A policeman caught transporting drugs

Police in Gjirokastra announced on Sunday (May 15th) that a fellow police officer was stopped and arrested while transporting drugs. Ervin Hysa was allegedly carrying 75kg of cannabis as he tried to leave the city. Officials say the drugs, bought in the nearby village of Lazarat, were bound for Tirana.

"An Albanian-American Dream: From hardship to Nobel Prize"

Brooklyn, New York

In the oak paneled Robert F. Furchgott Library full of manuscripts and scientific devices encased behind glass that only a scientist could appreciate, SUNY Downstate Medical Center welcomed Nobel Laureate Dr. Ferid Murad. For me, and many of my colleagues, this was a dream come true: we were about to meet a Nobel Laureate! However, this meeting held a deeper meaning and significance than just the adrenaline rush of being in the presence of this sage.

EP: The removal of visas for Albania: A technical, non-political process

Erind Kurti, ALBANIAN TIMES

The European Parliament has categorically expressed that the abolition of visas for Albania is a technical process and should not be confused with the political process.

In a phone interview for Albanian Times, the European Deputy of the Green Group, Marije Cornelissen, found that the progress she has seen in Albania has been very impressive and as such, the group will recommend voting in favour of lifting the visa.

Berisha: Main Square in Tirana in a catastrophic status

Erind Kurti, ALBANIAN TIMES

This is the picture today of Tirana’s main square which has been described by the prime minister as being in a catastrophic status.. Berisha has charged the minister of public works and transportation Sokol Olldashi with the task of getting the main square on its feet. This is the main square of the capital and it is a shame that the 10 million dollars donated for the project of Tirana’s main square renovation by the Kuwaiti government has not been done yet.

Keeping drivers moving with digital theory tests

Elina Demai, ALBANIAN TIMES

Albanian authorities have now introduced digital driving test theory in most centres. Until now Albanians have been taking the driving theory test in papers but now this is been introduced in computers in digital format. Road and Safety authority in Fier completed the operating system through which applicants for driving licenses will answer theoretical questions in front of a computer rather then writing it in a paper.

Another hurdle to EU membership: Investigation into Organ-Trafficking reopened

Elina Demai, ALBANIAN TIMES

Albanian Foreign Minister Ilir Meta has confirmed that Albania will cooperate with international institutions on the organ trafficking investigation. The investigation relates to allegations that ethnic Albanian fighters killed and then trafficked the organs of Serbs captured in the 1999 Kosovo conflict. The claims first arose six years ago in the memoirs of former UN chief war crimes prosecutor Carla Del Ponte, entitled 'Madame Prosecutor'

Serbian officials say up to 400 Kosovo Serbs vanished during the war, and a number of those may have been subjected to the practice in the alleged "yellow house" in Albania. Carla Del Ponte portrayed the "yellow house" as a building in Albania where organs might have been surgically removed from the victims.
Kosovo and Albania have strongly denied the allegations of organ trafficking.

Based on the evidence and testimonies of more than 130 witnesses collected by Serbia’s war crimes prosecutor, Serbia had requested an investigation to be reopened but this was rejected by officials in Tirana last year. The Council of Europe has since announced that an investigation will be opened and led by a former Swiss prosecutor, Dick Marty.

Albanian authorities believe that the allegations have no foundation and have denied the claims at all times. Outsiders have suggested that to make this issue die, Albania will need to show their cooperation and demonstrate they will work with an independent investigation team. As Albania strives to join the EU, a lack of cooperation could only serve to delay this dream for the people there.

Where everyone is hundred years old!

March 03, 2010| Erind Kurti, ALBANIAN TIMES

Plyku is a small village in the district of Fier, about three kilometres outside the city of Fier in the south west of Albania. A village first habited just before the 1800 has taken its big name from the long life of its people. The population of the village increased to 10 000 in the last few decades with 2500 houses but most of those now empty because of the immigration and only used as holiday homes in the summer. In the village only old people can be seen! When you first arrive you feel like you are in a different planet! You don’t hear babies crying, you can’t see kids running, no teenagers playing and not a young man standing in the street flirting as can be seen in most villages around. This is a particular one hence the feeling of a different planet!

