Albanian police

Fredi Beleris has gone on the offensive.

Ruling New Democracy announced Fredi Beleri, an ethnic Greek mayor-elect in Albania recently sentenced to two years in prison for vote-buying, as a candidate for the upcoming European Parliament elections.

He was represented by his brother, Leonardo, at the ballot announcement in downtown Athens, as Beleri is currently in Albanian police custody.

In a concerted effort to combat drug distribution networks, Albanian police launched a large-scale operation named "Tempuli," resulting in the arrest of nearly 100 individuals in the capital of Tirana alone and over 150 across the entire country.

The difficulties that lie ahead in finding an acceptable solution to the case of Fredi Beleri, the jailed ethnic-Greek mayor of Himare, were reflected at the funeral of his grandmother, which took place on New Year's Eve in the southern Albanian town, under tight security, with the presence of a total of almost 30 armed police officers. 

Albanian police have said they have dismantled a crime ring based in the city of Korce that defrauded Greek citizens by withdrawing thousands of euros from their bank accounts.

Around 5,000 people in Greece were defrauded by the gang, which was led by a 30-year-old man from Tirana and a 29-year-old man from Korce, police said.

Scuffles broke out between mourners and Albanian police at the funeral of the grandmother of Fredi Beleri on Sunday, after the mayor-elect of the ethnic-Greek city of Himare was kept in handcuffs and given just a few minutes to pay his respects.

BELGRADE - Serbian Defence Minister Milos Vucevic said on Wednesday Serbia was quite disappointed with Kfor's reaction during Sunday's events in Banjska, a village in the north of Kosovo-Metohija.

In the village of Banjska, which is still under blockade, three more Serbs were arrested, the Office for Kosovo and Metohija announced.
Jarinje and Brnjak are still blocked for passage from central Serbia, and you can only exit from the territory of Kosovo and Metohija.

BELGRADE - Commenting on the latest developments in the north of Kosovo-Metohija, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said this Sunday was "one of the most difficult days for our country and our people since 2004 and 2008."

BELGRADE - Commenting on upcoming high-level talks in the Brussels dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said on Friday problems were "building up."