Daily SumUp

It was barely 10 am on Thursday, October 31, but after serving coffee, the young dervish in a white tunic inevitably asked: "Would you also like a raki?" Tirana's Bektashis may claim to be Muslims, but they follow the very Balkan tradition of offering guests this traditional plum or grape brandy.

Ever since Albania's Prime Minister Edi Rama made the surprise announcement in the New York Times on September 21, and at the UN the following day, that he intended to give sovereign state status to the world headquarters of this Sufi movement to make it "a center of moderation, tolerance and peaceful coexistence," Albanians have been wondering whether their government leader, known for his love of making headlines, is really serious.