Albania Press Review - February 22

February 22, 2010 | Erind Kurti, Albanian Times

Headlines of today’s newspapers in Albania:
Here are the top stories in Albania’s main newspapers.


Gazeta Koha Shqiptare:
Macedonia removes Kosova from the map in the school texts. In the texts of the primary school books, Macedonian authorities have removed Kosova as a neighbor by only mentioning Serbia as their neighbor country in the north. “Koha Shqiptare” published that Macedonian authorities in the last two decades has created tensions between Macedonians and the Albanian population in Macedonia which count for 40% of total population.

Gazeta Shekulli:
Talks between the Prime Minister Sali Berisha and the opposition Socialist Party Edi Rama continue with the mediation of the country's president. The talks aim to find common ground and resolve Albania’s political stalemate by the end of the week.

Gazeta 55:
Italian media choose Albania as must visit 2010 place. Italian media has ranked Albania in the first place for the must visit places for Europeans in 2010. It’s rich Archaeology and the cheap prices Albania is at the top of the window in every Italian holiday tour agency.


Gazeta SHQIP:
North of Albania could be hit by floods again. Authorities of the main hydro-central stations have open the gates due to the water being too high caused but the heavy rains in Macedonia and the level of water in the central stations increasing intensively.

Albanian authorities have open the gates of the hydro-central stations of Fierza, Koman and Vau i Dejes, which might contribute to more flooding in Shkoder and several villages near the Adriatic Sea.

Gazeta METROPOL:
Diplomatic passports removed from Opposition party. The government has issued a warrant to remove the diplomatic passports from the members of parliament of opposition party if they do not enter the parliament by the end of the week.

Ethnic tensions rise high in Macedonia

February 22, 2010| Altin Zeqiri, ALBANIAN TIMES

SKOPJE, Macedonia —Kosova not mentioned as Macedonia’s neighbor in the school book texts which only mentions Serbia as their neighbor in the north. This has raised tensions among ethnic populations in Macedonia with the Albanian leaders demanding the text be changed and Kosova mentioned as their north neighbor whilst Macedonia has recognised Kosova as independent state.

Ministry of education in Macedonia has removed Kosova from the map in the school books printed in 2009 and the independence of Kosova was recognised in 2008 by Macedonia. In the primary school books, Macedonian authorities have removed Kosova as a neighbor by only mentioning Serbia as their neighbor country in the north. “Albanian Times” has published that Macedonian authorities in the last two decades has created tensions between ethnic Macedonians and ethnic Albanians in republic of Macedonia. Ethnic Albanians count for 40% of the total population in Macedonia and has often been offended by the government.

Tensions have been high between ethnic Albanians and Macedonians since the opening of the University of Tetova in 1994. The university was closed with force by Macedonian armed forces and that led with the unrest in the Albanian and Macedonian communities. University of Tetova however remained open but it was not officially recognized as a state university by the Government of Republic of Macedonia until January, 2004. Currently, the University is chaired by Dr. Agron Reka. Courses and lectures are mostly held in Albanian, but also in Macedonian and English.

The unrest between the two communities has been ongoing since 1995 and the latest offense by the government last month which asked for Albanian language be removed from primary schools has not helped the two major communities in Macedonia move forward.

Last month Macedonian authorities declared that Albanian language be stopped in the primary schools which was seen by Albanian leaders as a move to try and divide the ethnicity in Macedonia. Last year when Macedonia published their encyclopaedia they wrote that the Macedonians were there before Albanians and that Albanians came from the mountains but this was soon corrected and the encyclopaedia was later changed. Now with the latest move not mentioning Kosova as a neighbor has created more tensions between ethnic populations in Macedonia.

