«Marlboro» cigarettes believed to be dangerous in Italy are on sale in the capital The alarm reaches Tirana from Rome as well TIRANA — What is happening? For two days now, Italy has been living through the anxiety of radioactive cigarettes. And now the same fear may grip Albania. The Italian Ministry of Health has its sights set on «Marlboro» cigarettes produced in Russia, made using tobacco contaminated by radioactivity. The cigarettes were bought at a very low price by Apulian criminals and then sold on the black market. Packs produced in the East can be identified immediately because the electronic code—printed on one side—contains the number «4», whereas those produced in the United States (the commonly available ones) contain the number «5». So far, only some of the «Marlboro 4» have been seized in Italy, and they proved uncontaminated. The others have disappeared from circulation, a circumstance that has heightened the alarm. «Marlboro 4» are also circulating in Albania. A survey carried out on Sunday by «Gazeta Shqiptare» found that packs of cigarettes produced in the East (which, according to the Italian Ministry of Health, are extremely dangerous) were being sold regularly at all the city’s kiosks and in a hotel shop. Once again, the international bureaucracy is to blame for failing to take measures to inform Albania in time. «The European authorities have not yet informed us about this new alert—1 the Minister of Health, Tritan Shehu, explains to the Gazette—but I am sure that if the danger really exists, they will notify us in the coming hours». The possibility that radioactive cigarettes could reach Albania from foreign markets (particularly the Russian one) was considered by the Albanian authorities in recent months: «We have carried out numerous checks to establish whether radioactivity is present—Minister Shehu continues—our tests have checked all brands of cigarettes imported from abroad. So far, fortunately, everything is in order». Since they are usually American-made, «Marlboro» cigarettes have until now been considered the safest on all European markets. The new alert—issued by the Italian Ministry of Health—arose from an investigation by the Naples police into the activities of several financial companies. It was thus established that in recent days Italian smugglers had bought a large quantity of contaminated cigarettes in Russia: the shipment—which was initially destined for Germany and then for Slovenia—ended up on the Italian black market. The route taken by radioactive «Marlboro» cigarettes is the typical one for Italian smuggling, running along the Apulian coast and, in particular, through the city of Brindisi. Just a few days ago, a smuggler’s motorboat from Brindisi was stopped in the port of Durrës by the Albanian authorities. Some chemists believe that the alert issued in Italy is exaggerated and that fears about radioactive cigarettes are unfounded. Smuggled Marlboro cigarettes seized by the Italian police

Army AN-2 planes for domestic routes TIRANA — Albania is taking its first steps toward establishing a domestic network of air routes for passengers. The news comes from the Minister of Transport himself, Fatos Bitincka. According to the Minister, the Council of Ministers is preparing a decision under which several airports and other smaller aircraft landing fields will henceforth be used for civilian purposes. The decision will also set out measures to address the damage recently identified at these facilities. There are several aerodromes and other smaller aircraft landing fields in Albania. Until now, only Rinas Airport has been used for passenger transport, and even then only for international routes. Now, apparently, the time has come for Albanian passengers to travel by plane within the country as well, a need made more evident by the increase in contacts between one city and another. Business means, first and foremost, speed of communication, and this will be achieved by establishing the necessary infrastructure. The government’s forthcoming decision aims to fulfill just one of its important components. The new measures initially aim to put these airports into operation and then manage them. The question of financing this operation remains to be resolved. Such works are often very costly. Several foreign firms and companies have offered to help so far. It has been decided that some AN-2 aircraft, which until now have been used by the military aviation service, will initially be used for passenger air transport. A military aircraft at Rinas Airport

Yesterday in Albania BRITISH EMBASSY COMMENTS ON THE ISSUE OF ALBANIAN GOLD — “This problem belongs to the tri-

At the Balkan Junior Championships

ALBANIAN GOLD — “This problem belongs to the British-French-American tripartite commission. We have resolved our problems. A few problems with the USA remain, and they are being resolved. Talks on this issue will conclude very soon.” This was the response given to the official information media by Jonathan Gimblett, Britain’s chargé d’affaires in Albania, regarding the problems surrounding Albanian gold. The gold—which has still not been returned by Great Britain—blocked diplomatic relations between the two countries for a long time. YOUNG PEOPLE OF DIFFERENT RELIGIONS MEET IN DURRËS — It was the sisters of CARITAS who brought together young people of the city’s three religious faiths in a hall at the “Jan Kukuzeli” secondary school of arts in Durrës. The meeting focused on the shared search for a new understanding of life, culture and peace, dialogue, and a project of brotherhood within the community. Senior representatives of the three religious communities in Durrës spoke to the young people about the long-standing coexistence of different religious faiths. IN LUSHNJË, CITIZENS COMPLAIN ABOUT THE QUALITY OF BREAD — Consumers in Lushnjë have been complaining for more than three weeks about the quality of bread, its substandard condition, and interruptions in supply. Many also complain about the weight of the bread, which often—according to them—weighs less than the required standard. Although the city’s three main bakeries are joined by four other private ones and the supply problem is considered resolved, citizens complain about bread producers because “they are making unfair profits” at the expense of quality.

