Albania’s Opposition Backs Actor-Activist for Tirana Mayor

Florjan Binaj during protests in Tirana in 2022. Photo: Nensi Bogdani/BIRN. Sali Berisha, leader of Democratic Party, Albania’s main opposition force, said on Monday that the party will back Florjan Binaj, an actor and activist, in the campaign to...

bjarke ingels group to scatter symbolic stone pavilions across tirana hillside

faith park: A Landscape of Shared Origins Bjarke Ingels Group has been selected to design Faith Park, a 200,000-square-meter public park planned for the hillsides outside Tirana, Albania. Conceived as a landscape of coexistence, the masterplan...

'We're all too rich,' says photo legend Martin Parr

British documentary photographer Martin Parr says the world has never been more in need of satire like that in his images because many people are too wealthy and their lifestyle is unsustainable. "The state we're all in is appalling," said the...

Draft Progress Report: Kosovo Shows Limited Progress, Political Deadlock Blamed

Kosovo’s progress on the European Union agenda has been hindered by divisive domestic politics and the political deadlock following the February 9 parliamentary elections, despite the country’s continued commitment to the European path and high...

Colombia’s Petro Ends His Middle East Tour in Qatar

Colombia’s Petro ends its Middle East tour in Qatar, after visiting Saudi Arabia and Egypt and strengthening alliances with these countries. Credit: Mauricio Vélez / Presidency of Colombia. The President of Colombia, Gustavo Petro, concluded his...

REPORT: New Visions Forum Croatia @ Ji.hlava 2025

03/11/2025 - The projects presented in the event offered insight into the current directions taken by Croatian documentary storytelling Behind Open Doors by Nikola Kuprešanin The Ji.hlava International Documentary Film Festival placed a special...

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...

SKY express adds Madrid as new direct destination from Athens

SKY express has launched a direct Athens–Madrid service, its second destination in the Iberian Peninsula, operating five times weekly as part of its international network expansion. SKY express has expanded its international network with the...

TITANÍQUE — THE MUSICAL Splashes into São Paulo with Céline Dion, Camp, and Chaos Afloat

São Paulo, Brazil — Now playing at Teatro Sabesp Frei Caneca until December 14, TitanÍque — The Musical is everything you never knew you needed: a gloriously unhinged parody of Titanic (yes, the 1997 blockbuster with Leo and Kate), retold by none...

Radical Islam Tightens Its Grip on Switzerland

Radical Islam Tightens Its Grip on Switzerland In Switzerland today, even young Muslim girls are wearing headscarves — a practice once limited to adult, married women. Observers are warning of a gradual Islamisation and a shift in orientation that...

Mark your calendars for a royal wedding! Crown Prince Leka of Albania announces engagement to his photographer girlfriend, following his divorce last April

‘The engagement was joyfully celebrated on 11 October 2025, in Ksamil, Southern Albania, in the presence of family and close friends,’ revealed a communique from the royal palace. ‘The Royal Family shares their happiness with the Albanian people...

My voyage to Albania fueled by the remembrance of my grandfather 

After 21 years I would finally set flight to the land of my origin. Listening to my grandparents’ stories about life in Albania under communism or learning about the current issues of low pensions and rising prices plaguing the country, I felt...

What ethnicity is Dua Lipa? Singer celebrates passing her GCSE Spanish exam

Dua Lipa announced on Monday, October 13, that she has passed her GCSE (General Certificate of Secondary Education) Spanish exam. She posted an Instagram story with her certificate and also thanked her teacher. Lipa has become one of the biggest...

This Unesco-listed treasure is the best way to visit Greece this autumn

Your support helps us to tell the story From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our...

Living Costs in Albania Continue to Rise, Tirana Remains the Priciest

The cost of living in Albania is becoming increasingly burdensome, with a significant rise in basic household expenses. According to data published by INSTAT, an average family needs around 93,000 lekë per month to cover basic living costs. In the...

Bank of Albania Purchases €914 Million to Curb Lek’s Appreciation

The Governor of the Bank of Albania, Gent Sejko, presented the 2024 Annual Report before the Parliamentary Committee on Economy, highlighting the country’s main economic developments. He emphasized that Albania’s economic outlook remains positive....

The ethnic Romanians in Istria

The ethnic Romanian community in Croatia, in Istria peninsula, is one of the least known ethnic Romanian communities from outside Romania's borders. The History Show Steliu Lambru, 13.10.2025, 14:00 Romania’s neighbours the Republic of Moldova,...

Friday Sermon – Muhammad (sa): The great exemplar (3 October 2025)

Friday Sermon 3 October 2025 Muhammadsa: The great exemplar After reciting the tashahhud, ta‘awwuz, and Surah al-Fatihah, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa stated: The distribution of the spoils of war that were acquired following the Battle of Hunain...

Aleksandar Vucic blamed the Serbian people for the national team's failure against Albania

President Aleksandar Vučić has blamed the Serbian people for the defeat against Albania. Our western neighbor lost 0:1 in Leskovac over the weekend, and some journalists speculated why the match was not held in Belgrade. The claim that the reason...

Crown Prince Leka of Albania announces engagement six months after finalising his divorce

Congratulations are in order for Crown Prince Leka of Albania. The European royal has announced his engagement to Blerta Celebashi, with an official statement from The Royal Court of Albania confirming the news six months after his divorce from...