Greek authorities have been placed on alert following a shooting at a beach bar in Anavyssos, Athens, in which Albanian national Alket Rizai is suspected of being involved. Known in Greece for his high-profile prison escapes and his past ties to the country’s most wanted fugitive, Vasilis Paleokostas, Rizai was out of his cell on leave and was due to return to Domokos Prison.

Police were notified of the shooting at around 5:15 a.m. When officers arrived in the area, those involved were no longer there, while two shell casings and spots of blood were found at the scene.

Later, the Kalivia Health Center informed police that it had treated two injured people. One was a 20-year-old Greek man who had suffered an ankle injury from glass fragments, while the other was a 41-year-old Pakistani man who had sustained a gunshot wound to the calf. Both were employees of the business.

The initial statements given by the injured men and the venue’s owner did not match. However, through video footage, police have managed to piece together a partial picture of what happened.

According to the line of inquiry being pursued, the owner had turned down the volume of the music after most of the customers had left. At that point, Rizai, who was at the venue with two other people, went out to the parking lot and played loud music from his vehicle.

The owner approached him and asked him to turn down the volume, fearing that the noise could prompt police intervention. The argument then escalated into a confrontation, involving other people who had come out of the venue.

During the conflict, Rizai is suspected of having pulled out a gun and fired into the air. A firearm was also used by an Afghan national who came out of the venue and is suspected of working as a security guard. The bullets ricocheted, injuring the two business employees.

After the incident, Alket Rizai left by car along with the two people accompanying him. The Afghan national also fled the scene and has been declared wanted.

The venue’s owner has been arrested on charges of giving false testimony about the incident.

Greek police are also searching for Rizai because his leave has expired. He is due to report to Domokos Prison on Monday and, if he does not return within the deadline, risks being considered an escapee. This has increased the authorities’ efforts to locate him.

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Vetëvendosje Movement MP Nezir Kraki said on Sunday on the “Review” program, hosted by Greta Topjana on Euronews Albania, that Prime Minister Albin Kurti had reached an agreement with LDK leaders on a joint candidacy for president of Kosovo.

According to Kraki, the agreed name is Bekim Sejdiu. He called on the LDK to maintain its constructive approach and demonstrate that it supports the normal functioning of institutions.

Kraki said he expects the LDK to reflect in the coming days, restore its internal unity and make its position concrete in the process of electing the president.

“The agreement between the leadership of the LDK and that of the Vetëvendosje Movement, including Mr. Kurti, concerns the name of Bekim Sejdiu, who is considered a consensus candidate. Mathematically, the LDK’s 18 MPs and our 62 MPs make 80, also meeting the requirement for a double quorum in Kosovo,” he said.

The MP added that the 80 MPs must be present in the chamber and participate directly in the vote by rising from their seats and casting their ballots in the box.

“The conditions exist. I call on my LDK colleagues to carry the constructive approach they have shown in recent weeks through to the end and prove together that this party truly has an institutionalist sensibility. The regular functioning of the system must take precedence over political parties and over any political situation that may arise,” Kraki declared.

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The head of the Democratic Party’s Parliamentary Group, Gazment Bardhi, has criticized the government over the high price of fuel in Albania, calling for intervention through tax cuts.

In a statement on social media, Bardhi said that diesel in the country is among the most expensive in the region. According to him, the price of one liter reaches 219 lekë, while around 100 lekë consists of fiscal obligations, including the excise duty, circulation tax, carbon tax and VAT.

He accused Prime Minister Edi Rama of failing to use mechanisms to mitigate the impact of rising prices on citizens. Bardhi argued that whenever fuel prices rise, consumers pay more and, consequently, the government collects more revenue without returning it in the form of relief for citizens.

STATEMENT: THE FUEL ALGORITHM AND EDI RAMA’S ALGORITHM

According to Bardhi, Edi Rama’s governance has for years relied on several “algorithms”: those of corruption, organized crime, money laundering and taxation.

All of these, he continued, constitute a scheme in which citizens pay increasingly more while receiving increasingly less from the government.

To understand this situation, Bardhi said it is enough to look at the price displayed at the nearest fuel station, where one liter of diesel is sold for as much as 219 lekë.

He described the calculation of the fuel price as simple: of the 219 lekë paid by citizens, around 100 lekë goes toward the excise duty, circulation tax, carbon tax and VAT.

“When the price rises, citizens pay more. When citizens pay more, the government collects more,” Bardhi said, adding that the government benefits from this increase but provides citizens with no relief in return.