Albanian leaders in Macedonia said that if this is not soon changed tensions will rise and could lead to divisions between the ethnic populations. The atmosphere between the two major communities has changed since Macedonian government declared war on ethnic Albanians in 2001 in a hope to cleansing the Albanian population and reduce the rights of education. In the 2001 Macedonian war, Albanian resistance was strong and they took over most of the north part and if it wasn’t for NATO forces based in Kosova mediating at the time, the war would have escalated further in the Balkans.

Albanian Parliament members in Macedonia have said that those tensions are being pushed by nationalists who want only Macedonians in the country and do not want the country to move forward by joining NATO and European Union. Albanian members in the parliament of Macedonia have warned the Macedonian authorities and the ministry of education that those mistakes should not happen. This should be corrected and be distributed to schools so the new generation learns the correct history of Macedonia and not the history written by guerrillas or by people funded to write in the favour of Serbian empire. Times have changed and the country is looking to move forward and join the European Union, improve economy and reduce unemployment a speaker of Albanian Party said. The times where ethnic tensions were high and civil war is long gone, we are looking to move forward and make life easier for Macedonian people said the speaker to Albanian Times.

Last month the government of Macedonia in a statement declared that Albanian language be removed from the primary schools in the cities where the majority of population is Albanian. This was seen as nonsense by Albanian DUI Party leaders who soon replied that Albanian language will not be removed from the primary schools in Albanian inhabited cities, such as Tetova, Dibra...etc where Albanian populations counts for 95%.

For their part, the Albanian claims to equal opportunities and access to mother-tongue education is of vital importance to a community that, with its demographic growth, may eventually achieve majority status in Macedonia. The implications of an ethnic group achieving majority status without having had widespread access to higher education are self-evident and do not bode well for the future of Macedonia.








2001 Macedonian War.


Beginning on January 22, 2001, after an attack by Macedonian security forces carried on Albanian civilians which killed 2 (father and son) and injured a dozen civilians in the center of the city of Tetova which is mostly inhabited by Albanians. The NLA (Albanian “National Liberation Army”) began to carry out attacks on Macedonian security forces, using light weapons. The conflict soon escalated and by the start of March 2001, the NLA had taken effective control of a large swathe of northern and western Macedonia and came within 12 miles of the capital Skopje.

In March 2001, NLA members failed to take the city of Tetova in an open attack, but controlled the hills and mountains between Tetova and Kosova. On May 3, 2001 a Macedonian government counter offensive failed in the Kumanova area. By June 8, the NLA took Aracinova, a village outside of Skopje. On August 16, NATO forces entered Macedonia mediating the two sides which then signed a peace deal ending the open conflict.

Macedonian authorities have to get around the idea that Albanian population in the country is soon becoming a majority and the only way forward is by having the same rights for everyone. Albanians deserve right to learn their mother tongue and so do all the other communities in the country. Albanians counts for 40% of the population where 50% is Macedonian and the other 10% is a mixed of Bulgarian, Serbs, Roma, Bosnian, Rumanians…etc

Albania Press Review - February 19

Erind Kurti - Albanian Times

Headlines of today’s newspapers in Albania:

Here are the top stories in Albania’s main newspapers.


Gazeta Koha Shqiptare:
Prime minister’s declaration of the privatization of the government assets has been wowed by the parliament. Economy experts criticised the prime minister not to go ahead with the privatization until the world economy picks up again. Assets at this economical situation would be sold for less then what they would be worth in a year time when experts are expecting a growth in economy worldwide.

Gazeta Shekulli:
After a poll done by "Gallup International" 17% of Albania wants to emigrate if the possibility was give and the majority of those prefer Italy as the first choice to emigrate. Greece, USA and England are the other countries chosen by the public to emigrate to. The poll was done in close of the free visa regime for Albania.

Talks between the Prime Minister Sali Berisha and the opposition Socialist Party Edi Rama continue with the mediation of the country's president. The talks aim to find common ground and resolve Albania’s political stalemate.

