Former Albanian Prime Minister Salih Berisha is under house arrest

Media in Albania reported that the leader of the right-wing opposition, Salih Berisha, was placed under house arrest after allegations of corruption during his tenure as prime minister.

On Saturday, an Albanian court imposed house arrest on the former prime minister, who leads the opposition Democratic Party, and is being investigated for corruption.

The judge of the Special Court of First Instance on Corruption and Organized Crime, Irina Juca, accepted the prosecutors’ request “to place Berisha (79 years old) under house arrest after he violated the previous restrictive measures of coming every two weeks.” Berisha was also banned from traveling abroad.

Berisha's lawyer said, "The court also prevented him from communicating with people other than his family members who live with him, and considered the matter a violation of the law." Meanwhile, “depriving Berisha of communication may become a broader political issue because he is the leader of the main opposition party.”

The lawyer added that he "will appeal the court order." It is not clear how the police will implement a surveillance order for Berisha at his apartment in downtown Tirana.

In a comment posted on social media, Berisha said that he "will continue to work and fight every minute and in all forms to restore democracy."

He wrote: “I call on you, under the slogan ‘Today or not,’ in the battle of no return, to be stronger, more determined, more enthusiastic, and more courageous than ever before.”

Last week, Parliament voted to strip Berisha of his legal immunity. Lawmakers loyal to Berisha tried to disrupt the session and boycotted the vote. While Berisha criticized his investigation and arrest, describing them as "political repression ordered by Prime Minister Edi Rama, and warned of strong protests."

In October, prosecutors publicly investigated Berisha for allegedly abusing his position to help his brother-in-law, Jamarber Maltese, privatize public land for the construction of 17 residential buildings. Prosecutors have not yet filed formal charges in court, and Berisha remains under investigation.

If convicted, Berisha faces up to 12 years in prison, prosecutors said.

Berisha served as Prime Minister of Albania from 2005 to 2013, and President from 1992 to 1997, and was re-elected as a representative of the Democratic Party in the 2021 parliamentary elections.

The US government in May 2021 and the UK in July 2022 banned Berisha and his close family members from entering their countries due to his alleged involvement in corruption.

The British Maritime Authority announces a strong explosion on board a ship off the coast of Yemen

The British Maritime Trade Operations Authority announced that it had received a report of a strong explosion with a flash during an accident on board a ship off the coast of the Yemeni coastal city of Hodeidah.

The authority said in its statement: “Information was received about a strong explosion with a flash on the left side of the ship and the ship is heading to the next port of destination.”

Earlier, the British Maritime Trade Operations Authority said that it had received information about an incident that occurred off the coast of the Yemeni city of Hodeidah.

The Supreme Commander of the US Naval Forces in the Middle East, Vice Admiral Brad Cooper, stated, “The Houthis in Yemen are showing no signs of ending their attacks ” on commercial ships in the Red Sea.

Two days ago, the US Navy shot down  a drone and an anti-ship ballistic missile  launched by the Houthis in Yemen, south of the Red Sea, according to what the US military command in the Middle East (Centcom) announced.

The spokesman for the Yemeni Armed Forces, Brigadier General Yahya Saree, also warned the United States against escalation against Yemen and its people, and stressed  their readiness to confront any attack.