The mystery of the 80 thousand dollars sent from Australia The odyssey of the disappeared aid The mystery of the 80 thousand dollars sent from Australia A phantom shipment The odyssey of the disappeared aid ANDREA STEFANI TIRANA — Even in the months when aid for Albania was most talked about, another mystery has emerged. This time it concerns the enigmatic disappearance of a shipment of more than 20 tons of clothing — worth 80 thousand dollars — sent by the Australian branch of the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK). After the date was changed, the cargo sent from the island-continent arrived and was unloaded at the Italian port of Salerno. And right there, very close to its final destination, it vanished without a trace; there is even a hypothesis that it may have ended up at the bottom of the sea. This is an alarm coming from the office of the Humanitas charitable association in Albania. "And it is completely incomprehensible," says spokesman Destan Dema, who tries to explain to Gazeta Shqiptare the history of the cargo’s route and the reasons why it was lost. Sent from Australia in June 1993, the 20 tons of assorted clothing arrived at the port of Salerno in October. There they were unloaded, awaiting collection by the Albanian side. To carry out this transport, two representatives of the Australian branch of the LDK — Xhafer Hoxha and Fikri Tapri — handed over 900 dollars to the Government Commission for Aid attached to the Council of Ministers. But for months — it is still unknown why — nothing was done; the cargo remained stored in the Italian port while the sender (the LDK branch) was forced to pay 30 dollars a day for this service. Recently, on 12 May of this year, the LDK sent a fax to Zekria Palushi — at the time a adviser to the Government Commission for Aid — in which, among other things, it requested that the transport of the clothes, which had not yet been carried out, and all the documentation and the money received by you (50,900 dollars) be handed over to Dafa as soon as possible and to Sam Dema." But the recipient was also unable to carry out his mission, ultimately in vain. "I learned that Palushi had given the 900 dollars to police officer V.S.," Dema told Gazeta Shqiptare, "entrusting him with the task of bringing the shipment to Albania." This is a version accepted by the policeman himself. According to him, after staying for a private reason, he handed over 2.1 million lire — part of it from his boss — for the travel expenses to Salerno. The truck with plates TR 3401 left on 10 August for Salerno to return empty. The driver had only a terse explanation: "The aid was not there." So where did it end up? And the police officer who gave the first explanation was involved: "In May Palushi received a fax from the port of Salerno warning that the cargo would be thrown into the sea if it was not collected by 31 May." Meanwhile, in October there was another one, but this time not for Salerno — a port official said to A. that, although not precisely about the cargo, it might have been thrown into the sea, because they no longer keep stored goods. The Albanian branch of the LDK says that "throwing goods into the sea" has never been practiced. So where did the cargo end up? At the bottom of the Adriatic or somewhere else? Or perhaps it is still forgotten in some corner of the Italian port of Salerno? These and other questions, which loom large, cast a veil of mystery over the whole matter. One fact remains: 80 thousand dollars, converted into 20 tons of clothing sent as aid by compatriots far away, were unable to reach Albanian families. As in an ancient epic, unknown forces have turned the cargo into a "phantom" or are preventing it from arriving in the homeland.

Athens says "No" after Berisha’s offer of dialogue TIRANA — A negative response from Athens to dialogue with Albania. One day after leaving Albania — together with Tirana’s positive initiative — the representative of the CSCE Commissioner for national minorities, Max Van der Stoel, did not find the same willingness from the Greek authorities. To President Berisha’s offer of dialogue — also conveyed by Stoel — Greece’s Foreign Minister, Carolos Papulias, responded with a firm refusal. "The trial of the five leaders of the Greek minority in Albania has created a negative climate that does not encourage any form of dialogue," Papulias declared at the end of his conversation with Stoel on Thursday evening. After the latest incident on the border, the mass return of refugees, and the harsh statements by the Greek government, it had been Tirana that first offered dialogue, and Berisha had even asked for international mediation to solve the new crisis. But Greece, for its part, continued to oppose the dialogue offered in connection with the process that is taking place these days in Tirana. "This political trial must first come to an end, and then the necessary conditions will be created to discuss with the Albanian government," Papulias repeated in rejecting the Greek side’s position. (p. re.)

