Latest news with #Albania
Daily Mail
17 hours ago
- Health
- Daily Mail
British tourist killed and their partner is seriously ill after falling from jet ski they were riding in the sea off Albania
A British tourist has died while another is in critical condition after jet-skiing in Albania. The 34-year-old man was confirmed dead by coastguards, who believe he lost control of the machine and came off his water scooter. A 31-year-old woman was also seriously injured and remains in critical condition in hospital. The holidaymakers were testing 'maneuvers' near the Kavaja Rock area in Durres when they fell into the water yesterday morning, it was reported in local media. An investigation has been launched to uncover the circumstances of the tragic accident. The pair are yet to be publicly identified but have had their initials shared by the police - the man was S.O. and the woman was V.B. The police said: 'Around 11:15, on 01.06.2025, the Port Durres Border Police services were notified that, in the area opposite the Kavaja Rock, two citizens who were sailing on a Jet Ski, are suspected of having lost control of the vessel during maneuvers and fallen into the water. 'The Border Police Services, after receiving the notification, immediately went by watercraft to assist the two citizens who had fallen into the water, transporting them to the port, with the aim of transporting them to the hospital. 'Preliminary verifications by the hospital emergency team, which was waiting at the port, resulted in one of the citizens sailing on the Jet Ski, specifically citizen SO, 34 years old, resident in England, having lost his life, while citizen VB, 31 years old, resident in England, was immediately transported to the hospital in serious condition. 'A special investigative group was immediately established and, under the direction of the Prosecutor's Office, work continues to clarify the circumstances and legally document the case.' However, several outlets had reported at the time the pair were discovered 'during a random patrol' with the vehicle's engine turned off. They added that that it was possible to pair were suffering from hypothermia after they had been at sea for an unknown number of hours, according to information from the port. Another site has reported that the couple were from Ghana but lived in England. The horrifying incident comes only weeks after another British tourist ran in to trouble on a jet ski while in Thailand. Vincent Zammitt, 26, from London, was arrested and fined for allegedly sinking a jet ski off the coast of Phuketin April after he rented the machine for a 30-minute ride. He said he was allowed to set sail into the idyllic turquoise waters, despite the jet ski not undergoing maintenance checks. The holidaymaker was carving up water when the jet ski's warning lights reportedly went off 15 minutes into the ride. The alarmed holidaymaker steered the watercraft back to shore but it capsized, leaving him stranded at sea in shark-infested waters. A rescue team was called to the scene after he failed to return to the beach after 30 minutes. Footage shows volunteers arriving on jet skis to save Mr Zammitt, seen wearing a life vest as he sat on the overturned machine. But Mr Zammitt is convinced that the rental company set him up with a dodgy jet ski to fleece him - and that the police were in on it too. Phuket is among Thailand's most popular tourist destinations known for its stunning beaches and vibrant nightlife. However, it is also a notorious enclave of criminal activity, with greedy locals taking advantage of naive visitors. Jet ski scams have become a notorious money spinner for locals, with rental companies working in cahoots with a few apparently corrupt police to extort vast sums from holiday makers for non-existent damage to the machines.
Al Bawaba
a day ago
- Business
- Al Bawaba
Gaza truce fails over unexpected Israeli Obstacles
ALBAWABA - Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama welcomed Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni with a playful and theatrical gesture on Friday as she arrived in the Albanian capital to attend the sixth summit of the European Political Community, an informal forum that brings together 47 European states. Rama put down his umbrella and knelt down in front of Meloni as she exited her vehicle, his hands joined together in a gesture reminiscent of prayer. Meloni responded with a lighthearted remark after seeing the scenario on video: "You need to stop that, Edi." Later, she joked with reporters, "He only does it to be as tall as me," mocking their obvious height difference—Meloni is 1.63 meters tall, while Rama is over two meters. This is not the first time that Rama has greeted Meloni in this way. As a birthday gift, Rama knelt down in front of her in Abu Dhabi a few months ago and handed her a scarf. The two presidents' close political and personal ties are shown by their recent bilateral cooperation. With support from the Italian government, two controversial migrant processing facilities have been constructed in Albania: a repatriation facility in Gjader and an unutilized facility in Shengjin. Meloni has said that during her visit, she will not be visiting either place. بعد أسابيع من التفاوض الجاد والمسؤول مع الموفد الأميركي، توصلنا إلى صيغة ورقة مقبولة تتماشى مع الحد الأدنى من الأهداف الوطنية ومتطلبات حماية شعبنا، ووافق الموفد الأميركي على عرضها على الجانب الإسرائيلي. إلا أن الاحتلال رفض الورقة، وطلب من الأميركي عرضها علينا كمقترح نهائي — محمود مرداوي (@AAlmrdawy21173) June 1, 2025 The visit comes only days after Albania hosted the 2025 Giro d'Italia, Italy's premier cycling event, sparking media speculation about a political favor between the two nations. Even while no official link has been confirmed, the symbolic move highlights the expanding political and cultural relations between Tirana and Rome.
