This is the news from Tuesday 11 February.

Prime Minister Edi Rama has reacted following the arrest and imprisonment of Tirana Mayor Erion Veliaj. He called the arrest unjust and said that there were a number of questions regarding the way in which the mayor was arrested and his wife was put under house arrest. Rama said that Velia was taken from the office and locked in a cell without any trial, leaving the capital city without its mayor.

The arrest of the Mayor of Tirana has raised questions about how the capital city will be directed. Veliaj, who was arrested on Monday, had over two years left on his term. IN a statement to BIRN, Prime Minister Edi Rama said Veliaj will not be dismissed from office. According to the law, the practical direction of the municipality can be taken up by one of the vice-mayors.

Amid a number of high-profile arrests and imprisonments of Albanian political class over the last year, Transparency International has assessed that the country has made progress in the fight against corruption. In its index for 2024, the organisation ranked Albania as 80th out of 180 countries, up from 85th the year before.

President of Kosovo Vjosa Osmani has become the first ethnic Albanian official to meet with senior leaders of the new Trump administration. At the Paris Summit on Artificial Intelligence, Vjosa Osmani met with US Vice President JD Vance. In an announcement from the presidency, it was reported Osmani expressed deep gratitude for the alliance with the US, confirming commitment to deepening cooperation in areas of common interest.