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EDITORIAL By Denion NDRENIKA Albania crowned its new Miss last night. As it has done all these years. Albanian girls and all those who believe in and worship blessed feminine beauty were able to enjoy it aesthetically, as true beauty deserves, and as does the eye that follows it, far from the chaos and turmoil of this country, far from the foul winds that are filling the atmosphere sh- Rape of Modernization and thousands of others abducted and deceived on the roads of Europe, as everyone is frightened every day and may hear of more and more such deeds, which a “society in transition” has apparently reserved in abundance for the beautiful half of humanity, women. A few days ago, a corpse was found in Romanat, a short time later, another in Dajt..., while last night, another girl, with her in a society that might well not deserve a Miss. Corpses are found in the streets. Left to the macabre mercy of some dog, or of some compassionate shepherd who, in truth, is not the right shepherd to guide a new society. Precisely the society that remembers women not only when it sees them naked in bed, or raped and dead feminine, could aesthetically enjoy it, follows it, far from the chaos and disorder of this place, far from the foul smells filling the Albanian environment—not only through the presence of rubbish on the streets and in society, but also through abandoned corpses... Last night, Albania found a Miss for the ninth year, while for nine years running it has found dozens and hundreds of names of women who have been disgraced, hundreds of [unclear] in transition” that it seems to have another girl, speaking the same language, in the same country, but not with the same fate, was crowned Miss. In an uncrowned state. In a society where the old and the new are thoroughly entangled, along with rights that should be enjoyed and those that are violated. In a society unprepared to see a Miss in every woman..., the to lead a new society. Precisely that society which remembers women and lying dead at the roadside. In a society that would have no need for corpses, for killing, for rape. A society where rights are respected, left unharmed, and where the old has no right to trample on the modern... And which feels like a stranger in this country.

Photograph of a woman wearing a crown

The unpublished gold inventory. The untold connections between the Governor of the Bank of Albania, Shkëlqim Cani, and the state treasury scandals. THE SEVEN GREAT THEFTS THAT IMPOVERISHED ALBANIA The unpublished gold inventory 4 tons of gold lost on the Stock Exchange The untold connections between the Governor of the Bank of Albania, Shkëlqim Cani, and the state treasury scandals. THE SEVEN GREAT THEFTS THAT IMPOVERISHED ALBANIA Page 5

Those in power are poisoning tobacco In 1990, Albania produced 25,000 tons of tobacco. During 1999, this production fell to 6,000 tons. --- In 1990, Albania produced 25,000 tons of tobacco During 1999, this production fell to 6,000 tons --- Around 6,000 tons of cigarettes are consumed in the Albanian market each year, while customs clearances amount to 2,000 tons --- Including the amount produced domestically, it turns out that over 3,000 tons of cigarettes enter Albania through smuggling Page 7

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MISS ALB Photo: Armando Babani GENTIANA RAMADANI, MISS ALBANIA 2000 GENTIANA RAMADANI, MISS ALBANIA 2000. Photo: Armando Babani

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