After a serious and prolonged illness, in the early hours of Wednesday morning, her heart stopped beating, leaving deep pain among her family members, friends, colleagues, and all those who knew her closely. The city of Korça lost one of its most beloved people, a dedicated educator who devoted her life to educating generations, as well as a person with a great spirit, always smiling, positive, and close to anyone in need. Jorgjeta Babliku will be remembered for a long time f

The social housing program continues to remain one of the main pillars of public policies aimed at supporting families and individuals in need, with the goal of ensuring access to adequate and affordable housing for groups that cannot cope with housing market costs. According to official data from the Ministry of Finance, the medium-term objective of this program is to provide housing by 2030 for around 35,000 individuals and families who have applied for support and are faci

The year 2026 begins with the implementation of the government’s decision to provide monthly compensation for pensioners, a measure aimed at easing the financial burden on the elderly amid rising prices. Expert Kujtim Hoxha, in an interview with Ora News, explained who qualifies and how much additional money each category receives. Pensioners receiving up to 40,000 ALL per month will benefit from up to 1,800 ALL extra per month. Those with pensions up to 22,000 ALL receive a

The second installment of payments for the 2025 National Support Schemes has been completed. AARD informs farmers that the second installment of payments for the 2025 National Support Schemes has been transferred to second-tier banks and is being distributed to the accounts of around 65,000 beneficiary farmers. With the additional fund of 1,960,406,000 ALL, AARD has enabled the payments for measures 1–8 and thanks the farmers for their cooperation and patience. “KORÇA BOOM”

A 6.2-magnitude earthquake struck western Japan. It was reported that the epicenter of the earthquake was located in Shimane Prefecture in western Japan, at a depth of 10 kilometers. There were no reports of casualties or material damage, and a tsunami warning was issued, but it was lifted a few minutes after the tremors. “KORÇA BOOM”

The second week of January has begun with rainfall across the country. Anira Gjoni from the Institute of Geosciences stated that the rain will continue until Thursday. The districts most affected will be especially Shkodra and Vlora. “In the districts of Shkodër, Kukës, Vlorë, and Gjirokastër, we will have heavy rainfall, which may cause flooding of small mountain rivers and landslides. In the rest of the districts, rainfall will be moderate. From January 5 to 8, we expect an

Pandeli Opingari, one of the most respected figures in Vlorë sports and a former Flamurtari player, passed away this Sunday from injuries sustained in a road accident two days earlier, while crossing the street at a pedestrian crossing in the city of Vlorë. The incident occurred on January 2 on “Demokracia” street, where the 96-year-old was struck by an Audi driven by a 22-year-old with the initials O.A. Opingari was immediately taken to the hospital and remained in intensive

Albania continues to be gripped by severe weather for several days, with rainfall, strong winds, and traffic problems in some areas of the country. On several road axes, mainly in mountainous areas, blockages and difficulties in movement have been reported. According to meteorologists, the bad weather is expected to continue until January 7, with occasional heavy rainfall and falling temperatures in higher areas, where snowfall remains problematic. In the north and northeast

If you are skilled in finance, information technology, or healthcare… then 2026 is your year. This is not an astrological prediction, but a well-founded analysis based on labor market demand and supply. “Based on articles from Forbes and various international forecasts, the most in-demand skills of 2025 continue to be computer-related, artificial intelligence… but there is also an increasing focus on interpersonal skills as well as technical skills, mainly related to healthca

With the start of 2026, the retirement age for women in Albania changes, as do the required years of work for both genders, according to reforms that came into effect in January 2015. The reform, undertaken 10 years ago, planned a gradual increase in retirement age and years of service, directly linked to pension amounts. Specifically, women will retire at 62 years old in 2026, up from 61 years and 10 months in 2025, while men will continue to retire at 65. The required years

Starting this year, the government’s decision to increase pensions through monthly bonuses, as previously announced by Prime Minister Edi Rama, comes into effect. The increase will be applied monthly according to different categories of pensioners. City pensioners will receive an additional 1,800 lekë per month, urban partial pensions will get 800 lekë/month, rural pensions 1,000 lekë/month, family pensions 700 lekë/month, and disability pensions 600 lekë/month. This new sche

At the Korçë maternity hospital, the first baby of 2026 has been born a boy. The birth was carried out via surgical intervention in the early hours of the morning. According to information from the maternity medical staff, both the newborn and the mother are in good health, and the delivery proceeded without complications. The birth of the first baby of the year is always a symbolic and special moment for the city, marking a positive start to the New Year. “KORÇA BOOM”

From today, January 1, 2026, the increase of the minimum wage to 50,000 lekë comes into force. The rise in the minimum wage reflects the continuation of policies aimed at gradually increasing incomes and protecting employees. In recent years, the minimum wage has followed a steady upward trend, in response to the rising cost of living and the need to strengthen social welfare. From 24,000 lekë in 2017, through continuous increases over the years, the minimum wage reaches 50,0

The leader of the “Nisma Shqipëria Bëhet” movement, Adriatik Lapaj, has extended New Year wishes to Albanians from “Dëshmorët e Kombit” Boulevard. As seen in the photos, Lapaj and his supporters set up their New Year’s Eve dinner beneath the office of Prime Minister Edi Rama, where they have been protesting for several weeks, calling for his resignation. “Happy New Year, good people!” he said, while also inviting citizens to join the dinner with their families. “Until midnigh

The seismological telemetry network reported that an earthquake was recorded last night in North Macedonia. “The seismological telemetry network of the Republic of North Macedonia, at the seismological stations installed across the country and maintained by the Seismological Observatory at the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics in Skopje, recorded an earthquake last night at 22:06. The epicenter was located in the Peshtani-Ohrid-Struga area, approximately 103 km sout

In these last days of the year, the city of Korça is packed with tourists and visitors who have chosen it to celebrate the arrival of the New Year 2026. Many emigrants have also returned to celebrate with their families or to spend the holidays in various venues with live music. During the morning hours, the Old Bazaar area is one of the most frequented, while there is also heavy movement in the pedestrian zone and the city center. For tourists and visitors, Korça is magical

A sad story has emerged this Monday morning: the heart of actress Ema Andrea’s twin brother has stopped beating. Sources report that former basketball player and sports journalist Enea Andrea passed away at the age of 55 due to a heart attack while training at a gym. As a basketball player, Enea played for the Dinamo team around 2005, and later he pursued a career in journalism and sports commentary, covering basketball games in the NBA and EuroLeague. So far, the actress has

Doctors are urging extra caution during the holidays, highlighting the risks from accidents, alcohol, and fireworks. Hospitals will be on full alert to handle any emergencies. As citizens prepare to celebrate the New Year, doctors at the University Trauma Hospital are calling for heightened care in traffic, alcohol consumption, and the use of pyrotechnics. In a video message published by the Ministry of Health, medical staff emphasized that every year during the holidays, the

On the occasion of the year-end holidays, the Korçë College of Arbitrators wishes to extend its warmest greetings to the entire sports community, including referees, football players, coaches, and fans. This year has been full of challenges, but also achievements for all of us contributing to the development of sport and fair competition on football fields. Referees have always been at the heart of the game, ensuring fairness, professionalism, and respect for the rules of the

The rise in fruit and vegetable prices ahead of the year-end holidays is a concern for the citizens of Gjirokastër, who say they are unable to cover festive expenses. Residents report that pensions are not even enough to pay for medicines. They say prices have increased significantly and have become unaffordable, with 1 kg of meat being sold for 13,000 old lek during these festive days, while incomes have remained the same. Meager pensions are insufficient even to buy medicin