NATO: Any decision on reopening Ibër bridge must address all communities
TIRANA, August 21 – NATO says any decision to reopen the main bridge over the Ibër River to vehicle traffic must address the needs of all local communities. A NATO official told Radio Free Europe that KFOR continues to provide security support for European Union diplomatic efforts. The official said …
Albanian anthem omitted in Pustec, PM Rama: ‘Parody’, minorities are a national asset, we will not respond in kind
TIRANA, August 21 – Prime Minister Edi Rama has reacted to the cultural event held in Pustec on August 20. Organisers played the North Macedonian national anthem but omitted the Albanian national anthem. In a post on X, Rama described the incident as a “meaningful parody”. He said Pustec Mayor …
Albania’s Diverse Fruit Production: From Korçë Apples to Berat Figs
Albania has a diverse fruit production map, with different regions specializing in different crops. Korçë remains one of the country’s leading apple-producing areas. The municipality produced around 17,700 tonnes of apples in 2025. Maliq followed with about 17,200 tonnes, while Devoll produced nearly 13,000 tonnes. Elbasan leads the country in …
Gjirokastër Castle Welcomes 161,000 Visitors in Seven Months, Up 13%
Gjirokastër Castle continues to attract growing numbers of visitors. Between January and July 2026, the historic site welcomed 161,274 visitors, marking a 13% increase from the same period last year. Tourism, Culture and Sports Minister Blendi Gonxhja announced the figures. He said the castle continues to attract visitors because of …
Albanian Olympic Committee delegation attends election of new Mediterranean Games chief
TIRANA, August 21 – Albanian Olympic Committee President Fidel Ylli and Secretary General Gerti Shima took part in the election of Francesco Purromuto as the new president of the International Committee of Mediterranean Games. The election took place in Taranto ahead of the opening of the Taranto 2026 Mediterranean Games. …
Albania’s National Cinematography Center Opens Call for Debut Feature Films
The National Cinematography Center (QKK) has opened applications for its “First Feature Film” category. The call targets Albanian filmmakers and emerging talents who want to bring their first feature-length projects to the big screen. QKK aims to support new filmmakers with original ideas and distinctive stories. The initiative gives young …
Albanian Football Federation chief Duka highlights competition and young talent as new season begins
TIRANA, August 21 – The new Abissnet Superiore season starts today on RTSH. The 88th edition of Albania’s top football division opens with Vllaznia against Skënderbeu at Loro Boriçi Stadium at 21:00. Albanian Football Federation President Armand Duka says the new season will bring stronger competition and new opportunities for …
Zelensky Visit to Belgrade: What Could He Learn from Israeli Experience
by Edward P. Joseph Tirana Times, August 21, 2026 – At the NATO Summit in Ankara last month, I had the high honor of meeting President Zelensky. Had I known he was heading soon to Belgrade, I would have shared critical advice with his advisors. Besieged by an aggressor like …
‘Return Hubs’ for Migrants Anticipated in Balkans for ‘Era of Deportations’
As the EU awaits final approval for plans to set up ‘return hubs’ in third countries for migrants awaiting deportation, it’s predicted that Balkan countries could end up hosting such holding centres despite concerns about human rights violations. Original post Here
Waste Money Wasted: The Millions of Euros Behind Albania’s Ghost Incinerators
BIRN dissects the accusations against 12 individuals standing trial for allegedly siphoning millions of euros in public money supposed to be spent on solving Tirana’s long-standing garbage problem. Original post Here
TIRANA, August 27 – The National Opera, Ballet and Folk Ensemble Theatre increased its artistic activity during January-July 2026. Revenue from cultural events more than doubled to ALL 19 million, from ALL 9.44 million in the same period of 2025. The theatre staged 150 events in the first 7 months, …
TIRANA, August 27 – Léon Rey, the French archaeologist who discovered and documented Apollonia’s archaeological heritage, was born on August 27, 1887. Following a 1923 agreement between the Albanian and French governments, Rey led the French archaeological mission in Albania. He directed excavations at Apollonia for 14 years. The work …
TIRANA, August 27 – Albania’s General Directorate of Archives has made digitization a priority in its efforts to preserve the country’s documentary heritage. The institution has also made its Study Room accessible online to the public. Meanwhile, General Director Auron Rrokaj said the archives had created a digitization centre and …
TIRANA, August 27 – Albin Kurti and Lumir Abdixhiku have moved to specific names in talks on the next president of Kosova. The 2 leaders met for more than 2 hours as part of efforts to resolve the institutional crisis. Kurti said the meeting marked the first time they had …
TIRANA, August 27 – More than 19,000 companies with fully foreign or joint foreign capital were registered in Albania by July 2026, according to data from the Albanian Investment Development Agency and the National Business Centre. The data showed that 19,370 such companies operated in Albania. Of these, 16,093 had …
TIRANA, August 27 – Albania ranked among the most active partners of the European Union Agency for Criminal Justice Cooperation, Eurojust, in 2025. According to Eurojust’s 2025 Annual Report, Albania took part in 121 cases. As a result, it ranked third among non-EU countries, after Switzerland and the United Kingdom. …
After being on the run for several months, businessman Ergys Agasi was arrested over his alleged involvement in a corruption scandal surrounding tenders for the national agency overseeing the development of state information systems. Original post Here
TIRANA, August 27 – The State Police said several institutions in cities across Albania had received threatening emails this morning claiming that bombs had been placed inside the buildings. Police said officers had immediately begun checks at the institutions named in the threats. So far, they had found no bombs …
TIRANA, August 27 – A total of 387 new recruits officially joined Albania’s State Police after completing the General Patrol training course. The certification ceremony took place at the Security Academy, where Interior Minister Besfort Lamallari and State Police Director General Skënder Hita stressed the need to strengthen crime prevention …
TIRANA, August 27 – Prime Minister Edi Rama shared images of Theth on social media and described the mountain area as one of the most visited destinations by domestic and foreign tourists during the summer season. Theth lies about 70 kilometres from Shkodër. In recent years, the area has become …