Albania

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Merkel in … Albania: Come, join the club

German Chancellor Angela Merkel came within a few hundred kilometers of the Greek border on Wednesday, arriving in Tirana, the capital of Albania, to tell her hosts that  the EU will not “artificially” block their path towards EU accession.

She’s expected to press home the same message in Serbia and Bosnia-Herzegovina, her next stops in a mini tour of the western Balkans.

Kosovo-Born Kickboxing Champion Dies Fighting for ISIS

Swiss TV on Monday reported the death of the 29-year-old athlete of Kosovo Albanian origin - who moved to Germany aged six - saying it was announced on Facebook in a post uploaded by his brother.

Gashi died last Saturday under circumstances that remain unclear, the Swiss public broadcaster, said.

Albania Arrests Suspect in Czech Tourists' Murder

After a large-scale manhunt, police on Sunday arrested Sokol Mjacaj, the suspect in the murder of Czech couple who were shot dead in their car while driving in a mountainous area in Albania's rugged north.

Michael Svatos, 27, and his partner Anna Kosinova, 36, were killed on a mountain road on Friday and their car was pushed into a ravine.

Bulgaria Granted Citizenship to 808 Foreign Nationals in 2013 - Eurostat

According to the latest figures of Eurostat, which were released on Wednesday, Bulgaria granted citizenship to 808 foreign nationals in 2013.

Bulgaria granted the third lowest number of citizenships in the EU, the only two member states granting less being Lithuania and Slovakia.

Albania Arrests Terror Suspect Wanted in Italy

Albanian police on Wednesday arrested Baki Coku, saying he was the subject of an international warrant issued by Interpol Roma and was suspected of belonging to an organization "whose goal was to carry terrorist acts.

"His arrest was carried out with the aim of extradition [to Italy] and was part of an international anti-terror operation," the Albanian police added.  

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