Gazeta Kohajone:
Albania is the only country in the region with growth in 2009. Albania was the only country with growth in 2008 and 2009. Compared to other Balkan countries, Albania was ranked the highest in Balkans for investments in infrastructure, energy and tourism.

Gazeta 55:
More then half million Albanians have already applied for the biometric passports. Interior ministry invites citizens to apply for the biometric passports whilst this will help speed the process of free visa regime for Albania.

SHQIP:
The Albanian government’s project to begin redistributing arable land for rent to farmers who agree to cultivate the land could create social tensions in rural areas.

METROPOL:
The OSCE declaration on Albania’s parliamentary elections fuels the already heated dispute between the opposition and the government over the poll results.

Jeremic wants talks on status of Kosova

Elina Demai - Albanian Times

Whilst Kosova celebrates the second anniversary of independence, Serbian foreign minister is looking for talks on status!

Serbia is not feeling well on the second anniversary of independence of Kosova. Serbian foreign minister said that he will request new talks in regard to the status of Kosova! In Serbia the independence of Kosova might have not been yet come to reality but the people of Serbia are calling on the government to let go, the world has heard that Kosova is independent country now and it’s best for Serbia to realise the fact and move on recognising the independence of Kosova so they move into the European family and have close ties between the two countries.

European Union leaders have declared that until Serbia recognise Kosova as independent state, Serbian people will not be integrated into the European Union. Serbian economy has hit rock bottom at the moment with its own currency Dinar not keeping up with the euro and all the privatisations on hold Serbia is suffering once again from it’s government. Serbian people are tired of government that does not think of it’s people and a government that has damaged Serbian way of life with the Balkan wars in the 1990’s.

Serbian president Tadic looked positive on the independence of Kosova but this has yet to be made official by the Serbian government. Corruption is high in Serbia and statistics show that it is high in the chain on the government officials. Most official government are holding to the Kosova independence because they are afraid of loosing the chair in the cabinet. When Bosnia, Montenegro, Croatia and Slovenia declared it’s independence Serbia was one of the first to recognise, we don’t know why Serbia think this is different with Kosova.

Kosova’s the main official language is Albanian, 95% of the population is Albanian, the world without opening the books, can only ask the question! Why does Serbia want 2 million Albanians in their territory? Or is this with a hope of another cleansing when a new Milosevic gets into the government!? Does this make sense to anyone because I myself find it very hard to believe, in a country where the population is 2 million out of that 97% are Albanian and only 60 000 are Serbs, Bosnians and others belongs to Serbia? That is non sense for anyone? Surely like all I can say here: -

Jeremic, you should have gone to specsavers?

North Albania paralysed from heavy snowfall

Elina Demai - Albanian Times

Heavy snowfall in upper parts and heavy downpour accompanied by hailstorm in the plains, paralysed life in north Albania in the last few days.

Tropoja, Kukes and Peshkopija regions witnessed a heavy snowfall, triggering a punishing cold wave as mercury plunged to below zero degrees Celsius.

Upper parts of the region remained cut off from the rest of the country because of the heavy snowfall and all main and link roads were impassable. The snowfall also knocked out power and telecommunication systems in several parts of the region.

Shkoder and Malesi e Madhe and other districts received heavy rains, turning the weather cold and chilly.

Incessant and heavy snowfall over the last 4 days in the town of Peshkopija received 40 centimetres of snow. Mountainous areas received over a meter of snow, bringing life for the villages in the region to a standstill.

The snowfall began on Wednesday and continued to Sunday in the whole north Albania making life difficult for rural areas from Shkoder to Gjirokaster.

North received rains and heavy snowfall after a long warm weather where the area was flooded just a month ago due to warm temperatures and snow melting in the high mountains. All upper parts of the north district are difficult to pass and need extra care when driving, local authorities urge drivers to use snow chains take extra care.

Over the last three weeks, it was the second time that snow pounded different regions of the district.

The situation is some of the roads in the north:
Qafe Mali-Fierez, Difficult to drive, 40 centimetres of snow.