According to him, this approach is linked to the fact that citizens’ well-being is not a priority for Edi Rama. Bardhi claimed that the additional millions collected from the rise in fuel prices are used to finance corruption through tenders worth two to three times more than they should be, as, according to him, has been seen in the files involving Belinda Balluku and Ergys Agasi.

Bardhi rejected the justification that prices have risen everywhere, asking why fuel is cheaper in other countries in the region. He said their governments have used mechanisms to cushion or limit the increase, while in Albania people are expected to wait for the price to reach 220 lekë per liter before action is taken on the excise duty.

B – BELIEF? Wait until it reaches 220 lekë/liter.

E – EMPATHY? Zero tax cuts.

S – SERVICE? 219 lekë/liter.

A – COMMITMENT? More profits for the government.

Three months ago, according to Bardhi, Edi Rama voted against the Democratic Party’s proposal to lower fuel prices through two measures.

The first proposal was to cut the circulation tax, while the second called for the creation of an automatic mechanism. If the state collected more VAT because of the rise in fuel prices, the additional revenue would be returned to citizens through a reduction in the excise duty.

Bardhi said there is still an opportunity to change this situation and implement the proposal rejected three months ago. But, according to him, this requires changing the “main algorithm”: making fuel Edi Rama’s problem.

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Greek police have released new details about the serious incident in Rhodope, where Esma Meço, a 44-year-old originally from Gramsh, died after being stabbed in her home.

Her husband, Bujar Meço, 53, also from Gramsh, has been arrested and is being investigated as the main suspect in the murder.

The incident occurred around noon on August 26. A family member found the 44-year-old inside the house with serious injuries caused by a sharp object. She was taken to Komotini Hospital but did not survive her injuries.

Authorities initially suspect that the 53-year-old stabbed his wife and then injured himself. He was taken by ambulance to the hospital, where he remains under treatment and police guard.

During a search of the home, authorities seized two knives, which are considered physical evidence in the investigation.

Criminal proceedings have been initiated against Bujar Meço for murder, domestic violence and violation of the Weapons Law. Investigators are working to determine all the circumstances and the motive behind the incident.

This was not the first case of violence recorded in the family. In 2022, in Heraklion, Crete, Bujar Meço was arrested in connection with domestic threats against his wife, Esma Meço.

The Albanian couple, both originally from Gramsh, had three children. The investigation is being conducted by the Komotini Department for the Investigation and Prosecution of Crimes, while the 53-year-old continues to receive hospital treatment under the supervision of the Greek authorities.

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Greek authorities are continuing their investigation into the tragedy in Nea Smyrni, where a 48-year-old man of Albanian origin shot and killed a 45-year-old woman, also Albanian, before taking his own life.

Investigators are trying to reconstruct what happened in the hours leading up to the crime and shed light on the relationship between the two individuals.

One of the main issues being examined is the nature of their personal relationship. So far, it has not been established what kind of relationship they had, how long it had lasted or whether there was tension between them.

According to the authorities, clarifying this element could help determine the motive that drove the 48-year-old to commit the murder.

According to published reports, the 48-year-old was married and had one child. His wife told the authorities that she was unaware of any relationship between him and the 45-year-old woman.

Police are searching the 48-year-old’s home in Tavros, where they hope to find evidence that could clarify his relationship with the victim and indicate whether the incident had been planned in advance.

Investigators are focusing on electronic devices, documents and any other material that could help trace his movements and communications before he went to Nea Smyrni.

At the same time, investigators are examining both individuals’ mobile phones and online activity to determine whether there had been a conflict, meeting or communications before the incident that could be linked to the murder.

The incident occurred in the early hours of Sunday in Nea Smyrni. According to preliminary information, the 48-year-old had gone to 3 Grigoriou Kydonion Street, where he remained inside his vehicle while waiting for the 45-year-old woman to leave the apartment building.

The 45-year-old lived in the building with her 16-year-old daughter. Authorities suspect that the perpetrator knew she was there and had waited for her outside her home.

When the woman left the building, he got out of the car, approached her and shot her with a revolver. The victim was wounded in the body and, according to initial reports, possibly also in the face, dying at the entrance to the building.

The 48-year-old then turned the weapon on himself and shot himself in the head, ending his life. The handgun was found near his body and has since been seized and is being examined by police.

The 45-year-old woman’s mother was informed of her daughter’s murder only a short time ago. She was told by her other daughter and is in a state of shock.

Speaking to reporters, the victim’s mother repeatedly said that she knew nothing as her eyes filled with tears. She said the 45-year-old had not told her about any romantic relationship.

