Mother Teresa’s first visit to Albania
TIRANA, August 14 – Mother Teresa made her first visit to Albania on August 14-17, 1989. The country still lived under communist rule, while her religious and humanitarian work made her a sensitive figure for the Albanian authorities. Officials classified the visit as private. Marie Goreti, an Albanian-born nun from …
Kanina offers a scenic stop on the road to southern Albania
TIRANA, August 14 – The road to Vlora offers more than access to the coast. It also gives visitors the chance to enjoy panoramic views along the journey. At the heights of Kanina, tourists can stop and admire Vlora and its bay. The viewpoint offers a wide panorama stretching from …
Saranda cited as example of public beach management
TIRANA, August 14 – Saranda has emerged as a positive example of public beach management during the current tourist season. The city has increased public access and introduced approved, balanced fees. Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sports Blendi Gonxhja said the number of public beach plots and stations has increased …
Private sector loan portfolio grows by around 14%
TIRANA, August 14 – The private sector loan portfolio grew by around 14% in the second quarter from a year earlier. The increase reflects stronger bank financing for businesses and individuals. According to Bank of Albania data, lending expanded across most categories. Businesses continue to show strong demand for loans, …
BIRN Reality Check: What Has Albania’s AI ‘Minister’ Achieved So Far?
Nearly a year after Prime Minister Edi Rama introduced an AI chatbot as a ‘virtual minister’ in his cabinet to tackle corruption, has the technology been a success? Original post Here
Euronews: European Union faces decisive moment on enlargement
TIRANA, August 14 – International media network Euronews says the European Union faces a decisive moment over its enlargement policy. The bloc must balance progress by candidate countries with internal reforms needed to operate as a larger and more complex union. Montenegro and Albania rank among the most advanced candidates, …
Dinamo reach Conference League play-off
TIRANA, August 14 – Dinamo secured a place in the Conference League play-off after beating Auda 4-0 at Elbasan Arena. Dinamo, coached by Albanian Ilir Daja, overturned a 1-0 first-leg defeat in Latvia and continued their European campaign. Qardaku opened the scoring in the 36th minute, while Qefalia doubled Dinamo’s …
Egnatia overturn Shamrock defeat to reach Europa League play-off
TIRANA, August 14 – Albanian champions Egnatia reached the Europa League play-off after a 5-1 win over Shamrock Rovers in Rrogozhina. The result overturned their 3-1 first-leg defeat and secured a meeting with Norwegian side Lillestrom. Egnatia have also secured a place in the Conference League league phase. This applies …
Weather today: Cloudy skies, rain and thunderstorms
TIRANA, August 14 – Albania will experience broadly similar weather conditions today, August 14. Skies will remain mostly clear, with moderate cloud cover that will occasionally become denser over mountainous areas in the south and southeast. Meanwhile, light rain is expected across most of the country. Short thunderstorms may occur …
Wildfires across Albania: 29 reported in 24 hours, 11 remain active
TIRANA, August 14 – Albania reported 29 wildfires during the past 24 hours. Eleven remain active, while authorities are monitoring 3 fires and have brought 4 under control. The Ministry of Defence said 249 firefighters, 48 police officers, 233 municipal and forestry personnel, 206 volunteers and 118 Armed Forces personnel …
Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Ferit Hoxha met with US Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs Allison Hooker on the sidelines of the Bled Strategic Forum. Hoxha said the meeting reaffirmed the strategic partnership between Albania and the United States. The two officials discussed ways to deepen bilateral cooperation …
Today marks one year since the death of People’s Artist Dhimitër Anagnosti (1936–2025), one of the most influential figures in Albanian cinema. Born in Vuno, Himara, Anagnosti graduated in cinematography from the Moscow Film Institute in 1960. He began his career as a cinematographer at the “New Albania” Film Studio. …
President Bajram Begaj congratulated Albanian weightlifter Briken Calja today after his gold-medal performance at the Taranto 2026 Mediterranean Games. Begaj praised Calja’s achievement and highlighted his new Mediterranean record. “Congratulations, Briken! Albania is proud of you,” Begaj wrote in his message. He also described the achievement as “a new record …
Prime Minister Edi Rama welcomed Albanian heavyweight boxer Nelson Hysa to his office today. Rama met Hysa after the boxer successfully defended his WBO title against Norwegian fighter Thomas Narmo. During the meeting, Rama asked Hysa about the fight and his career in the ring. Hysa spoke about the challenge, …
On September 1, 1912, Shkodra opened Albania’s first public cinema, known as the “Grand-Kino Skioptiko-Electric Theatre.” Austrian entrepreneur Jozef Shtauber launched the initiative. Meanwhile, renowned Shkodra painter Kolë Idromeno supported the project and offered space in his home for the screenings. The cinema continued showing films until 1914. However, the …
Interior Minister Besfort Lamallari has signed an order that changes the age limits for joining the Albanian State Police. The new rules open more opportunities for applicants. They target young people, experienced professionals and employees from other security institutions. The decision follows requests from citizens who contacted the minister through …
The Ministry of Defense has provided the latest update on the wildfire situation across the country. According to the update issued at 09:00 on September 1, 2026, a total of 27 wildfires were reported over the past 24 hours, of which 4 remain active, while another 4 are under monitoring. …
Islam Selmani is the Mediterranean karate champion after winning gold at the Taranto 2026 Mediterranean Games. In the final of the up to 60 kg category, he defeated Turkish karate athlete Burak Ozdemir 1-0. The bout was closely contested, with Selmani scoring the only point. This is Kosovo’s seventh medal …
Albanian weightlifter Briken Calja has won the gold medal at the Taranto 2026 Mediterranean Games, setting a new record in the process. President of the Republic Bajram Begaj praised the Albanian athlete’s achievement in a post on social media. “Congratulations to our weightlifter, Briken Calja, on winning the gold medal …
The Municipal Police have continued their operation to clear public spaces of illegally placed barriers used to reserve parking spaces. During Tuesday’s operation, officers focused on the residential blocks near “Pranvera” Square and the area around the former police district headquarters, where various obstacles were removed. Concrete blocks, metal structures, …