District of Iballa is blocked. From Shkoder to Dukagjin is passable via Mali i Shoshit with difficulties and using snow chains.

Qafe Mali - Qafe Shllak, is passable with difficulties and using snow chains. Traffic only opened to small cars whilst vans, lorries and other large automobiles are being stopped.

District of Arrnit, is blocked. In direction of Gryke Caj, Bushtrice, Zapod and Lekbibaj, is passable with difficulties and using snow chains.

Fierze - Qafe Mali and Bajram Curri - Krume, is mandatory using snow chains.

Peshkopi - Lure, is still blocked. Connection of Lure is difficult only via Kurbenesh.

Pogradec - Qafe Plloce, is one way traffic. Highway Voskopoje - Lekas, is still blocked.

Librazhd, blocked from snow are villages of Polis and Vilan whilst in district of Rrajce blocked are village of Skenderaj and district of Polis.

The bad weather comes just after a recent flooding in northern Albania where the area is just getting on its feet. Although the recent flooding was mainly caused by the hydro-central station due to the water being too high and the authorities were left with no options but open the gates station. Locals are blaming it all in the government for storing the water until the last minute whilst wanting to make money in exporting the energy to neighbouring countries.

Albanian authorities were obligated to open the gates of the hydro-central stations of Fierza, Koman and Vau i Dejes, which contributed to more flooding in Shkodra and several villages near the Adriatic Sea. (Albanian Times - Koha Shqiptare)

Kosova with Biometric passports in 2010

Erind Kurti – Albanian Times

Government of Kosova has declared that in 2010 the authorities will issue biometric passports but an exact date has yet to be confirmed.

In an interview for Albanian Times the adviser of interior ministry of Kosova, Mr Fisnik Rexhepi said that the first biometric passports will be issued in the second half of the year. Mr Rexhepi could not give an exact date when he was asked by Albanian Times, but he said that we are working closely with the local governments on data being gathering to help speed the process.

Legislation was brought forward in the parliament at the end of last year and has yet to be approved and signed Mr Rexhepi said.

Main responsibly lies with interior ministry but there are other procedures and other institutions involved in issuing process.

European commission has a team in place to help Kosovan authorities on the process which will be monitored by the European Union and this will help Kosova moving towards freedom of travel without a visa in the European Union. In the latest studies by the European Union and Kosovan authorities there are around three million ethnic Kosovan in the European Union with the majority in Germany, Switzerland and the Nordic countries. The majority of Kosovan Diaspora hold European passports with the status being issued at the time of Balkan troubles caused by Titto and Milosevic regime who were forcing the population of Kosova out and pushing in Serb citizens into Kosova.

Kosova has made a great progress moving towards European Union in the last few years. Kosovan authorities are keen and have worked hard moving towards free visa regime and the biometric passports are the last step into getting the status of free movement. Kosova government are hoping now with the biometrics passports being issued Kosovan citizens will be traveling to European Union block in the beginning of 2011.

Albania says it's ready to join EU visa-free regime

Albania meets criteria for non-European Union member states to join the 27-country bloc's visa-free regime, following progress made in recent months, Foreign Minister Ilir Meta said.

“Albania today meets all the criteria set by the European Commission for visa liberalisation and we hope for a positive evaluation soon,” Meta told a news conference during a visit to Slovenia.

“What we have been doing so far grants us that Albania will get a positive evaluation soon, and hopefully Bosnia will get it too,” he added.

European foreign ministers in November agreed that Albania had made major progress and should be considered for official EU candidate status, a key step forward in the Balkan country's membership drive.

Albanian police seized 20,000 pairs of contraband shoes from Bulgaria

Morina. In an operation dubbed Morina the Albanian police have foiled the contraband of 20,000 pairs of shoes worth half a million of dollars, Macedonian Sitel television station reports.

