Italian authorities have rejected the asylum requests of 43 asylum-seekers transferred to Albania in a speedy procedure that a non-governmental delegation observing the process said illegally deprived them of legal assistance.

All asylum requests of 43 migrants at an innovative but controversial new Italian-run processing centre in Albania have been rejected, officials said Thursday after six of the original 49, two adults adjudged vulnerable and four minors,

An Italian navy ship has arrived in Albania with 49 migrants intercepted in international waters for processing of their asylum applications at special Albanian centers.

An Italian navy ship carrying 49 migrants picked up in international waters arrived in Albania on Tuesday, amid a new attempt by Italy to push ahead with a legally contested plan to relocate migrants to the neighbouring country.

Archbishop Anastasios, who revived the Orthodox Church of Albania after the fall of the communist regime in the country, has died

Under Archbishop Anastasios Yannoulatos’ leadership, after the fall of communism, more than 400 parishes were reopened and several new churches were built.

Albania will create a sovereign Muslim state in Tirana for the Bektashi religious order, along the lines of the Vatican in Rome, to preserve and promote religious tolerance, Prime Minister Edi Rama said on Saturday.

Tuesday's boat was the first to arrive in Albania following a monthslong pause. The European Court of Justice is set to review the scheme in February.

Ali Amini was just days from starting a new life in the United States when President Donald Trump halted aid for resettling Afghan refugees last week, a move that Amini worries could put his life in danger if forced to return home.

Italy's navy on Sunday was taking 49 migrants it picked up in international waters to detention facilities in Albania, the interior ministry said, resuming a plan to curb sea arrivals mired in legal controversy.

Archbishop Anastasios, head of the Orthodox Church of Albania, died at a hospital in Athens at the age of 95 on Saturday, the church announced.

Archbishop Anastasios, an ecumenical movement leader credited with helping to revitalize the Orthodox Church in Muslim-majority Albania, has died at the age of 95