Bad weather and low temperatures have caused chaos across Albania over Sunday and Monday. Snowfall has blocked a number of main roads in Shkodra and Kukës and the south as well as various regional roads while 77 schools have been closed. Powerlines have been damaged due to high winds and fallen trees, leaving many without power overnight. Authorities have been working to clear roads and restore power to Affected regions.

Within two days, more than 9 thousand Albanians living in the diaspora have applied to vote in the parliamentary elections on May 11. Experts say that at this rate there could be several hundred thousand voters from the diaspora by the deadline which could make the election result unpredictable. This is the first time that Albanians living in diaspora will participate in national elections.

The number of cars in Albania is increasing. During 2024, 100 thousand cars were imported, an average of about 8 thousand cars per month. For the first time, the main country of import is not Germany and Italy, but South Korea. In total, Albania has about 925 thousand vehicles.

The naming of the state of Kosovo as “Kosovo and Metohija”, in an announcement by the Minister for Inter-Community Relations in North Macedonia, has caused debates in Skopje. Albanian parties accuse the government of questioning the recognition of Kosovo’s independence, while the Albanian deputy prime minister in the government said ‘the confusion occurred’ because the minister who made the appointment is Serbian.