CNA
a day ago
- General
- CNA
Yates wins Giro d'Italia for second Grand Tour title
ROME :Simon Yates of Visma-Lease a Bike won the 2025 Giro d'Italia on Sunday to claim his second Grand Tour victory, having effectively sealed the title a day earlier when he snatched the pink jersey from Isaac Del Toro. Yates and other riders received blessings from Pope Leo at the Vatican before the Briton cruised to the finish in Rome on the final stage, which was won by teammate Olav Kooij in a sprint finish. Yates, riding in all pink on a pink bike, also became the first rider since Alberto Contador in 2015 to win the Giro without claiming victory on any of the stages. His victory added to his 2018 Vuelta a Espana title. "Honestly, it's still sinking in. What a huge moment in my career... I couldn't be prouder of the whole team over three weeks," said Yates, the Giro's 12th different winner in as many editions. "It's been good that we had the possibility to win the last stage with Olav. So we kept focused till the end. It's a defining moment of my career, there's no doubt about that. It's a sweet success." Having raced for more than 82 hours, Yates eventually finished three minutes and 56 seconds ahead of Del Toro while Richard Carapaz was third, a further 47 seconds behind. Yates, 32, famously lost the title in 2018 on the Colle delle Finestre climb but this year he closed that painful chapter on the same slopes by taking the pink jersey with Saturday's stunning attack in the mountains. After a 3,300-km journey through Italy, Albania and Slovenia, the final stage was a 143-km ride starting and finishing in Rome, including eight laps of a 9.5 km long circuit. POPE'S BLESSINGS The riders also had time to meet Pope Leo, who was gifted a pink jersey before they left Vatican City and rode into Rome. "I hope that, just as you have learned to take care of your bodies, you will also take care of your spirits," the pope told the riders. With the final stage underway, a relaxed Yates was all smiles as he cycled next to his twin brother Adam, putting his arm around the UAE Team Emirates rider. As the riders cycled past Rome's landmarks like the Colosseum, a six-man breakaway went 24 seconds ahead of the pink jersey group with less than 50 km to go. But with one lap left, only Josef Cerny and Enzo Paleni were left in the lead. Cerny then dropped Paleni to attempt a solo ride to the finish but he was quickly reeled in with six kilometres left. Visma-Lease a Bike wanted the perfect finish and they executed it to perfection when Wout Van Aert led the sprint out on the final kilometre before Kooij surged ahead to take the victory, his second after winning stage 12. "We couldn't wish for a better final weekend. Yesterday was really amazing for the team and today I just had to give everything that was left in the legs," Kooij said after his victory sealed a third stage win for the team this year. Kooij finished ahead of Kaden Groves and Matteo Moschetti as Visma-Lease a Bike became the first team in 26 years to win both the general classification and the final stage. "When the ketchup bottle is almost empty... keep shaking, shaking, shaking," Van Aert said.