“I know nothing. She had not told me anything. I have just found out about my daughter. My other daughter called me a short while ago and told me. She had not spoken to me about her relationship. She and her former husband separated a long time ago,” the woman said in a trembling voice.

Investigators are also examining the 48-year-old’s social media activity. In several photographs he had posted, he was seen posing with weapons in his hands. Police are investigating whether any of those weapons could be linked to the revolver used in the murder and suicide.

The posts are being analyzed alongside the other evidence collected, but it has not yet been confirmed whether the weapon used in the crime appeared in any of the photographs.

Local residents said the gunshots were heard at around 05:30 in the morning. A woman who was near the scene said she heard three shots and had not noticed any vehicles or anything else suspicious.

“The neighbor said she heard gunshots in the early hours of the morning. My parents’ home is here, and I heard three shots at around 5:30 in the morning,” she said.

Another resident said she had heard three very loud noises a few seconds apart. According to her, she did not initially realize that they might have been gunshots.

“I was sleeping, but I was not in a deep sleep at home. Suddenly, we heard three very loud noises. We did not know whether they were gunshots or not, but they were extremely loud. I counted three. They were not one immediately after another; there was an interval of three, four or five seconds between them,” she said.

She added that a short while later, she heard the siren of a police patrol car and initially did not understand what had happened. “I did not believe it; it did not even occur to me that they could have been gunshots, but they were,” the resident concluded.

The case is being investigated by the relevant unit of the Directorate for Combating Organized Crime. Police aim to fully establish the nature of the relationship between the 48-year-old man and the 45-year-old woman, the developments in the final days and hours before the crime, and the reason that led to the murder.

The post Tragedy in Greece: 48-Year-Old Albanian Man Was Married and Had a Child; Wife Says, “I Did Not Know About Their Relationship appeared first on Albeu.com.

Greek authorities are continuing their investigation into the tragedy in Nea Smyrni, where a 48-year-old man of Albanian origin shot and killed a 45-year-old woman, also Albanian, before taking his own life.

Investigators are trying to reconstruct what happened in the hours leading up to the crime and shed light on the relationship between the two people.

One of the main issues being examined is the nature of their personal relationship. It has not yet been established what kind of relationship they had, how long it had lasted or whether there was tension between them.

According to the authorities, clarifying this could help determine the motive that drove the 48-year-old to commit the murder.

According to published reports, the 48-year-old was married and had one child. His wife told the authorities that she was unaware of any relationship between him and the 45-year-old woman.

Police are searching the 48-year-old’s home in Tavros, where they hope to find evidence that could clarify his relationship with the victim and indicate whether the incident had been planned in advance.

Investigators are focusing on electronic devices, documents and any other material that could help trace his movements and communications before he went to Nea Smyrni.

At the same time, investigators are examining both individuals’ mobile phones and online activity to determine whether there had been a conflict, meeting or communications before the incident that could be linked to the killing.

The incident occurred in the early hours of Sunday in Nea Smyrni. According to preliminary information, the 48-year-old had gone to 3 Grigoriou Kydonion Street, where he remained inside his vehicle waiting for the 45-year-old woman to leave the apartment building.

The 45-year-old lived in the building with her 16-year-old daughter. Authorities suspect the perpetrator knew she was there and had lain in wait for her outside the building.

When the woman left the building, he got out of the car, approached her and shot her with a revolver. The victim was wounded in the body and, according to initial reports, possibly also in the face, dying at the entrance to the building.

The 48-year-old then turned the gun on himself and shot himself in the head, taking his own life. The gun was found near his body and has now been seized and is being examined by police.

The 45-year-old’s mother was informed of her daughter’s murder only a short time ago. She was notified by her other daughter and is in a state of shock.

Speaking to reporters, the victim’s mother repeatedly said she knew nothing, as her eyes filled with tears. She said the 45-year-old had not told her about any romantic relationship.

“I don’t know anything. She hadn’t told me anything. I have only just found out about my daughter. My other daughter called me a short while ago and told me. She had not spoken to me about her relationship. She and her former husband separated a long time ago,” the woman said in a trembling voice.

Investigators are also examining the 48-year-old’s social media activity. In several photographs he had posted, he was seen posing with guns in his hands. Police are investigating whether any of those weapons could be linked to the revolver used in the murder-suicide.

The posts are being analyzed alongside the other evidence collected, but it has not yet been confirmed whether the murder weapon appeared in any of the photographs.