TIRANA — To select nurses and midwives who may be employed in Libya. This was the purpose of the visit to Albania by Mohammed Muafa, director of one of Tripoli’s largest hospitals. During his stay in Tirana, Muafa visited a number of health centers and met with a large group of midwives and nurses interested in working in Libya on a four-year contract. The delegation also learned about the needs of Albanian healthcare and promised to send assistance for this sector. Members of the delegation from Libya said that this is only the beginning of cooperation between the two countries in the healthcare sector, and that cooperation will soon expand into other fields as well.

At the Balkan Junior Championships EDMOND LAÇI THESSALONIKI — Two gold medals, one bronze and other national records: this is the tally for the Albanian juniors at the 24th Balkan Championships, held on July 10–11 in Thessaloniki, Greece. Ermelinda Shehu, Elton Dervishi and Marinela Ligori were the Albanian protagonists at this highly competitive championship. “Our team’s participation was so large — around 60 athletes — and the results of the Albanian medal winners,” Enver Tonuzi, a member of the Albanian sports delegation, told the newspaper, “were considered real sensations by the Greek press and by the other participants in this Balkan event.” Among the 400 athletes gathered from all over the Balkans — athletes from the former Yugoslavia competed as independents — at the Thessaloniki Olympic Stadium, the Albanian athletes were surprising on the first day. Ermelinda Shehu of the “Dinamo” club, a former Balkan runner-up among junior women, achieved the outstanding result of 6.36 metres, simultaneously breaking Albania’s national record and being crowned Balkan junior champion in the long jump. After her, 17-year-old Elton Dervishi of “SK Tirana” achieved another outstanding result in the hammer throw: his 59.56 metres was 8 centimetres farther than the Greek champion’s throw and put him on the winners’ podium as Balkan champion. Elton — after 13 years — repeated the result of the great Albanian champion in this event, Ajet Toska. Also in the throwing events, Marinela Ligori of “SK Tirana” deserves the bronze medal, following her result of 32.80 metres. On Sunday afternoon, with only a few hours left before the 24th Balkan Championships ended, the Albanian team was among the top teams in this sport and in fifth place. “We need to overtake the Turkish team to rank fourth,” Tonuzi continued, “and we are optimistic about this.”

Deputy Minister Llazar Kora gives concrete form to cooperation with Puglia Italian aid for agriculture A group of Albanian specialists will soon be in Bari for training BARI — From Albania to the agricultural school in Puglia. This is how the three-day visit by Albania’s Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Food, Llazar Kora, who arrived in Bari on Thursday evening, is being interpreted. A “trip” to learn about the operational structures of «Enapaica», the National Agency for Vocational Training in Agriculture, under the supervision of Aic, the Italian Farmers’ Association. It is no coincidence that the visit by the representative of the Albanian government coincides with the presentation of a project for an agricultural course reserved for twenty young Albanians who have graduated in this field. The funding (estimated costs: 815 million) is already in place and comes from the Italian Ministry for Foreign Trade. The course will be divided into three stages: basic vocational training, specialist training and practical applications, with scholarship holders taking part in work placements at businesses in this sector. A real school that “will graduate” the first Albanian technical-assistance workers specialising in agriculture and olive-growing technicians. This cooperation involves the Albanian Ministry of Agriculture and Enapaica. Furthermore, the agreement with the National Institute for Vocational Training in Agriculture will also serve to seek national and international sources of funding to launch the course itself. Deputy Minister Kora himself was very enthusiastic about reaching this agreement, considering it one of the further steps in cooperation between the two countries in this field.

SILVERSTONE — Frenchman Alain Prost, driving a Williams Renault, won the British Grand Prix, the ninth world championship round of the “Formula uno” race. German Michael Schumacher, in a Benetton Ford, came second, while Italian Riccardo Patre- finished third in the Grand Prix. Prost made a poor start and was quickly overtaken by his teammate, Damon Hill, and by Ayrton Senna. It was ten minutes of spectacular racing, the kind not seen for years, since the time when Senna and Prost were teammates at McLaren.

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