The 2026-27 school year brings new initiatives and significant investment in the country’s schools, including new educational facilities, expanded after-school programmes and the introduction of artificial intelligence as a support tool in teaching.

Around 42 new schools and sports facilities opened across Albania for the start of the school year, including eight new schools in Tirana. The new facilities are intended to provide students with modern and safe learning environments that meet European standards.

The Ministry of Education and Sports has distributed textbooks to schools nationwide. For the first time, all primary school pupils from first through fifth grade have been provided with new textbooks free of charge.

Meanwhile, 408 schools across the country have joined the “After School” programme, giving pupils the opportunity to study, take part in recreational activities and develop their talents beyond regular classroom hours.

The programme includes homework support, music, theatre, dance, crafts and visual arts. It is designed to provide students with access to quality after-school activities, help them develop their skills and potential, and encourage social interaction.

Under the new schedule, first- and second-grade pupils whose lessons end at 11:30 a.m. can remain at school until 2 p.m. Those whose classes finish at 12:30 p.m. or 1:10 p.m. can stay until 3 p.m.

Another key change for the 2026-27 school year concerns the organisation of the first day of school at all pre-university education institutions.

The first day will focus on orientation and information, with pupils introduced to school rules, codes of conduct and the organisation of their educational institution.

Artificial intelligence can also be used as a support tool in the classroom this year, according to guidelines prepared by the Ministry of Education and published by the Agency for Quality Assurance of Pre-University Education.

The guidelines set out how teachers and students can use AI tools, including ChatGPT and Gemini, as well as tools for checking and verifying information. The aim is to ensure that technology helps develop human skills rather than replace them.

School safety remains another priority, with 20 schools in Tirana and Kamza equipped with smart cameras as part of the “Smart City” project.

/k.s/j.p/u.sh/

For 7 days in a row, dozens of pilots from all over the world will cross the most challenging terrains and the most beautiful panoramas of the country as part of this race.

Thus, Shkodra is the host of the rally and a symbol of adventure, in a challenge that gets adrenaline going.

With dozens of vehicles and motorcycles adapted for racing on rugged terrain, they will be part of the “Rally Albania” race, which has chosen Shkodra as the symbolic starting point of this challenging journey, promoting not only extreme sports, but also tourism in the northern region of the country.

Participants will pass through cities, mountains and remote areas of the country, before concluding the race in Tirana.

The organizers emphasize that this edition will have more stages, more kilometers and a significant increase in participants from abroad.

“Rally Albania” is not just a race, but an activity that enlivens the economic and tourist life of the areas it passes through, promoting Albania as a destination for motor sports and extreme adventures. /m.m/a.f/p.s./

Attending the opening ceremony of the largest international military exercise in the Balkan region “Defender Europe ’23” were announced to be President Vjosa Osmani, Prime Minister Albin Kurti, Defense Minister Armend Mehaj, KSF Commander, Lieutenant General Bashkim Jashari.

Part of “Defender Europe 23” are 25 NATO countries with over 22 thousand military troops. /KosovaPress/p.s./

The two academies, the Academy of Sciences of Albania and the Academy of Sciences of Kosovo, began work on compiling of the Albanian Encyclopedia.

Head of the Academy of Sciences Skënder Gjinushi said that, “Based on the proposals of the two academies, there is already an agreement between the two governments, which was recently ratified in the Assembly, to guarantee a funding with continuous support. The interstate agreement charges the two academies with compilation of the Albanian Encyclopedia in cooperation with all the main scientific and educational institutions in Albania and Kosovo and guarantees its funding in years”.

On his part, Academician Mehmet Kraja thanked the Academy of Sciences of Albania for the work and the atmosphere it has created during the time for preparation of the project documents.

“The Academy of Sciences of Albania has done an excellent job, because it has been the initiator of all the work, starting with the platform. All preparatory work, contacts with the government and coordinators have started mainly from the Academy of Sciences of Albania to continue in Kosovo and beyond”, said the head of the Academy of Sciences of Kosovo.

The scholars say that it is necessary that all knowledge on origin and development of Albanians be spread through this work that will include 1 thousand researchers./p.s./

Attending the start of the works was Minister of Tourism and Environment Mirela Kumbaro and the political leader of the ruling Socialist Party for Vlora region, MP Blendi Klosi.

Kumbaro said that throughout its length “Lungomare 3” will be equipped with several parallel tracks and paths that will also cross the sea and return to the road for pedestrians and promenades, but also with a special lane for bicycles.

While Klosi expressed his belief that thanks to this investment, this area will be transformed into a 5-star service area.

“The whole area has received an extraordinary value from the point of view of economic value. It is a project that has designed a touristic value with 5-star services from 5-star hotels, marina and up to the airport”, he said.