Football, songs and flags in the capital A victory and a magical qualification for the white-and-blues in the Cup Winners’ Cup Football, songs and flags in the capital "Tirana" restores success to Albania A victory and a magical qualification for the white-and-blues in the Cup Winners’ Cup A group of Tirana fans and, on the right, striker Ingrid Fortuzi TIRANA — "We showed — more to ourselves than to others — that our club also knows how to win." A few seconds after the magical victory of "Tirana" over Belarus’s "Fandok", coach Muça told Gazeta Shqiptare what seemed the greatest success. And together with qualification for the second round of the Cup Winners’ Cup, the white-and-blues of "Tirana" are giving Albania its first two points in a foreign competition this season. It was precisely the star of the Albanian Football Championship, Ingrid Fortuzi, who shattered the — almost achieved — dream of the Belarusians of "Fandok", who two weeks earlier had won at home 0-1. "Tirana was of course the more complete team than our 'Fandok'," said, to Gazeta Shqiptare, the manager after the Belarusians’ defeat — the journalist from Fizkulkturnik Belarus, Peter Saberov — "I watched both matches and I think the Albanians deserved even more to be in the Cup Winners’ Cup". Thus, convincingly, the white-and-blues bring success back to Albania. And immediately after this success, the Mayor of the Capital — through Gazeta Shqiptare — enthusiastically promised: "I am dealing more with problems than with sport in Tirana, and after this victory of 'Tirana' I have thought that another Muça — this time especially helped by Fortuzi’s 'golden' feet — is capable of making chaos." The Albanian capital spent a fiery afternoon last Thursday. Even though the timing was not especially favorable, the white-and-blue supporters filled the streets and cafés of the capital with songs and flags. The evaluation of the author was nervous for Muça with assists. They had left the "Qemal Stafa" Stadium. One day later they would face the next opponents for the "little whites" in Geneva — while "Fandok" would finish far away, although appearing before microphones and cameras in their country to complain about "an unfavorable referee". Edmond Laçi

— The largest mosque in Albania has now been reopened. Yesterday in the city of Durrës the Great Mosque was inaugurated — it was built in 1936. According to the representative of the Muslim Community, this is only the tip of the iceberg, with some of the largest mosques in the Balkans. For its restoration — closed by the communist regime, it had been turned into an intimate fountain? — about 200 thousand dollars were provided. An amount entirely financed by the World Islamic Organization based in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Gë. To.

Severely injured in hospital, police begin investigation VLORE — Mystery surrounds the attempted murder of a 25-year-old man in Vlorë. So far, the manner and motives that led to the shooting of Helgari Plaku, the young man from Ura who is currently in the city of Vlorë, have remained in the dark. The police are trying to reconstruct the episode in which Plaku was wounded in the neck. The young man from Dibër — a student at the Agricultural University of Kamëz — had decided to work in Vlorë this summer, near fellow townspeople who had come to the city some time earlier. On 23 August, Plaku was in a warehouse for 41 hours? in one of his buildings, guarding a warehouse from which an electric motor and a gate had disappeared and been stolen. This, according to police statements as well, was the reason why he became the victim of the attackers. While inspecting a place near the central police station in the 10 Korriku neighborhood, Plaku was shot — according to the forensic report, the bullet was of 7.7 type — from behind the head. The bullet passed through the side of the neck, causing serious damage. Taken immediately to hospital, doctors managed to stop the hemorrhage by giving him blood. He was then urgently transferred to Tirana. Meanwhile the police have begun pursuing the perpetrators of this crime. St. Ma.

The "brave one" is caught TIRANA — Thieves are now not even shy about robbing in broad daylight and in front of everyone. That is what happened one morning at the Kashar railway station in Tirana, where a tanker containing 20 thousand liters was stolen with the greatest ease. The tanker, which had been used until 3-4 years ago to supply locomotive fuel, was detached from its place using a crane and loaded onto a private truck. Immediately after the job was done, the truck — according to sources? from the police — drove away, passing in front of the fuel offices. It was only the delay of a few workers that disturbed the thief’s "peace." The workers alerted the police, who managed to block the vehicle together with the stolen load.

