Albania

Eight people have died in southern Albania when a car carrying suspected migrants swerved off a mountain road into a ravine, police said.

The car fell on the rocky bank of the fast-flowing Vjosa River, about 240 kilometers southeast of the capital, Tirana, around 4 a.m., according to a police statement.

In a devastating incident in southern Albania, eight people lost their lives, including seven suspected migrants, in a car crash early this morning while attempting to evade police pursuit, as reported by AFP.

On Wednesday the funerals of the two women - Today in Albania the body of the 21-year-old woman

Following the Tuesday conviction of ethnic Greek mayor Fredi Beleri in Albania over alleged vote-buying, sources from within the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Wednesday expressed their concern over the rule of law in Albania and the objectivity of its justice system.

NATO member Albania, which has no fighter jets of its own, opened a rebuilt Soviet-era air base to serve NATO aircraft on Monday amid an increased threat from Russia, Prime Minister Edi Rama said.

Bulgaria's commitment to Albania's EU aspirations and bilateral cooperation took center stage during a meeting between Rosen Zhelyazkov, Speaker of the National Assembly of Bulgaria, and Lindita Nikolla, Speaker of the National Assembly of Albania, in Tirana.

Bulgaria has received assurances from Albania regarding the protection of the rights of the Bulgarian minority within its borders, alongside a commitment to ensure transparency in the upcoming census.

Albania's Parliament votes Thursday on a deal with Italy to hold thousands of migrants rescued in international waters by the Italian authorities while their asylum applications are processed.

Defense Minister Nikos Dendias conveyed a message to Albania on Wednesday, urging the country to respect the European Union standards and regulations as it progresses towards EU accession.

For the past nine months, Kathimerini has been drawing attention to the judicial odyssey of Fredi Beleri, the mayor-elect of the predominantly ethnic Greek city of Himare in southern Albania, and to the violations of human rights, the rule of law and the principles of democracy entailed in his persecution.