The Sun
a day ago
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Albanian Laura Woods stuns in plunging Champions League final outfit as fans label her ‘simply exceptional'
EVA MURATI put it all on red - but was a sure-fire winner with her Champions League final outfit. The sports presenter wore a plugging crimson trouser suit for Paris Saint-Germain's 5-0 romp against Inter Milan. 19 19 19 And while celebrations were at fever pitch on the Munich turf, it was scarlet fever online for the broadcaster's admirers. Eva, 30, has been labelled Albania's version of TNT Sports ' Laura Woods. But she's also a model and an actress, having appeared in movies, TV drama and classic plays on the stage. Her outfits are as varied as her CV, keeping her Instagram following of 1.3million fans guessing. Never more so than this month. The Tring TV and Vizion Plus host went braless in a pink strappy top for coverage of the Giro d'Italia cycle race. She then opted for a glittering, low-cut gown to front an awards ceremony in her home country. And on Saturday night, just as PSG got everything right out in the middle, Eva's fans reckon she was flawless in the studio. 19 The law graduate shared a clip of herself perched on a stool, writing notes and walking around as she prepared for the final. Eva topped off the video by blowing two kisses to the camera. One fan responded by calling her "The most beautiful lady on earth". And many followers believes she added a perfect touch by choosing sparkly high heels. "What beautiful feet, what a beautiful and sexy woman," declared one viewer. "Goddess," said another, while she was also described as "simply exceptional". Eva's cherry-coloured outfit might have hinted at half a link to PSG - as the first-time Champions League winners play in red and blue. But if the sometime film actress did get The French Connection spot on, it was a case of The Italian Sob for poor Inter and their dejected supporters. A glimpse into the broadcaster's colourful life 19 19 19 19 19 19 19 19 19 19 19 19
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- General
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE How successful asylum claims for gay refugees have QUADRUPLED since pre-Covid
The number of asylum seekers successfully claiming to be gay to bag a one-way ticket to Britain has quadrupled since pre-Covid. Before the small boats crisis hit all-time highs, fewer than 500 arrivals were granted refugee status because of their sexual orientation each year. But figures exposing our 'push-over' system reveal this rose to 2,133 in 2023. From Bangladesh, where homosexual acts can be punished with life imprisonment, grants have risen 10-fold since 2015, MailOnline can reveal. Asylum claims are also being accepted from residents of nations where being gay is legal, such as Albania. The full findings of our investigation, part of our long-running series into 'soft-touch' Britain, can be viewed below. Home Office chiefs demand all asylum seekers trying to stay in Britain offer concrete proof to show they are at risk of persecution in their home country. Campaigners say they also must provide 'credible evidence' they are LGBT+, such as love letters and photos with partners. Yet critics claim that many – under the advise of legal firms funded by taxpayers – try to game the system by pretending to be gay. Robert Bates, research director at the Centre for Migration Control, said: 'The Home Office has lost control of the asylum system and allowed it to be hijacked by lefty lawyers who are fully committed to undermining Britain's borders. 'These figures show many illegal migrants are claiming to be gay simply because it bolsters their chances of being given refugee status. 'Far too many grants of asylum are given to undeserving individuals who have lied their way through the process. 'The system is swamped, costing taxpayers an absolute fortune, and is not currently fit for purpose. The only way to restore order is to freeze asylum claims, end the corruption, and bring back a semblance of border control.' Alp Mehmet, of Migration Watch UK, said: 'The soaring figures are another clear sign that Britain is now a push-over when it comes to gaming the asylum system. 'If you want to migrate and hail from a country where you know the no British government will ever return you, all you need do is concoct an unverifiable back story, and you're home and dry.' Our analysis comes after a Pakistani asylum seeker last week begged Keir Starmer to let him stay in the UK because he is gay. Ali Raza Nasir insists he came to the UK to study but realised he would be 'safe' here when he visited Soho in London and met other gay people. Mr Nasir fears he will be deported to his home nation, where an arranged marriage with a woman awaits. Meanwhile, an Albanian asylum seeker who petitioned for the right to stay in the UK because he was 'gay' had his case denied earlier this month. An immigration judge found Esmir Demaj was now married to a woman. In one of the most brazen cases, as told by a Home Office source to the Mail, a man was granted asylum after he 'produced a photograph of himself with his arm around another man' as proof he was gay. It subsequently turned out that the person he had his arm around was his brother. Another notorious case from January made a mockery of the protections offered to gay people facing hardship. A convicted gay Zimbabwean paedophile was allowed to stay in Britain under Article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) because, it