Local residents said the gunshots were heard at around 05:30 in the morning. A woman who was near the scene said she had heard three shots and had not noticed any vehicles or anything else suspicious.

“The neighbor said she heard gunshots during the early hours of the morning. My parents’ home is here, and I heard three shots at around 5:30 in the morning,” she said.

Another resident said she had heard three very loud noises, a few seconds apart. According to her, she initially did not realize they might have been gunshots.

“I was asleep, but I was not sleeping deeply at home. Suddenly, we heard three very loud noises. We did not know whether they were gunshots or not, but they were extremely loud. I counted three. They were not continuous, one after another; there was an interval of three, four or five seconds between them,” she said.

She added that shortly afterward she heard the siren of a police patrol car and initially did not understand what had happened. “I didn’t believe it; it did not even cross my mind that they could have been gunshots, but they were,” the resident concluded.

The case is being investigated by the relevant unit of the Directorate for Combating Organized Crime. Police aim to fully establish the nature of the relationship between the 48-year-old and the 45-year-old, the developments in the final days and hours before the crime, and the reason that led to the killing.

The post Tragedy in Greece: 48-Year-Old Albanian Was Married and a Father of One; Wife’s Testimony Revealed: “I Didn’t Know About Their Relationship appeared first on Albeu.com.

The Prime Minister of North Macedonia, Hristijan Mickoski, visited Pustec this Thursday, where he was welcomed by the mayor, Pali Kolefski.

During the meeting, he focused on strengthening relations with the Macedonian community of Little Prespa and on the possibility that the government of North Macedonia could contribute to the development of projects in the area.

Mickoski said the aim was to support some of these projects, depending on the available possibilities. He said that mayors and representatives of Macedonians in Albania would be invited to his office and to the Government of North Macedonia, with the aim of drawing up a joint plan on how the state and the government could provide their support.

The Macedonian prime minister also stressed the need to preserve the Macedonian language and culture, particularly through the involvement of the younger generation.

“Our duty is to create stronger institutional ties with Macedonians in Little Prespa, greater support for cultural associations, more books, opportunities to learn and cultivate the Macedonian language, and more exchanges among pupils and young people. Little Prespa is the best proof that borders can divide territories, but they cannot erase culture, family memory and a sense of belonging,” Mickoski said.

He added that he wanted to express his respect for all generations of Macedonians in Little Prespa, who, according to him, have preserved their heritage with silence, dignity and perseverance. In his speech, Mickoski mentioned the parents who taught their children their native language, teachers, cultural workers and associations that have kept the tradition alive, as well as all those who have understood that the greatest national achievements do not always take place in front of cameras and podiums.

According to him, preserving identity also takes place in everyday life, when a grandmother tells her grandchild a family story, or when a parent teaches a child a Macedonian word and song.

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In an analysis published on social media, Democratic Party MP Jorida Tabaku has sounded the alarm over the crisis facing Albania’s industry and manufacturing sector, warning that the country is losing competitiveness compared with the economies of the region.

Tabaku stresses that European integration should not be viewed simply as a formal accession process, but as a daily race for foreign investment, technology, exports, quality jobs and rising incomes for Albanian families.

“Albania is losing competitiveness to the countries of the region—and, along with it, the race for this century,” the Democratic MP says.

Referring to Eurostat data, Tabaku points out that Albania’s industrial production in 2025 was 15.3% lower than in 2021.

According to her, among 35 European economies, only Ukraine, a country at war, recorded a worse result.

Tabaku cites Serbia as an example, noting that during the same period it increased industrial production by 8.8%, attracting factories and investment in the automotive industry, electrical equipment and the production of spare parts for the European market.

According to her, one of the main blows to Albanian producers has come from the depreciation of the euro. Exporters earn their revenues in euros, while they pay wages, energy bills and other costs in lek.

This situation has particularly affected the fason sector, on which more than 130,000 families depend directly, but its consequences have spread throughout Albania’s processing and manufacturing industries.

The Democratic Party MP argues that tourism and construction can contribute to economic growth, but they cannot remain the only engines of development.

According to her, a modern economy must produce, process, export and invest in technology.

Tabaku also criticizes the lack of a serious strategy for the automotive industry, recalling that when she proposed developing the sector, the government responded with a project for a Formula 1 track in Elbasan.

“A track cannot replace industry. Serbia built factories and supply chains; Albania produced presentations and propaganda,” she declares.

In the technology sector as well, according to Tabaku, tax exemptions are not enough. Development requires quality education, the rule of law, financing, scientific research and a fair competitive environment in order to create sustainable businesses and attract serious investors.

