Med Briefs

1,000 migrants repulsed at Spanish border Officials say around 1,000 migrants of sub-Saharan origin attempted to storm Spain's three-tier barbed-wire border fence separating its North African enclave of Melilla from Morocco, but failed in their bid to enter Europe. A regional government statement said fewer than 10 persons managed to overcome the first barrier in Saturday's charge. They were taken away by Moroccan police. The statement says Spain's border guards detected the charge in an area known as "Villa Pilar" and deployed a helicopter to oversee operations. Spain and Morocco stepped up border vigilance in February after 15 migrants drowned trying to reach Ceuta. The border was recently strengthened with a new type of mesh barrier. Albanian police besiege lawless marijuana village Authorities say suspected gang members have fired rocket-propelled grenades, mortars and machine guns at hundreds of police officers who tried to enter a lawless village in southern Albania as part of a crackdown on Marijuana production. Police said nobody was hurt in the pre-dawn attack Monday outside Lazarat, where authorities believe gangs produce about 900 metric tons of cannabis a year. The drug production is estimated to be worth about 4.5 billion euros ($6.1 billion) — roughly half of the small Balkan country's GDP. They said around 500 lightly-armed police, including special forces officers, surrounded the village overnight after a smaller force was repelled over the weekend by light-arms fire that injured one villager. Police said they would continue the crackdown on the drug producers and "liberate Lazarat from criminals." Tunisia to hold legislative elections first Tunisian politicians have resolved a longstanding dispute and agreed to hold a parliamentary election before the country's presidential vote. Negotiator Mohammed Fadhel Mahfoudh announced Friday that the committee composed of political parties had finally agreed to the election order. Holding legislative elections first had been the preference of the moderate Islamist Ennahda Party, which holds the most seats in the outgoing assembly. The opposition had preferred that the presidential election, which they believe they will win, to be held first. Friday's decision paves the way to set a date for the elections before the end of the year. Tunisians overthrew their dictator in 2011 and wrote a new constitution in January.