Lura National Park in Albania
A series of wildfires swept across Albania in mid-July 2025, prompting emergency alerts and mobilization of national firefighting resources. According to the Albanian Ministry of Defence, 18 separate blazes were reported within a 24-hour period,...

Tourism boom pushes Albania’s food imports up 33%
Albania is importing more food than ever, with a 33% jump in just five years as tourism surges and local farms fail to keep pace. In the first half of 2025, food and drink imports hit 77 billion lek, up from 57.8 billion in 2021. Coffee imports...

Heavy rain kills Albania wildfires, sparks chaos
Torrential rain has wiped out around 90% of the wildfires that raged across Albania after weeks of blistering heat. Officials say most fires are now contained, but the weather brought new challenges. A rockslide briefly blocked a key national...

Dirty Money Fuels Albania’s Construction Boom
Change font size: - + Reset Tirana, Albania – July 28, 2025 A sweeping European-led crackdown on a transnational Albanian drug cartel, culminating in the seizure of six tons of cocaine valued at over €400 million, has reignited concerns that...

Helicopters Return Home after Successful Firefighting Operation in Albania
After four days of firefighting and over 53 hours of flight time, two H225M helicopters of the Hungarian Defense Forces have returned home to the Szolnok air base from Albania. Hungarian soldiers and the pair of aircraft helped to contain the...

Intense floods strike Romania as wildfires rage across Turkey and Albania
Published on 28/07/2025 - 16:28 GMT+2 •Updated 22:21 Heavy rains swept across northeastern Romania overnight into Monday, causing flash floods that killed at least one person and forced hundreds to flee, as neighbouring Turkey and Albania...

Albania’s power couple accused of laundering millions
Albania’s former president Ilir Meta and his ex-wife, Monika Kryemadhi, face trial on charges of corruption, money laundering, and hiding assets after a sweeping investigation by anti-corruption prosecutors. The probe has also targeted Kryemadhi’s...

Albania offers 5,500 jobs as jobless rate hits record low
Albania’s government has listed 5,500 vacancies on its national job platform, puna.gov.al, as it targets the country’s lowest unemployment rate in three decades. Economy Minister Blendi Gonxhja said the online system connects job seekers with...

Albania and Bulgaria ask EU for help to deal with raging wildfires
By Georgios Aivaliotis with AP - EBU Published on 27/07/2025 - 17:38 GMT+2 Albanian fire brigades are facing dozens of fire fronts which are raging because of a combination of arson and the heat wave. Forest fires are raging in many...

Italy’s Tirana-Cairo Deportation Flight Sets ‘Dangerous Precedent’
Hailed by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen as a potential model for ‘return hubs’ outside the EU, the Italy-Albania deal has been slammed by rights watchdogs as flying in the face of international humanitarian law. Critics in...

Darlington cannabis farmer from Albania faces wait to learn fate after court date
Mateo Caushi admitted being involved in the production of the Class B drug after his arrest in June this year. He appeared at Teesside Crown Court on Monday (July 28) with the assistance of an Albanian interpreter. But he will wait another month...

Cool Tirana: why Albania’s affordable capital should be your next culture break
One of the nicest things about Tirana is how much thought has been put into its revitalisation. It is not bland, soulless and full of skyscrapers like many modern cities; instead, architects have been commissioned from around the world to build...

Albanian court rejects Berisha’s bid to replace judges
Albania’s Special Court Against Corruption and Organized Crime (GJKKO) has rejected a request to replace the panel of judges in the case involving former Prime Minister Sali Berisha and his son-in-law, Jamarbër Malltezi. Their defense team had...

world Firefighters battle blazes in Turkey, Greece and Albania
ATHENS — Firefighters battled on Monday (July 28) to put out wildfires in three separate provinces of Turkey, in Greece and near a tourist resort in Albania, stoked by strong winds after days of searing heat across the Mediterranean region. Smoke...

Greece Files Diplomatic Complaint Over Irredentist Albanian Map
The government spokesperson, Pavlos Marinakis, said Greece’s foreign ministry had filed an official diplomatic complaint against Albania following the publication of a map showing Greek regions as part of Albania. Addressing a question during a...

Wildfires strain emergency services in Albania
Wildfires continued to sweep across southern Albania on July 28, prompting the evacuation of several villages and mobilising hundreds of emergency workers as authorities struggled to bring dozens of blazes under control. Like many parts of...

Firefighters Battle Raging Wildfires Across Turkey, Greece, Albania
Firefighters across the Mediterranean region battled intense wildfires on Monday, with blazes reported in Turkey, Greece, Albania and the Balkans, as strong winds and scorching heat fuelled devastation in forests and residential areas. In Turkey,...

Wildfires rage across Turkey, Greece, & Albania amid heatwave
Daijiworld Media Network – Istanbul Istanbul, Jul 28: Firefighters are battling wildfires across Turkey, Greece, Albania, and other Mediterranean regions after days of intense heat and strong winds triggered multiple blazes. In Turkey’s Karabuk...

Firefighters battle to contain wildfires in Turkey, Greece, and Albania amid relentless heatwave
Athens: Firefighters battled to put out wildfires on Monday in three separate provinces in Turkey, in Greece and near a tourist resort in Albania, stoked by strong winds after days of searing heat across the Mediterranean region. Smoke billowed...

Wildfires rage across Turkey, Greece, and Albania amid intense mediterranean heatwave
Firefighters battle multiple blazes as evacuations, casualties, and widespread damage mount Wildfires continue to rage across parts of Turkey, Greece, and Albania, as firefighters struggle to contain the fast-spreading flames stoked by strong...