DURRËS — A painful event in Durrës. A 6-year-old child, A. M., was torn from his grandmother’s hands and fell into the road, becoming the victim of a car accident. The child was walking tired? but hand in hand with his grandmother and back? along the road linking Durrës with Shijak when he broke away and began to walk toward the main road, where the grandmother at that moment did not notice the child’s movements and he was badly struck by a vehicle traveling at speed. That is exactly what happened and the tragedy followed. A "Honda" 100 cc vehicle — was unable to avoid the little boy and struck him with force. An attempt caused the little boy’s death an hour later in hospital.

Summer language courses are organized TIRANA — Young Germans in Tirana, among young people of different religious affiliations, as a center of cultural superiority. It must be something very rare in today’s Europe of resurgent nationalisms, but it is more a reality that Albanian youth and some European countries have long since made happen. From an idea of the Jesuit Fathers, an initiative was born that aims to bring together mainly young people of different faiths, cultures and nations — into a single film; "not useful for something?". The initiative — which has been running for several years and is included again this summer — is called "Projekti Speranza". This foreign-language school? for all Albanian youths interested who have finished the eighth grade. But it seems their initiative does not stop there. A few days ago several young people? were seen working in the park of the cemetery? of the Oncology Hospital. Encouraged? by the summer initiative of the young people, they worked side by side and repaired the benches that serve for patients’ rest. A group of such young people also operates in Shkodër, but it.

CURSIVE REALITY TIRANA — "Typhoon" over the capital. On Thursday afternoon, a storm followed the darkening of the sky, a commotion? and it blew. For minutes on end everything was overturned. And only a few minutes later, it began to drag? the work silently as a disturbance, and although outside, after it came out, the storm clouds were suffocated, clear. Like dust and papers. Like a and an ajglanda,? the current of the wind sent them? stress and the rooftops of the huts? the "meloliskut" flew up. And the earth, so planted? beneath the heads? strong one another the little kissed? and centimeter? difficult? brain above while carrying and brain when passers-by and developers? sun? level. As in the most distinctive express case, the walls? and the thick curtains turned to dust, forcing other drivers? to stop vehicles to prevent a possible accident. ? they bent before the force of the wind and one of them — they have not been trimmed for a long time — entered the road? with. But it did not last long. The wind stopped and the noises returned to their usual order. They began to fight? while the dust fell, precipitating downward and in weight, stopping because they? — gathers and for how long the roads and squares... Lanço

Fidel Kastro threatens to open the borders USA: "He is a failed man" ON PAGE 2 "Tirana" restores success to Albania Qualifies for the Cup Winners’ Cup ON PAGE 3

FROM KORFUZI TO SARANDA, 60 DEPORTED PER DAY — Saranda is one of the Albanian border points that, like the others, is experiencing the drama of the forcible return of many Albanian refugees from Greece. Sources at the port captaincy told the official press agency that the average number of deported Albanians is about 60 per day. It is learned that there have been not infrequent cases in which the refugees had completely regular documents. The same sources report that there have also been contradictory reports about the treatment by Greek police of the expelled Albanians. THE DEBATE OVER THE PRESS LAW RETURNS — The debate over a law discussed in Albania in recent years has been revived. In response to the accusation made by the leader of the Social Democratic Party that the version published in the Official Gazette is falsified, a statement by the spokesman of the People’s Assembly was issued yesterday: "The law was published exactly as it was approved by the deputies." Nevertheless, he had declared in the daily press that one point — the prison sentence for journalists — had been arbitrarily added in the final version of the law. SHIJAK, MURATO IS INVESTIGATED AS THE KRT KIDNAPPER — Near Durrës there has been a rare case of exchange? for large multi-story buildings and premises. Among them in one? approved in Shijak will have a capacity of 3,000 residents. The decision was taken after the decision of the body by the local body, was suspended. Both in public opinion and by the authorities it is concluded? this is fast and it is spoken of far? until.