Police launch a manhunt Two brothers torture their only sister The brutally beaten girl dies in hospital Police launch a manhunt. Two brothers torture their only sister. The brutally beaten girl dies in hospital. Page 5

EDITORIAL By Neritan ALIBALI Months ago, when fuel prices rose in European countries, mass protests by citizens forced their governments to do everything possible to stabilize the situation. Today oil prices in these countries have returned to their previous limits. Meanwhile, in Albania, prices continue to rise at a dizzying pace. And yet life goes on as normal. Albanians pay and remain silent, because they know how to dig into their pockets much better than they know how to speak up. … cursing the rain that does not fill the lakes… Accustomed to looking to the sky with hope, this people is unable to understand, nor does it wish to learn, that this situation has arisen more from the devastating exploitation of energy resources in earlier periods, especially during the election campaign, than from drought. And to Albanians this does not matter much. In fact, it is one more reason not to give it a thought and not to speak up. So, what kind of people are we, when we are unable to insistently demand what is theirs and what they have a duty to do? What kind of people are we, when, before the ballot boxes, we do not reason or weigh up the alternatives, but use our vote like a bullet against the enemy. Against the imaginary enemy, damn it, because we are not enemies among ourselves… What kind of people are we, when the weight of our troubles and problems does not make us revolt, but instead makes us howl and obediently submit … to those in power. And above all, how can we claim to be a free people as long as we continue to vegetate with the mentality of “a beaten dog”? Oh God, what a people! Blind, deaf, and mute, all at once! and remain silent, because they know how to protect up. The paradox continues. Thirteen hours without electricity a day have not upset Albanians at all. On the contrary! With the drowsiness induced by the prolonged darkness, citizens find excellent excuses to justify themselves by

Donors are not giving money, neighboring countries are not selling to us. Donors are not giving money, neighboring countries are not selling to us CATASTROPHE There is no more electricity Hydroelectric power plants are shutting down The crisis began in May Page 3

The State Audit report is falsified Socialists “drag” Angjeli before Parliament to conceal the thefts documented in the report of the Supreme State Audit. The Socialist majority, which at last night’s parliamentary session had been sent [text unclear in source] for a series of violations by the clusters headed by its own people, presented as the largest figures for abuses the report of the Finance Minister, who declared the 1999 State Budget one of the greatest achievements of the Socialist government. The group of Socialist MPs, aided as always by Gjinushi, has turned the debate on the HSA report into a draft law “On the factual approval of the 1999 budget.”

Students pay the price for the Government’s failures; Parents take their children out of class Students pay the price for the Government’s failures Eight-year schools shut down Parents take their children out of class Page 9

Kosovo Pages 12, 13

Explosion / Alarm from Tropoja to Tirana TNT rocks the District Council in Tropojë, while the parties accuse one another over the act. It was 8:30 p.m. on Sunday when an explosion was heard coming from the former District Council building. Unidentified persons had placed a quantity of TNT on the second floor of the four-storey building, where it exploded inside an office on that floor, specifically the personnel office. Almost all the public administration offices of the northern city are located in this building, including the Municipality and the Cadastre. Page 8

They caught 16 undocumented migrants and 105 kg of drugs Undocumented migrants and drugs, hidden in a fishing boat owned by Albanians. Nearly 20 undocumented migrants, 105 kilograms of “canabis sativa,” 1.1 liters of hashish oil, and 5 people, considered accomplices in this trafficking, were caught on Sunday aboard the fishing boat “Delesa,” in the Port of Durrës. The people, who wanted to travel illegally to Italy, had “taken up residence” beneath the upholstery. Page 7