London - Albania's former intelligence chief, who was wanted worldwide on torture and kidnapping charges, has been arrested in London, the BBC reported Tuesday.

Ilir Kumbaro, 55, had lived in Britain for 13 years under a false identity while receiving government assistance. He had convinced immigration authorities in 1996 that he was a refugee from Kosovo fleeing Serbian persecution.

He is accused of kidnapping and torturing at least three Albanians.

Sydney  - A rite of passage for intrepid travellers has been a road trip across the Simpson Desert in central Australia.

There are not really roads, of course, just tracks laid down by explorers that help drivers get across the 176,500-square-kilometre expanse. A four-wheel-drive is the only way to go, preferably in convoy, and hopefully with lots of spares and someone handy as a mechanic.

Albania, which according to recent census has about 3.4 million inhabitants, has about one million migrants in other countries, which means that over the past seventeen years one-third of the population has left the country.

Colliers International officially opened its newest office, which is located in Albania. The Real Estate consultant now has 10 offices in six countries in the region, including Bulgaria, Romania, Greece, Montenegro, Croatia and Albania, reported Europa.re.

All the countries of Southeastern Europe will face a shortage of electricity in the next five years and now they need urgent investment and greater cooperation, said Albanian Minister of Economy, Energy and Trade Genc Ruli at the economic forum "Krans Montana", which took place in Tirana last few days, MIA reported.

Bulgaria's government signed an agreement today for removing the need of visas for Bulgarian traveling to Ukraine, Moldova and Albania.

Bulgarian citizens can now travel to the mentioned above countries without restraint and stay in them for 90 days without a visa.

Moreover, Ukrainians, Moldavians and Albanians with already issued visas could stay and travel in Bulgaria, too, for 90 days.

Candidates of the Albanian political parties in the early parliamentary elections for PMs in Macedonia have not signed a declaration which denies their relationship with Macedonian or foreign secret services.