was argued, he would face 'substantial hostility' if he was sent home. On that occasion, there was no dispute that the man was attracted to males, even if they were children. The article is frequently used by asylum seekers to launch appeals on the basis that their personal circumstances would expose them to harm in their home countries. Home Office statistics, which began in 2015, do not show whether sexual orientation was the sole basis for the asylum claim. In 2023, the most recent year full data exists for, there were 578 asylum claims made on the basis of sexual orientation from Pakistan. Pakistan was followed by Bangladesh (175), Nigeria (103) and India (39). MailOnline's investigation into the issue found several legal firms advertising advice on how to jump through the Home Office's official hoops. They issue guidance on how asylum seekers can ace their personal testimony interview, which is described as 'the most compelling piece of evidence'. Tips included making sure their testimony was 'highly detailed and consistent', and it would be best if they built 'as strong a case as possible' to be successful in gaining refugee status. The coaching even includes how applicants should explain how their identity within the LGBT community was formed and differs from cultural norms in their home country. Also included are examples of the type of documents that the Home Office accepts as supporting evidence, which is described as helping 'strengthen asylum claims'. The topic of asylum seekers weaponising compassionate British law by pretending to be gay has been raised by human rights campaigner Peter Tatchell, who has taken the extraordinary step of issuing a warning to the Home Office. His human rights group, the Peter Tatchell Foundation, used to receive only a handful of small personal donations online each week. All of a sudden, however, this has soared to up to 30 a day, accompanied by a similar surge in the numbers signing up for a weekly newsletter. The donations all come from men from Pakistan, which is the nation with the largest number of claimants in the world. It appears, he told the Mail, some may have been collating documentary evidence of their contact with the group in a bid to back up their asylum claims. However, he said there was 'no proof of wrong-doing' and that 'asylum fraud is rare'. Mr Tatchell told MailOnline: 'Asylum applicants have to provide credible evidence they are LGBT+, such as love letters, photos with partners, evidence of active involvement with LGBT+ organisations and campaigns. 'They also need to provide detailed evidence of the homophobic persecution they suffered: newspaper reports about what happened to them, police reports of their arrest, court documents citing their charges and sentence, etc. 'It would be very difficult to fake or forge these requirements. Online guidance cannot produce medical reports that confirm a LGBT+ person has been tortured or a police report documenting their arrest.' Mr Tatchell believes part of the rise in LGBT+ asylum applicants is due to increased homophobic repression in many countries in 2022-23, such as the Taliban's control of Afghanistan and Putin's issuing of new harsh laws in Russia. In December, the Mail on Sunday revealed how a Jamaican man who raped a sleeping woman at a party had been allowed to stay after his lawyers argued he was bisexual and would be put at risk if deported. In that case, the Home Office said that, since his arrival here 23 years ago, there was zero evidence of bisexuality, only of relationships with women. Even so, the tribunal judge bizarrely accepted he was likely to have been bisexual and blocked his deportation – a decision later upheld when the Home Office appealed to the upper tribunal judges. And two years ago Saheed Azeez, from Nigeria, won asylum after claiming to be gay – despite having three children by three women. Mr Mehmet added: 'Why have those who have made their way to the UK illegally from the other side of the Channel not claimed asylum in France or elsewhere in the EU? 'And why do migrants who have been here for years only claim asylum at the point of having to leave? 'As Peter Tatchell, the gay rights campaigner, has implied, perhaps some asylum seekers and their legal representatives are only too ready to grab any loophole they find.' In September 2023, the then Tory home secretary Suella Braverman said that some asylum seekers 'purport to be homosexual in the effort to game our system, in the effort to get special treatment'. She added: 'That's not fair and it's not right.' It led to her being castigated by some gay groups for making what they described as 'deeply disturbing' comments which, they said, 'question the legitimacy of LGBTQI+ people claiming asylum in the UK'. Many Left-wing pressure groups and other woke advocates refuse to countenance the possibility that any claim based on homosexuality could be fictional and depict any attempt to address such abuse as being reactionary or even homophobic. A Home Office spokesperson said 'Every asylum claim is assessed on its individual merits, and decision-makers receive thorough training to ensure genuine cases are treated fairly. 'A strong system of safeguards and quality checks supports this process, helping to ensure all claims are properly reviewed and decisions are reliable. 'We take any abuse of the immigration system extremely seriously. Where there is evidence of wrongdoing, we will take firm action to challenge it and protect the integrity of our borders.'