The contraband shoes were coming from Bulgaria and were smuggled into Albania from Kosovo at Morina checkpoint. The shoes were loaded in two Mercedes trucks. The police in Albania announced they would continue investigating the case.

Albania ready to join EU’s visa-free regime

Albania has made good progress over recent months and now meets the criteria for non-EU member states to join the visa-free regime.

LJUBLJANA, February 12, 2010 (AFP) - Albania has made good progress over recent months and now meets the criteria for non-EU member states to join the European Union's visa-free regime, its foreign minister said here Friday.

"Albania today meets all the criteria set by the European Commission for the visa liberalisation and we hope for a positive evaluation soon," Ilir Meta told a news conference.

In December, Brussels abolished visas for citizens from Balkan states Serbia, Macedonia and Montenegro after their governments met all the necessary requirements.

Albania, Bosnia and Kosovo were not considered ready just yet.

"What we have been doing so far grants us that Albania will soon get a positive evaluation soon, hopefully Bosnia will get it too," said Meta, who is also Albania's deputy prime minister, after meeting his Slovenian counterpart Samuel Zbogar.

European foreign ministers in November agreed that Albania had made important progress and should be considered for official EU candidate status, a key step forward for the small southern nation's membership ambitions. (Javno, Albanian Diaspora)

Albania: Constitutional Court annuls border deal with Greece

“In the agreement there are procedural and substantive violations of the constitution and of the 1982 UN Convention on the Sea Rights Law,” said the court in a statement.

Albania's Constitutional Court has annulled an agreement with neighboring Greece on the delineation of the continental shelf and maritime borders in the Ionian Sea between the two countries.

“In the agreement there are procedural and substantive violations of the constitution and of the 1982 UN Convention on the Sea Rights Law,” said the court in a statement.

The decision of the court was unanimous, with all nine judges voting to strike down the agreement.

Albanian social groupings and six opposition parties asked the Court to declare it void due to the lack of transparency.

The government had conducted the process before its signing during former Greek Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis' visit to Tirana in April last year.

After filling the required documetnation it was only the Socialist party that formally made the request last November.

The Court had suspended its ratification by the parliament.

The Court considered the deal as "not in line with the Constitution" due to "procedural and substantial violations," according to a statement Wednesday. (EMPortal)

Fatal shooting on Madrid roundabout

Police think it was a gang settling of scores

A man died and another was seriously injured in a shooting which took place on the Francisco de la las Cabezas roundabout in Madrid, next to the Hotel Puerta de Madrid.
It’s in the San Blas area to the east of the capital.

Reports say several people arrived at the scene by foot at around 8pm on Thursday evening. They shot at two people inside a car and then fled the scene.

The dead man is named as Dimitrio N. aged 35 from Albania. He was shot twice and died despite ambulance workers trying to reanimate him for 30 minutes. The injured man is named as Domart K., also from Albania.

A police statement says that everything points to a gang settling of scores.

CoE urges end to Albania's political stalemate

STRASBOURG, France -- The Council of Europe (CoE) issued a report Tuesday that in part urged an end to the political crisis in Albania. The CoE said the contested June 2009 general elections should be investigated, as the opposition, including the Socialist Party (SP), has demanded. The council also urged the SP to end its months-long boycott of parliament and return to work.

It added that the lack of dialogue has contributed to the deterioration of the political environment. The report will be discussed by the Parliamentary Assembly of the CoE next week. (Gazeta Start, Lajmifundit, Shekulli, Top Channel, Telegrafi, Balkan Web, SETimes)

Albania wants answers about plane diverted to Slovakia

TIRANA, Albania -- The government plans to file a complaint with the European Civil Aviation over an incident involving 110 passengers whose flight to Italy was unexpectedly diverted to Slovakia on Sunday (January 17th). The Civil Aviation office confirmed on Monday that the passengers were eventually flown to their original destination, Bologna, after spending 16 hours in a hotel near the Bratislava airport. "It is a very difficult case in the history of Albania's and international civil aviation," said Ervin Mazniku, of the aviation office.