Tabaku’s analysis comes one day after she addressed the decline in exports and the consequences of the current economic model for citizens’ incomes and wallets.

According to her, the material well-being of Albanian families remains among the lowest in the region, while around 40% of the household budget is spent solely on food and non-alcoholic beverages.

For the Democratic MP, Albania needs a change in its economic model: an economy that produces and exports, with lower and predictable taxes, free competition, meritocracy and genuine support for entrepreneurship.

“European integration does not give us competitiveness as a gift. It is won every day. And today, unfortunately, Albania is losing this race,” Tabaku concludes.

REACTION:

Albania is losing competitiveness to the countries of the region—and, along with it, the race for this century.

European integration is not simply membership that will automatically solve our problems. It is a daily race for foreign investment, technology, exports, quality jobs and sustainable growth in the incomes of Albanian families.

And this race will become increasingly tougher.

Today, the material well-being of Albanian families remains among the lowest in the region. Around 40% of the household budget goes solely toward food and non-alcoholic beverages, while rent, energy and housing costs place an even greater burden on daily life.

But the problem is not only how little families consume. The problem is the structure of the economy that must generate these incomes.

Eurostat data show that in 2025, Albania’s industrial production was 15.3% lower than in 2021. Of 35 European economies, only Ukraine, a country at war, had a worse result.

During the same period, Serbia increased its industrial production by 8.8%. It has attracted factories, developed its automotive industry and produces vehicles, electrical equipment and spare parts for the European market.

We have chosen a different path.

The depreciation of the euro has hit Albanian exporters: their revenues are in euros, while wages, energy and other costs are paid in lek. The fason industry feels this blow most acutely, because more than 130,000 families are directly affected. But the problem does not stop with the fason industry. It affects all of Albania’s manufacturing and industrial sectors.

Tourism and construction can contribute to the economy, but they cannot be the only engines of a country seeking to develop and compete in Europe. Take Greece, for example, which today has a large tourism sector but is also diversifying into industry. A modern economy must produce, process, export and invest in technology.

Two years ago, when I called for a serious policy for the automotive industry, the government’s response was a project for a Formula 1 track in Elbasan. But a track cannot replace industry. Serbia built factories and supply chains; Albania produced presentations and propaganda.

The same thing has happened in technology. Tax exemptions do not constitute a strategy. Without quality education, the rule of law, financing, scientific research and a fair competitive environment, it is impossible to create a technology ecosystem or attract serious investors.

The economic model built over these years has favored the concentration of markets, monopolies and the use of national assets to serve a minority. It has not built an economy that serves the majority and gives young people reasons to stay in Albania.

That is why we must change.

Albania needs an economy that produces and exports; lower and predictable taxes; competition that brings prices down; a free market, meritocracy and genuine support for entrepreneurship.

European integration does not give us competitiveness as a gift. It is won every day.

And today, unfortunately, Albania is losing this race.

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Serbian President Aleksandar Vuçiç has dismissed as unfounded the reactions from Pristina and Albania following his statements regarding the alteration of the course of the Ibar River.

During an interview with RTS, the head of the Serbian state said that the issue of the Ibar concerns Serbia alone.

“This is our internal matter. I do not know what connection the Ibar has with Albania,” Vuçiç said.

Referring to the situation near the village of Ribariç, he said that the authorities would examine the case to clarify what it involved.

Vuçiç’s position follows the reaction from Kosovo’s Albanian side to proposals to intervene in or redirect the course of the Ibar River. The latter has warned that the issue will be addressed in Brussels.

The Serbian president also accused the authorities in Kosovo of exerting pressure on and mistreating Serbs.

“They must do this to cover up all their crimes against the Serbian people—the arrests, mistreatment and harassment of Serbs, the demolition of homes and the beating of Serbs simply because they are Serbs,” he said.

In the same interview, Vuçiç also addressed the visit of the Ukrainian president to Serbia, which he described as beneficial to the country’s interests.

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A wildfire has broken out in a forested area with difficult terrain near the Greek-Albanian border, in Plai­si Filiat, close to the settlement of Kotsikas.

The fire has spread across the upper part of the mountain, hampering efforts by ground-based firefighting crews. Preliminary reports indicate that the settlement is not currently threatened by the flames.

A large number of firefighters are heading to the affected area, while aircraft are also expected to be deployed in the firefighting operation. Crews on the ground are working to bring the blaze under control as authorities continue to monitor the situation.

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