South
8 killed after vehicle carrying suspected migrants veers into Albanian river
- A car crashed into the Vjosa River in southeastern Albania, killing all eight people aboard.
- The victims included seven suspected migrants and a local driver, according to Albanian police.
- The crash occurred around 4 a.m. when the driver lost control of the vehicle, veering into the river.
A car crashed into a river on Tuesday in southeastern Albania, killing all eight people on board, including seven suspected migrants and a local driver, Albanian police said.
The driver of the vehicle lost control and veered into the Vjosa River about 150 miles southeast of the capital, Tirana, around 4 a.m., according to a police statement. Seven of the victims were suspected to be “from third countries,” it said, using a description police often use to refer to migrants.
Regional police chief Ardian Cipa said the car failed to stop at a police checkpoint and sped away. A police vehicle then followed the car and saw it had crashed into the river.
ALBANIAN LAWMAKERS APPROVE DEAL FOR COUNTRY TO HOLD THOUSANDS OF MIGRANTS FOR ITALY
“It is suspected the driver is from Shkodra and the others are suspected to be migrants who frequently pass this road,” Cipa said, declining to give more details until the investigation is finished. Shkodra is a northwestern city around 300 kilometers (186 miles) from the accident site.
This aerial view taken near the city of Permet shows the Vjosa River. A car crashed into a river on Tuesday in southeastern Albania, killing all eight people on board, including seven suspected migrants and a local driver, Albanian police said. (GENT SHKULLAKU/AFP via Getty Images)
Albania is not a primary route for migrants but small groups from Arab countries or Asia use it to reach Italy by sea or other neighboring countries by land.
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In 2019, Albania became the first non-EU member country to have officers of the bloc’s border agency Frontex to manage its borders in the south and east, which migrants usually cross, and fight cross-border crime.
Albania’s Parliament in February approved a deal for the country to hold thousands of asylum seekers for Italy.
Dallas, TX
Dallas County eyes new multibillion-dollar jail to replace aging Lew Sterrett facility
It became Dallas County’s new, contemporary facility to house accused criminals in 1993. Today, close to 7,000 men and women each day either serve time, wait for trials, or transfer to state prison inside the county’s Lew Sterrett jail.
The elected leader of county government, Judge Clay Lewis Jenkins, says it’s time for a new facility — and it will cost billions to build it.
“We’ve got to begin planning and doing the work, because we can’t wait until this jail is absolutely just failing,” said Jenkins.
Expansion and development in and around downtown Dallas have the county keeping quiet about future locations.
“So we are looking at sites, and I think we’ll have land purchased this year,” Jenkins said. “And a land purchase in the relative scheme of things is a very insignificant financial amount of this.
“When I’m talking about starting on planning and building of a jail, I’m talking about something that will open perhaps 8 or 9 or even ten years from now.”
To complete a new facility in 10 years, Jenkins said the costs will be in the billions, based on a desire to build a jail that offers mental health and substance abuse treatment, trying to end the cycle of folks filling the jail, arrested over and over again for non-violent crimes.
Miami, FL
Miami Heat-Minnesota Timberwolves Final Injury Update: Anthony Edwards’ status divulged
The Minnesota Timberwolves announced that guard Anthony Edwards is now available to play in Tuesday night’s game against the Miami Heat after originally being listed as questionable with right foot injury maintenance.
Here’s the rest of the injury report and game preview:
INJURY REPORT
HEAT
Tyler Herro: Available – Toe
Jaime Jaquez Jr.: Out – Ankle
Nikola Jovic: Available – Groin
Terry Rozier: Out – Not with team
TIMBERWOLVES
Anthony Edwards: Available – Foot
Terrence Shannon Jr.: Out – Foot
Joan Beringer: Out – G League
Game date, time and location: Tuesday, Jan. 6, 8:00 p.m. EST, Target Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota
TV: TV: Peacock,
Radio: 104.3 FM (Miami/Ft. Lauderdale), ESPN 106.3 FM, (West Palm Beach), FOX Sports Radio 105.9 FM (Ft. Myers/Naples), 1450 AM (Suart), 97.7 FM (Florida Keys), WAQI 710 AM (Spanish-language broadcast, South Florida) 100.3 FM (Minnesota)
VITALS: The Miami Heat (20-16) and Minnesota Timberwolves (23-13) meet for the second and final regular season matchup after just facing off three days ago with Minnesota recording a, 125-115, win in Miami on January 3. The teams split the series, 1-1, last season with each squad winning on the road. The Heat are 36-35 all-time versus Minnesota during the regular season,
including 19-16 in home games and 17-19 in road games.
PROJECTED STARTERS
HEAT
G Davion Mitchell
G Tyler Herro
C Bam Adebayo
F Norman Powell
F Andrew Wiggins
TIMBERWOLVES
G Donte DiVincenzo
G Anthony Edwards
C Rudy Gobert
F Jaden McDaniels
F Julius Randle
Spread: Heat +5.5 (-112), Timberwolves -5.5 (-108)
Moneyline: Heat +166, Timberwolves -198
Total points scored: 239.5 (over -106, under -114)
QUOTABLE
Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra on the forced turnovers: “That is and has to be our identity. We have to play with a recklessness and activity level that exceeds our opponent, and thats not to put down our talent level or anything like that, it’s more about we look different when we’re flying around and making plays and making it tough for the opponent.”
For more Miami Heat information and conversation, check out Off The Floor.
Alexander Toledo is a contributor to Miami Heat On SI and producer/co-host of the Five on the Floor podcast, covering the Heat and NBA. He can be reached at Twitter: @tropicalblanket
Atlanta, GA
Overstreet announces 2026 Atlanta City Council committee leadership
ATLANTA – New leadership is taking the helm at Atlanta City Hall as Council President Marci Collier Overstreet begins her term with a fresh slate of committee assignments for the new year.
Why you should care:
The appointments come at a high-stakes moment for the city’s chief policy-making board. Atlanta is preparing for a global spotlight in 2026, serving as a host city for the FIFA World Cup and the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl College Football Playoff game.
What we know:
While Collier Overstreet reshuffled most of the council’s leadership, the Public Safety and Legal Administration Committee remains under the direction of District 10 Councilwoman Andrea Boone. The influential committee oversees the police and fire departments, the Law Department and the Atlanta Citizen Review Board.
The remaining committee chairs for 2026 include:
- City Utilities: District 9 Councilman Dustin Hillis will oversee solid waste, sanitation, watershed and public works.
- Community Development and Human Services: Post 2 At-Large Councilman Matt Westmoreland will preside over parks and recreation, the Atlanta Housing Authority and the Mayor’s Office of Film, Entertainment and Nightlife.
- Transportation: District 6 Councilman Alex Wan will lead the committee dealing with Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, MARTA and the Atlanta Regional Commission.
- Zoning: District 8 Councilwoman Mary Norwood will handle matters related to subdivisions, zoning and sign ordinances.
- Finance/Executive: District 1 Councilman Jason Winston will oversee contract compliance, human resources, finance and procurement.
- Committee on Council: District 3 Councilman Byron Amos will chair the committee presiding over council operations, the Office of Research and Policy and the Office of the Municipal Clerk.
The new president expressed confidence that this leadership team would ensure the city’s future remains inclusive.
The Source: This is a FOX 5 original report from Aungelique Proctor.
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