On his part, the Executive Director of the Arab Development Fund Abdulrahman Al-Marshad said that the investment of the government of Saudi Arabia in cooperation with the Albanian government has a value of 1.5 billion USD.

“It is an investment that is worth about 1.5 billion dollars and is of great importance for the future and development of the area along this coastline. It is a project that will affect the development of tourism but also of this area. We believing that in the future, we will have new important projects”, said Abdulrahman Al-Marshad. /m.m/j.p /r.e/p.s./

Director of the Albanian Road Authority Evis Berberi said that the works for building this road will be extended in three phases due to the high cost in the state budget, while currently the works have started on the Fushë Labinot-Miraka road segment.

“There is already set up the construction site for the start of the works. The works on the first segment of 5.3 km starting from Fushë Labinot and ending in Miraka has started. The value of the first phase of the project is ALL 2.6 billion including VAT, the signed contract”, said Berberi.

The new Category B road segment, which includes 4 lanes of traffic with a minimum speed of 110 km/h, goes by the side of Përrenjas to Rrajca.

Berberi said in an interview to the media that, “With the new customs point that is being built, we do not enter Përrenjas at all, but take the Bushtrica bridge directly, turn left and go out into the Lunik valley”.

This important segment for the Southeast, but also for the region, is expected to be completed within 2 years.

The Elbasan-Qafë Thana road segment, classified as a main interurban road, will be composed of lanes of 3.75 meters each, with a green traffic divider in the middle and also greenery near the river bank. It will also cut the travel time. If until today it takes 1 hour and 30 minutes to go to Qafë Thana, it will be reached in just 35 minutes. /j.p/p.s./

Bilali drew attention to the initiative taken for the first time by the Albanian government to support the startup eco-system, for which the Albanian government in the next four years has made available a fund of 10 million Euros.

“The government is also committed to introducing Smart Specialization Strategy S3 within the next year,” Bilali said.

Following the Ministerial, Bilali held a meeting with representatives of the European Commission of the Department of Research and Innovation.

Bilali shared the innovations in the eco-system of startups, but also the challenges, which, she said, can be overcome thanks to cooperation and exchange of experiences./j.p/r.e/p.s./

The flight is organized by the Zürich-based Tour Operator Illyrian Eagle.

Prime Minister Edi Rama said that Albania’s second sky gate will open to the international commercial flights today.

“First commercial passenger plane flying from Zürich is scheduled to land in Zayed North Wings airport in Kukes on Friday, opening Albania’s second sky gate for commercial flights,” PM Rama said via social media.

The return flight to Zürich will be operated later on the day, after one hour and half of turnaround time, directed.

A ceremony on the airport’s tarmac is set to welcome the first flight Zürich to Kukës followed by a press conference.

Helvetic Airways is a Swiss regional airline based at Zürich Airport (ZRH) and operates 34 destinations worldwide, including Europe and Northern Africa, as well as scheduled flights on behalf of Swiss International Airlines and Lufthansa. Destinations include Bordeaux, Calvi, Larnaca, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote, Palma de Mallorca, Tenerife, Corfu, Heraklion, Kos, Rhodes, Shannon, Brindisi, Lamezia, Olbia, Pristina, Skopje, Ohrid, Bern, Zurich, Birmingham, Manchester and Inverness.

Kukes airport will mainly offer low-cost flights.

The Kukes airport covers an area of 512, 000 square meters and it has a single runway 1900 meters in length and 45 meters in width. It is a 3C category airport and it accommodates turboprop aircrafts and regional jets. The airport’s projected capacity is around one million passengers a year.

The international airport of Kukes is the second civil airport in Albania.

/u.sh/

The Association members, after being acquainted with the proposals submitted by the Competition Sector, reviewed and then approved the relevant proposals through a circular decision.

The 2021-2022 season will start on August 28 with the final of the Albanian Super Cup and will end on May 31, 2022 with the final of the Albanian Cup.

The Superior Category will start on September 11, 2021 and will end on May 26, 2022, while the First Category will start on September 11, 2021 to close on May 7, 2022.

Following are the start and end dates of all competitions:

The Albanian Super Cup will take place on 28.08.2021.

The Championship of the “Superior” Category will start on 11.09.2021 and end on 26.05.2022.

The First Category Championship will start on 11.09.2021 and end on 07.05.2022.

The Second Category Championship will start on 19.09.2021 and end on 01.05.2022.

Albanian Cup, Preliminaries Tour will start on 11.09.2021 and end on 31.05.2022.

The Women’s Championship will start on 26.09.2021 and end on 30.04.2022./r.e/p.s./